Energy is one of the biggest non-staff costs a school carries, and the funding picture has changed. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which paid for heat pumps, solar and insulation in many schools, took no new projects after its final round in 2025. The projects already awarded run until 2027-28, but there is no like-for-like replacement. Great British Energy is funding rooftop solar on a number of schools, but most schools will need to find savings themselves for now.
The good news is that the cheapest savings are usually still sitting there.
Start with the data
You cannot manage what you cannot see. Get half-hourly data from your supplier or smart meters and look at it:
- What is the building using at 2am, at weekends and in the holidays? That base load is often a surprisingly large share of the total, and much of it is waste.
- Do heating and hot water run to the timetable, or to a setting someone chose years ago?
- Are you on the right contract and tariff, and do the bills match the meters?
No-cost and low-cost measures
- Set heating and ventilation times to the real school day, with holiday schedules loaded in advance.
- Agree and publish sensible temperature set points, and fit lockable covers so they stay there.
- Switch off IT, catering equipment and lighting properly at the end of the day. Timers and smart plugs cost very little.
- Fix leaking taps, dripping urinal cisterns and failed insulation on pipework.
- Make sure the building management system, if you have one, is actually being used. Many are running on default settings.
Capital measures worth planning for
LED lighting with presence detection usually pays back fastest. After that come heating controls, pipework and roof insulation, and solar where the roof and the electrical supply allow it. Heat pumps can work well, but only in buildings that hold their heat, so fabric comes first.
The DfE's sustainability strategy expects every school to have a sustainability lead and a climate action plan, and the new School Estate Management Standards include sustainability as one of their five areas. A costed plan with survey information behind it also puts you in a far better position when the next funding round appears.
How we help
Our Energy Consultation service covers energy procurement, contract review and practical reduction plans for single schools and trusts.