Schools are working hard to reduce their carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency. Sue Wheat from the Let’s Go Zero campaign picks out 10 ideas that can help us achieve our decarbonisation goals
Shutdown: Members of the Eco Council at Gloucester Road Primary in Cheltenham monitor energy-use in their role as ‘energy inspectors’ - Ashden/LGZ

Energy efficiency in schools will play a vital role if the UK is to hit its net zero goal by 2050, and schools are being asked by the Department for Education to have a sustainability lead and a Climate Action Plan (CAP) in place by 2025 (DfE, 2023).

Schools and nurseries across England are already benefiting from the free support available via the Let’s Go Zero campaign in order to do this. As such, here are 10 tried and tested ideas from our climate action advisors and school leaders to help cut your school’s energy bills and shrink your carbon emissions.

 

1, Adjust boiler and heating settings

“Start with this easy win,” suggests Cindi Blunt, our Let’s Go Zero climate action advisor in Derbyshire. “Ensure the boiler turns off during evenings, weekends, and holidays when the building isn’t in use. Classrooms should be set to 18°C, with heating coming on only when needed. Just cutting the heating timing down by an hour a day can really add up to big savings over the winter.”

Sarah de Chazal, estates and facilities business partner at The Diocese of Coventry MAT, added: “We looked at the heating controls of our 22 schools and most were reaching 20°C by 6am. We are now addressing this and switching off around lunchtime. The cost savings will be huge.”

 

2, Monitor energy-use with smart technology

Find out your baseline carbon emissions using the free Count Your Carbon website, install smart meters, then use an online tool like Energy Sparks to get real-time data which will identify areas of excessive energy consumption and provide excellent guidance per action.

Energy analysis uncovers the expected – like the need to upgrade windows to reduce heat loss – as well as unexpected ideas for savings. For example, Bellevue Place Education Trust, which has schools in London and Berkshire, stopped staff using lifts in one of their schools (only using them for accessibility needs), a move which resulted in energy savings of more than £3,000 a year.

 

3, Climate Action Plan

Write a Climate Action Plan and create a team to lead this within the school, including a sustainability lead, a senior leadership team champion, a governor with responsibility for climate action, and a wider pupil eco-team.

Karen Lambert, headteacher at Stathern Primary School in Leicestershire, said: “We did our carbon footprint analysis with our Let’s Go Zero advisor and started creating a climate action plan and I added it to our three-year development plan. It felt timely and good – I know the government want us to have a climate action plan by 2025 and I like to be on the front foot.”

 

4, Be thermally savvy

Poor insulation leads to significant heat loss. Simple measures like draught-proofing doors and windows and insulating waterpipes can make a big difference, while investments like double or triple-glazing and external wall insulation greatly reduce escaping heat.

Richard Berry, Let’s Go Zero’s advisor in Yorkshire and Humber, explained: “As well as insulation, ensure radiators are not blocked by furniture or objects and encourage staff and students to turn off lights and lower radiators in unoccupied rooms.”

He also suggests installing thermostatic radiator valves and making sure the hot water system has efficient timings and temperature settings. If settings are manual, train staff and the pupil eco-team to turn down heating instead of opening windows.

 

5, Switch off and power-down

Talk to your IT manager about powering-down all IT equipment overnight. And have power-down or switch-off policies for fridges, freezers and other equipment as appropriate, especially during holidays.

Switch Off Fortnight is a nationwide energy-saving campaign led by the Energy Saving Trust that takes place every November to encourage schools to switch off lights and electrical appliances when not in use – this could be the catalyst for your school to adopt this practice all year round.

Generally, focusing on behaviours and having better shut-down practices can save your school between 5% and 7% of your total energy cost. The Harris Federation in London, for example, saved more than £160,000 in 2023 across 55 schools through a night-time technology shutdown.

 

6, Install LED Lighting

LED lighting is another easy win. Energy Sparks points out that it can reduce your carbon emissions from lighting by 65% to 90%, not to mention that LEDs are 95% recyclable and the most environmentally friendly choice. Combining this with motion-sensor controls in low-traffic areas and daylight sensors can drastically reduce energy consumption. 

The Bellevue Place Education Trust found that LED lighting in five of their schools reduced lighting costs by 60% and cut carbon emissions by 30 tonnes per year. This is expected to save the trust £330,000 over 10 years.

 

7, Consider heat pumps

Air source and ground source heat pumps are low-carbon alternatives to traditional heating systems. They use minimal electricity, especially in well-insulated buildings, and if using a renewable energy source, even better.

Heat pumps can replace boilers in well-insulated schools. Air source heat pumps need just a one square metre of external space and are cheaper than ground source but are less efficient.

Rick Weights, headteacher at Monk Fryston School in Leeds, explained: “We chose a ground source heat pump for its long lifespan and minimal external intrusion from eight vertical bore holes. It works really well, and the hot water production is fantastic.

“Retrofitting it to an underfloor heating system has helped – we can’t increase the temperature as rapidly as with gas, but we can maintain a more constant temperature.”

 

8, Avoid air conditioning

With rising summer temperatures, many schools turn to air conditioning, but this can be costly and inefficient. Instead, install external shades, plant trees for natural cooling, and use cross-ventilation in classrooms.

Lorraine Groome, school business manager at Lauriston Primary School in east London, said: “We did a new build in 2010, and the natural ventilation is one of the most successful features. When the CO2 and temperature monitor turns green, the children know it’s time to open the vents. It’s a great learning tool as well as an effective cooling system.”

 

9, Go solar

Investing in solar panels can significantly reduce energy bills. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels generate electricity, even on cloudy days. Jeremy Williams, a climate action advisor for the East of England, explained: “Solar panels in particular can be expensive initially, but the long-term savings are worth it. We can help schools explore funding schemes to ease the financial outlay and help identify suppliers. We often also help follow up technical issues – making sure they are working as they should be.” 

 

10, Involve the whole school community

Sustainability initiatives are most effective when everyone in the school and wider community is involved – from pupils, teachers and governors to suppliers and local businesses.

Back at Monk Fryston School, Mr Weights said: “We’ve found real power in local collaboration. It provides inspiration, opens new opportunities, and helps us secure funding. We got parental support because the community supported what we were trying to achieve.”

Primary students are also great ambassadors. They love being “energy inspectors” and taking the messages home, so do take advantage of their enthusiasm for learning and motivating others. 

  • Sue Wheat is from the Let’s Go Zero campaign.

 

Let’s Go Zero: Let’s Go Zero is a national campaign uniting teachers, pupils, parents, and schools to achieve zero carbon by 2030. More than 5,000 schools and counting are signed up. Last year, 32 climate action advisors across England were recruited to provide schools with free support to create and implement Climate Action Plans. The campaign’s experts write regularly for Headteacher Update offering advice and ideas (see below). To get free advice from a climate action advisor in your area, go to https://letsgozero.org/join/ 

Headteacher Update Spring Term Edition 2025: This article first appeared in Headteacher Update's Spring Term Edition 2025. This edition was sent free of charge to UK primary schools in January 2025. A free-to-download digital edition is also available via www.headteacher-update.com/content/downloads 

 

Further information & resources