The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Mr Ed Balls, has announced a £12 million investment in new energy smart meters providing schools with real-time digital information about their electricity use from January next year.

From January 2010, primary and secondary schools across England will be able to apply for a meter which will give a second-by-second reading on how much electricity a building is using. Pupils and staff will be able to see immediately the impact of switching on and off individual pieces of electrical equipment, computers and lights on easy to read display monitors.

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Partnerships for Schools (PfS) will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of the new smart meters project, working in partnership with British Gas, as the selected private sector partner.

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, said: "Pupils across England are some of the keenest sustainability champions around. In Building Schools for the Future schools where display meters are already in operation we have seen young people and teachers enthusiastically using this data to show how simple changes in behaviour can make a real difference.

"Research by the Carbon Trust shows that smart meters and wider behavioural changes in using energy could see 10 to 15 per cent cuts in fuel bills – meaning the average one-form primary school could save up to £700 a year and the average 900-pupil secondary school more than £3,000 a year on fuel bills alone.

"But the use of this technology is also a great way to harness young people’s interest in the environment and embed behaviours which they can use beyond the school gates, and we look forward to seeing the difference that this important investment will make."

(CD/KMcA)