Energy advice and support

Saving energy in school not only significantly reduces a school's impact on the environment, but it saves a lot of money too.

Get your school energy audited

• Contact us to join Southwark's low carbon schools programme

Review your current energy use

Involve your students in an energy review of your school. 

Run a Big Switch Off campaign

Start your energy saving activities with a Big Switch Off campaign to get all pupils and all staff saving energy:

• Switch off classroom lights at playtimes, lunch and end of the day
• Only turn on lights when there's not enough natural light
• Appoint energy monitors to inspect communal areas for lights left on
• Switch off monitors/PCs when not in use and at the end of the day

Get your pupils to be Carbon Detectives and find out the school's carbon footprint. This measures the environmental impact your energy use is having.

Monitor your energy use

• Keep track of yearly energy use, to monitor your financial savings
• Use these savings to implement further improvements and save even more money

Display your progress

• All schools should have a Display Energy Certificate (DEC). Contact us to learn how to go about getting your certificate

Go renewable

Teach about renewables across the curriculum. Then investigate getting your own renewable energy source.

• See our information on how to install a renewable energy source at your school.

What can we achieve?

• Reduce your energy bills by up to 30 percent

Diary dates

• June: World Environment Day
• March: WWF Earth Hour

Further resources

• Centre for Sustainable Energy - curriculum-linked activities, advice, energy management and monitoring
• The Pod - an energy saving programme for schools
• Environment Agency - fact sheets and online games
• Generation Green - British Gas: energy saving programme for schools
• Ashden Awards - award scheme to encourage primary schools to explore sustainable energy solutions. Includes activities and resources