After wages, energy bills are the largest budgetary item for academies and yet, according to the Carbon Council, around 30% of energy bought by the UK’s schools and academies is wasted.

The Carbon Trust estimates that with a few simple measures, the UK academic sector could reduce its energy costs by around 20%, or £44 million per year, and prevent 625,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

The difficulty lies in identifying those measures, and the best way to do that is with an energy efficiency survey.

Benefits of an energy efficient academy

Typically, primary academies spend £29 per student annually, rising to £41 for students in secondary education.

An energy efficiency survey highlights where energy is being wasted and how savings can be made in order to:

• Cut down on energy bills

• Provide a more comfortable learning environment for students and staff

• Reduce harm done to the environment

• Raise environmental awareness among students

Taking action

An energy assessment will identify the most cost-effective energy saving measures you can take. Actions could be as simple as switching off appliances when not in use, a more effective maintenance programme or refurbishment, replacing old and inefficient systems.

Solutions range from making better use of daylight in classrooms, which can reduce lighting costs by 19%, to investing in renewables and even generating your own energy onsite.

Comply with current directives

There is also the question of compliance; the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) promotes improvement in the energy performance of buildings and requires educational establishments with floor areas greater than 1000 square metres to produce and display energy performance certificates in a prominent location.

About Surveyors to Education (S2e)

Surveyors to Education (S2e) work solely in the education sector to provide estate strategy, funding and surveying expertise to MATs and academies, giving trustees the information they need for making effective decisions.

Our chartered energy consultants are qualified within the Environment Agency’s Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme (ESOS) to provide a comprehensive energy efficiency report for your premises.

To learn more about how we can help you save money on your energy bills, contact S2e by email enquire@s2e.org.uk or call 01530 276127.