Free Energy Display Meter for schools

All state-funded schools in England. Primary and secondary, special, maintained, voluntary aided/controlled, trust, foundation, academy and PRU schools are eligible for a free Energy Display Meter.
Nursery schools, independent schools, sixth form centres, Scottish schools, Welsh schools, and British Overseas Establishment schools and are not eligible, under this DfE initiative, for a free Energy Display Meter.

The purpose of the Energy Display Meter is to provide real-time information about your school's electricity use in an easy-to-understand format which can be used as a teaching and learning tool. The project is being funded by the Department for Education (DfE) following the interim recommendations of the Zero Carbon Task Force on how all schools could reduce energy consumption and promote a culture of energy awareness. The programme is being managed by Partnerships for Schools (PfS) and delivered by British Gas. PfS is responsible for the management and delivery of the government's schools capital programmes.

We will install a new electrical sub-meter and data logger which will generate a series of energy dashboards on up to 5 networked PCs showing your school's electricity consumption. This meter will be connected to the existing main electrical distribution board in the school switch room, and will measure the electrical power consumption. This information can be relayed to up to 5 networked PCs, showing data in a user-friendly dashboard format which can be used as a tool for teaching and learning.

The meter will be supplied and installed free of charge to the school, though schools may have to make some provision for installation of an additional network point. The only commitments required by the school are to ensure the availability of a nominated representative of the school during the installation and commissioning process, to provide a new IT network point within 2 meters of where the display meter will be installed, and to make use of the meter.

The DfE is funding one free Energy Display Meter per school, and any additional Energy Display Meters will have to be purchased by the school. Additional Energy Display Meters can be obtained from British Gas or another energy supplier. Any additional meters would not be funded by the DfE or managed by PfS. If your school has an existing Energy Display Meter, you can still apply for one free meter as part of this initiative.

The installation programme is going to be delivered in phases. Each school will be advised of which phase they are scheduled in after application and the installation period for this phase. Schools will then be contacted again approximately three weeks prior to installation to agree a convenient date for the work to be carried out. The approximate time from application to installation is expected to be in the order of approximately three months, although this will depend on demand.

British Gas will agree an installation date approximately three weeks prior to the installation that is convenient for you and minimises disruption. At this point, installation teams will be booked to carry out the work and then any rescheduled appointments could cause additional costs and delays. We would appreciate your cooperation in ensuring that all appointments are kept as originally agreed.

We have designed the equipment and installation process to cause the minimum disruption to individual schools. In most cases, the meter can be installed without any interruption to the power supply. Where a short power interruption is required, the time for the shutdown will be agreed with the individual schools and can be done outside school hours to avoid any disruption to normal school activities. The process of installing software on the nominated PC is straightforward.

Our installation teams will arrive at the agreed time and date and contact the school representative nominated at the application stage. Installers will carry identification and CRB certification. They will need access to the switch room (i.e. where the existing electrical meter and main distribution board are located), so if keys are required for this room, please ensure they are available.
The installer will complete the work in the switch room and install software onto the PC nominated by the school representative. The installer will then test the software communication, and give a brief instruction to the school representative on its basic use. A comprehensive Information Pack has been developed to provide guidance on the equipment and display screens, the information they provide, and Key Stage specific guidance on how this can be used in lessons. It is expected that the duration of the works would typically be 3-4 hours.

The school should provide a network point within 2 meters of the main distribution board, which our installation teams will connect the new meter to. Individual PCs onto which we install software will need to be running Windows XP or above

This website is the primary source of information relating to the new meters, and the application process can be completed online. Alternatively, email DCSFenquiries@britishgas.co.uk or write to us at DfE Enquiries Team, British Gas Business, Cippenham Court, Cippenham Lane, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 5AU. We will contact schools to confirm application details once submitted.

Absolutely! The display screens have been specifically designed to be used in the classroom, and have features such as graphics and characters to help make the subject of energy use interesting to children of all ages.

We are encouraging every school which would like an Energy Display Meter to get online and make an application. However, the funding available for this offer is limited, so if demand is high, schools who have registered first will be prioritised.

This application covers the installation of a data logger which will be installed free of charge in your school's main switch room. This will in turn provide real-time information about electricity consumption to your school's network, which can be viewed on up to 5 networked PCs.

No - this is one strand of a broader DfE initiative to make all schools more sustainable and raise energy awareness. It is the first step in a more wide-ranging set of measures focused on behaviour change and carbon management in schools which will be rolled out during the course of 2010.

No - the Energy Display Meter offer was developed based on a recommendation from the Zero Carbon Task Force. The meter is to provide real-time information about electricity use. It is seen as a way of encouraging students and school staff to become energy aware (and to understand the implications of their actions) - and to act on this to reduce energy consumption. And it is hoped that it will also be a useful tool which will help embed energy use and wider sustainability throughout the curriculum. It will not provide information for billing purpose and the data will not be centrally collated although the equipment can be used for this purpose in the future. Therefore we are considering how this might be procured.

Although the Energy Display Meter box that the DfE is installing in your school does has the capability to measure other forms of energy, the dashboard which your school will see will only monitor electricity usage at this time.

If you are interested in obtaining a free Energy Display Meter, you should apply as soon as possible as funding is limited and it could be a case of "first come, first served".