Rapidly increasing energy costs mean that it is important to save energy and costs in schools, where this is possible The following are some simple ways schools can reduce energy costs:

• Review utility bills: Understand and monitor your energy bills from the municipality. Compare your bills with readings from your meter to ensure that these are accurate and that bills are not over-estimated. If billing is inaccurate, the utility can be notified and costs reduced.
• Awareness and behaviour: Develop energy-efficient behaviours in educators, staff and learners that encourage users to switch off equipment, such as lighting, when this is not needed.
• Automate: Use timers, daylight and motion sensors to switch off equipment such as external lighting and lighting in bathrooms and storage areas, when not in use.
• Upgrade: Upgrade to more energy-efficient technology. For example, LED lighting is much more efficient than older lighting and can achieve significant savings.
• Charge: Are there external users, such as a tuckshop run by a private company, that use energy? Submeters can be used to understand the energy consumption used by others and this can be charged for, enabling cost recovery and providing users with an incentive to be energy efficient.

Understanding energy requirements and optimising them in schools is covered in the SES01 Efficiency and Sustainability.