Britain’s head teachers could wipe a massive £70m off school energy bills by making their schools more energy efficient, the Carbon Trust said today. Reducing energy wastage would also reduce UK schools’ carbon dioxide emissions by almost 600,000 tonnes.
The £70m potential cost savings could fund around 230,000 extra computers for schools each year, or just over 4.5 million text books.
“Head teachers, parents and governors alike are always seeking ways to make the school budget go further. Cutting energy use is a highly effective way to free-up those funds, whilst engaging the school community in the fight against climate change,” said Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust.
These figures were revealed at the launch of a new Carbon Trust campaign encouraging head teachers to realise the potential savings in their school budgets and tackle climate change at the same time. The Carbon Trust has also launched a tailored service designed to help head teachers to identify and implement the right energy saving projects for their schools quickly and easily. The service is free of charge and comprises an on-site school assessment by a carbon consultant, followed up by a bespoke report and action plan. It is available to schools and colleges in England and Wales with energy bills in excess of £50,000.
The Carbon Trust’s campaign is launched today at Oaklands Secondary School, Tower Hamlets, London, which has been working with the Carbon Trust to reduce its carbon emissions since 2007.
Patrice Canavan, head teacher of Oaklands Secondary School explains: “The free carbon survey provided by the Carbon Trust gave us practical advice on improving energy efficiency. So far, we have implemented just over half of the recommendations identified by the survey, such as developing an energy management programme, updating old lighting with energy efficient PIR lighting and light sensors, putting timers and controls on our heating systems and insulating pipe work to retain heat. As a result we have already reduced our energy spend by around 18%. We’re now planning how to reinvest these funds into the school.”
The Carbon Trust estimates that most schools can save around 20% on their energy bills by improving insulation, heating and lighting and involving teachers and students in energy saving activities. Its schools campaign follows the recent Government announcement that over £50 million in interest-free loans are now available to public sector organisations, including state schools, to fund energy saving and carbon reduction projects. The loans are available through the Carbon Trust and Salix Finance . Independent schools can also apply for financial support through the Carbon Trust’s interest-free Energy Efficiency loans.
To date, the Carbon Trust has worked with over 700 secondary schools and Further Education Colleges across the country, for which it has identified energy savings of around £16 million and carbon emissions savings of 119,000 tonnes annually.
Key Facts:
According to a report out from The Sustainable Development Commission (SdiG 2008: Challenges for Government):
- The carbon footprint of English schools currently stands at 9.4m tonnes of greenhouse gases every year, from heat and power in school buildings, pupil and staff travel, waste management, and the supply chain activities of companies providing goods and services to schools.
- Heat and power used in school buildings account for 37% of those emissions, while 45% of them come from getting goods and services to and from schools.
- Pupil and staff travel and school transport amounted to 16% of greenhouse gases produced, while 2% came from waste management.
Source : The Carbon Trust
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