New Legislation that may affect your school
Schools with buildings that have a floor area in excess of 1000m² are required to have a Display Energy Certificate (DEC). This was effective from 1st October 2008. DEC's have been introduced to raise public awareness of the actual energy use and energy efficiency of the buildings they visit. A DEC certificate presents the actual energy use of a building on an A-G scale where A is the most energy efficient and G is the least. The certificate is similar to those that are required for fridges and other new white goods.
The DEC will have to be displayed in a prominent place visible to the public. It must be updated each year and will need to be accompanied by an ‘advisory report’ listing measures to improve the performance. This report can last up to seven years before it too will need to be updated, but will not be required to be displayed along with the DEC.
How can Sustainable Learning help your school?
Sustainable Learning has been offering A-G style certificates to our registered schools since September 2007 to give them an indication of their likely DEC rating. The certificates are not compliant but have prepared schools for the process. These A-G certificates are also available to smaller schools that may not be affected by the initial legislation but wish to have an indication of how their school site is performing and how this compares to other similar schools. An example certificate can be seen from your school homepage.
If your Local Authority has already provided your energy data to the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF, formerly the DfES) you can simply download your certificate from your home page, otherwise there is a simple form to complete in order for us to issue a certificate.
Don’t worry if your school’s rating is lower than you expected. Most schools will get either a D or an E rating which is consistent with the official certification process operating from October 2008.
The rating has been developed with the median set at the D/E boundary. This will mean that half of all English schools will receive an E or below for their rating.
We can help you reduce your consumption
Use our structured approach to energy and water management to help you reduce your consumption and possibly improve your school rating. Using less energy could improve your DECs over time too. In addition your school can gain national accreditation for its work. Simply select ‘programme activities’ from your home page to get started.
