Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to decrease energy costs in schools.

The government is committed to reducing energy use in new and existing buildings, and to meeting the legislative net zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050.

The department’s capital funding and programmes help both to reduce carbon emissions and to save schools money on operating costs, through delivering new school buildings and improving the existing school estate.

The department recognises that schools will be facing cost pressures in the coming months, particularly due to the increase in energy prices. We are looking carefully at how this will impact schools and are considering what additional support we could offer.

The department has contacted all schools in England to get basic data on their current and future energy tariffs to better understand how they have been affected by recent energy price increases, so we can consider what additional support we can offer. The survey closed on 2 June 2022.

The department’s schools resource management tools include recommended deals for energy costs and ancillary services relating to energy. We will also update and strengthen guidance on a regular basis to inform schools of the market and commercial position, with practical advice on exiting existing and entering new contracts, available here: https://www.get-help-buying-for-schools.service.gov.uk/procurement-support. The ‘get help buying for schools’ service will also be able to offer support to schools in switching and entering new contracts and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-a-dfe-approved-framework-for-your-school.

The department knows that every school’s circumstances are different, and where schools are in serious financial difficulty, they should contact their local authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency.