Funded by the DfE, Climate Ambassadors match volunteer climate experts with education settings.
Part of Let’s Go Zero, Climate Action Advisors are independent experts who offer free support for schools, colleges, and nurseries across England.
- 1. Get started
- 2. Gather information
- 3. Take action
- 4. Share your success
2. Gather information
To take energy action, you need to understand your current use.
This stage helps you get a clear view of your energy habits so you can target the areas that will impact your setting most.
1. Find your energy data
First, you need to locate your energy data.
Energy bills, smart meters and monitoring tools can show exactly where and when energy is wasted.
Timescales
- Finding and understanding your data the first time might take longer
- Once you have a process in place, repeating it termly or annually will be quicker
Tip: Take meter readings when your building is empty to find your ‘baseline’ - the energy used when nobody is there. Compare this against your daily and weekend usage.
Don’t have direct control over your energy?
If you don't manage energy bills directly, finding your data can feel like a hurdle - but it’s usually held by a few key teams.
Where to look for data
- Your facilities or site manager - usually have access to utility invoices and meter locations
- Your energy supplier portal - ask your finance team for view-only access to your online energy account
- Your MAT central team or Local Authority - they often manage energy contracts, smart meter data, or centralised billing for groups
- Your landlord or PFI contractor - ask for your annual utility data breakdown, or a copy of your setting’s Display Energy Certificate
Gather information on your setting's energy consumption. You can collect this data by checking energy bills, meters, or asking your utility company to help you.
2. Understand your energy data
Now that you have your data, you have your starting line. Understanding your baseline allows you to target the lowest-effort, highest-impact actions first.
Look for patterns by reviewing:
- Schedules and timers - Does your heating turn on too early in the morning, or stay on long after staff leave?
- Out-of-hours waste - Does your energy use drop as expected during weekends, evenings, and school holidays?
- Partial occupancy - Is electricity use high on days when the building is half-empty or during inset days?
- Seasonal shifts - How dramatically does your energy use jump between summer and winter months?
Tip: Review your ‘baseline’ data - if it stays high over night or at weekends, this is a sign you might have equipment left on unnecessarily.
Analyse the information you have collected on your setting's energy consumption (Scope 1 and 2). This will help you to understand your data and trends in your energy use.
3. Use energy data to spot quick wins
Recognise where good quality data exists to inform your decision making and spot changes you can make right. now. For example, finding equipment that can be safely turned off immediately reduces energy use and costs.
Quick wins and cost savings
Sector trends shows that, on average, 50% of a school’s electricity is consumed out of hours, and up to half of heating energy can be wasted outside of teaching hours.
In 2023/24, average energy costs per school reached £38,000 for primary schools and £191,000 for secondary schools.
A 10% reduction in energy use could save thousands of pounds!
Tip: If you need leadership buy-in for climate action, leading with energy cost savings is a great place to start.
Look for relatively easy and low-cost measures to help your setting reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, like switching to LED lighting.
An energy review assesses your setting's energy consumption patterns, sources, and efficiency levels. It involves doing a walk-through of your site, and analysing your energy bills.
By engaging with your energy suppliers and partners, you will be able to start exploring more sustainable energy supply options, such as solar panels, heat pumps, renewable energy supply contracts, and even wind turbines.
4. Consider any constraints
You might not be able to make all the changes you want to right now.
Think about what’s realistic for your setting, and what’s within your control.
Make a note of activities you do not have capacity for to include in future plans.
What’s next?
Now, you should have a clear idea of your current energy use. Next, you can prioritise actions for your setting - with real data to back up where your time and money can make the biggest impact.
Need more support?
Speak to experts at our sister projects for one-to-one, in person support on energy action.
