Energy Sparks

Energy Sparks is currently supporting over 1100 schools across the UK with its school-specific energy management tool, educational resources, training for school staff, and in-school education workshops. This support enables pupils, teachers, site managers and school leaders to take practical steps to reduce energy waste, cut costs, and contribute to national and global efforts to tackle climate change.

Through publicly accessible dashboards, Energy Sparks democratises access to school energy data, revealing exactly when the school is using energy and supporting staff and pupils to identify easy opportunities to optimise their heating systems, reduce energy bills and take immediate action to make a difference.

One of the main focuses of Energy Sparks is to demonstrate to schools how to reduce their energy consumption without capital investment. Most of the interventions suggested by the Energy Sparks energy management tool are completely free - such as changing boiler settings and switching off appliances outside of school hours. This means they are accessible to any school regardless of the school budget, size and building infrastructure.

A unique feature of Energy Sparks is the way that pupils are supported to use real-world energy data to inform energy saving and educational activities. Over the last year, pupils at participating schools have recorded thousands of energy related activities - from carrying out spot checks for lights and electrical equipment left on at lunchtime to meeting with caretakers and kitchen staff to discuss their roles in saving energy. For young people, being able to see the difference they can make and knowing that their school is taking the climate emergency seriously is crucial. With schools being at the heart of our communities, the energy-saving life skills staff and students learn in school can often be replicated at home.

Real Impact Stories: St Nicholas Priory School began using Energy Sparks’ energy management platform in the 2024/25 academic year—and quickly uncovered a surprising insight. The data revealed that 76% of their gas use was happening when students weren’t even in the building, with weekend consumption particularly high.

Armed with this evidence, the school took swift, targeted action. They switched off the heating at weekends, reduced back heating hours on school days, and lowered the set temperature across the site. The impact has been remarkable. In just 12 months, St Nicholas Priory cut its gas consumption by 44%, saving £9,800 and preventing 30 tonnes of CO₂ from being emitted. A clear example of how smart data and simple changes can deliver major results.