Introduce a policy on switching off lights, computers, and other information technology equipment
West Huntspill Primary Academy, Tuesday, 25 June 2024
30
Change-maker
KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4, KS5
What you did
Eco Schools Policy 2023-24
Forward by Academy Operations Manager:
Sustainable development is essential for the future of our community and our planet. Taking The Priory Learning Trust’s Sustainability policy as a starting point, we have encouraged our pupils to think about their environment and how their actions impact locally and globally. We have asked our eco club pupil members, with assistance from staff, to think about what policies we can implement at school level to encourage staff, pupils, visitors and families to develop and imbed sustainable behaviour.
These policies aim to:
● promote high standards of care for our school, our local environment and the wider world.
● increase awareness amongst our staff, families, and children of our impact on the environment and how we can lessen this impact.
● minimise the creation of waste, and wherever possible, reduce, reuse and recycle materials.
● develop a more responsible use of energy throughout our school and improve our energy efficiency.
● use environmentally friendly products wherever possible and to avoid the use of environmentally damaging products.
● promote sustainable travel and reduce the number of cars around school and in our community
- Switch off policy.
The school will actively promote ‘switch off’ culture amongst pupils, staff and visitors. This will save energy and improve operations. We will use energy sparks to monitor our usage and manage energy use in school.
What we will do:
● Sticker all sockets with colour coded stickers so everyone is aware which sockets can be turned off after use.
● Create posters to remind school community to ‘switch off’.
● Monitor our energy usage.
● Regular reminders from school office to switch off, stressing importance of overnight, weekend and school holiday procedures.
● Encourage families to follow the same behaviour at home.
● Eco Club to take part in site spot checks.
● Ensure everyone is aware energy saving is everyone’s responsibility.
● Make use of natural daylight.
● Activate stand-by modes on ICT and printers.
Activity description
Lighting Switch-Off
Many schools have the benefit of large windows enabling adequate natural daylight to enter rooms. Despite this, lights are often left on when not required and window space may be obstructed with posters and displays of pupils’ work, which reduces the amount of daylight. The steps below will help you to make best use of natural daylight, reducing your reliance on artificial lighting. Use these suggestions to help write a school policy on switching off lights.
Information Technology Equipment Switch-Off
Did you know?
A single computer and monitor left on 24 hours a day will cost around £45 a year. Switching them off out of hours and enabling standby features could reduce this to less than £10 a year each and prolong the lifespan of equipment. You could save enough energy to make 30 teachers 6 cups of coffee every day.
Many people assume electrical products are off when they are on standby, yet in this mode they continue to consume power. Be especially wary of equipment that has a remote control – this is a telltale sign that the equipment is likely to be left on standby while waiting for the ‘on’ signal from the remote. A red or green LED light is another sign.