Most people take "energy" for granted. Is energy simply there, all around us, ready to use at the flick of a switch? Important questions to ask are: What is energy? Where does it come from? How is it created? How is it used? What environmental impacts do we create when we use energy? How is energy being wasted?

FACT: Schools can reduce their energy use by up to 20% by simply becoming aware of what energy is, how energy is used, and how energy is being wasted . The most important step in becoming energy efficient is ENERGY AWARENESS.

For further reading on Eco schools energy objectives please read:

Some good questions to ask when reviewing your school’s energy use are:

The Carbon Trust is an excellent resource for information on energy efficiency in schools. The Carbon Trust is a not for profit company, funded by the UK government, who’s aim is to assist the UK to reduce its carbon emissions. Improving energy efficiency has a large impact on reducing carbon emissions.

The following publications are recommended reading for head teachers, schools managers, and caretakers, and are available through the Carbon Trust website.

This resource pack contains four guides from the Carbon Trust designed to help you to manage your energy use by identifying energy saving opportunities and giving practical help on how to take advantage of the savings available to you. The pack is ideal for schools new to energy management as well as those with some previous experience.

GPG343 - Saving Energy a whole approach

GIL115 - Lighting in Schools

GIL116 - Information communication and technology equipment in schools

GIL117 - Curriculum-based electrical equipment in schools

GPG057 - Conducting and energy walk-round of a school

GPCS101 - How to reduce energy costs in schools by implementing simple energy efficiency measures.

GPG343 - Building Energy Efficiency in Schools – A guide to a whole school approach

The document has been designed to provide a step by step approach to managing energy use in a school. It covers details for setting up an energy team, producing an energy policy and action plan, monitoring and setting targets, how to use benchmarks, how to identify where energy is being used and wasted on a school premises and ideas for including energy activities into the curricular activities of the school.

GPG057 - Conducting an Energy Walk-round of a school

The guide features some simple, well explained techniques which will help you to understand where energy is used, what equipment is using the most energy and how you can start saving energy and therefore money.

This series of case studies examines where the energy you pay for is used in your school. The publication comprises a folder with 6 inserts. Each insert tackles a different subject area, and taking them all together could help you to reduce your energy costs substantially.

This Fact Sheet provides tips on how you can save money and energy in your school by installation, replacement and maintenance of your current lighting systems

This Fact Sheet will help you to identify the biggest ICT energy users, and provides tips on how you can save money and energy by taking some simple and often free measures with existing equipment and what to look for when purchasing new equipment.

This Fact Sheet covers equipment used to deliver science, technology, food technology, AV and musical equipment. By following the simple measures identified in this sheet you could save money and energy.

ECG073 - Saving energy in schools - A guide for head teachers; governors; premises managers and school energy managers

The Guide helps head teachers, governors and other staff compare the school's energy consumption and costs with benchmarks. Advice is given on saving energy by implementing an action plan involving the whole school, together with possible sources of external help and funding.

Did you know you could cut your school’s energy costs by up to 20% by employing easy measures that may not cost anything? This practical Schools Fact Sheet can help you identify the areas where you can save money and energy.

This leaflet for schools gives details of what help is available through Action Energy and other organisations and provides some simple tips to get you started. If you have never looked at energy before, and you are wondering why you should or how you can get started this leaflet is for you.

GIL126 - Lighting Fact Sheet

This fact sheet provides information on energy saving measures for businesses in the lighting sector.

For further tips on how you can save money and energy for your business by

implementing simple, practical energy-saving measures with your Heating and Lighting, order your copy of the Heating & Lighting DVD - GIL118.

This poster is one of a series of posters that has been developed for use by all organisations to raise awareness of energy efficiency and to encourage staff to adopt simple energy efficiency actions in the workplace. It gives an analogy of the amount of energy wasted when a PC monitor is left on overnight.

‘Leaving a PC monitor on all night wastes enough energy to microwave six dinners.’