Opportunities to save energy this winter heating season
Energy and water are significant costs for any school or academy budget. Schools and other educational establishments collectively spend millions on energy and water. We are here to help you monitor, control and where possible reduce these costs through energy efficiency.
Through our partners OASES we can offer in-school support to help you work with pupils and staff to reduce your energy use. This heating season you will receive an energy audit (by email) which shows your energy use this year and compares it to previous years. If you have not yet received yours, please contact eco2smartschools@oases.org.uk.
There are many simple measures you can take that are low or no cost. For more information visit ECO2 Smart Savings.
Please ensure that your Site Manager or Caretaker have confirmed your heating systems are set correctly to make sure that you are not wasting energy out of schools hours on evenings and weekends. Plus, also make sure that your holiday settings are used for the Christmas holidays, to protect your school if its frosty, but also to minimise your energy use while the school is minimally used.
The Durham Energy Manager portal allows you to see and compare your energy use, costs and associated CO2 emissions. When logging in, the current homepage shows your energy use in the last October half term. An example is below:
Water
This is the season where most water leaks occur. If possible, please read your water meter weekly and log the readings onto the portal so we can help identify potential water leaks. This also helps to claim water leakage allowance on your behalf.
For any queries regarding your energy billing please contact energy@durham.gov.uk.
If you’d like in-school support, please contact eco2smartschools@oases.org.uk.
Our full offer is through the energy service level agreement.