2 Set a target

Tell staff, students and cleaners how much is being wasted and jointly decide on a target. You may like to initially just set a target for reducing your off-peak electricity use – something relatively easy to achieve. Then later you might like to set a target for reducing your peak electricity use and your gas use. Give yourself a timeline – eg by the time the bill after next comes round we want our off-peak use to be 20% less than it is now. Communicate your goal to the whole school.

3 Provide motivators

Motivators might be:

• Fear – for example fear and concern about climate change.
• Recognition – for example a teacher or student being publicly praised
• Responsibility – for example a student appointed as a classroom monitor, or a teacher being appointed as responsible for night time shut down.
• Being seen as being a good citizen – doing my bit to slow climate change.
• Peer pressure – everyone is doing it so I should as well.
• Being consistent – doing what I’ve publicly said I’ll do.
• The desire to save money.

Different people are motivated by different things – so provide a range of motivators.

Most of us, whether children or adults, are cynical when leaders tell us to do one thing to do something but don’t practice what they preach. This de-motivates us.

We recommend:

(a) Starting slow – don’t make it too hard for the energy manager or for staff, students or cleaners.

(b) Providing a range of motivators.

(c) Being consistent – the school leaders should be seen doing the right thing.

(d) Committing publicly.

4 Launch the program

A program launch is a public commitment and shows that the school is serious about reducing the environmental impact of its energy use. We would recommend that at the launch the schools’ target be discussed, and publicly committed to.

5 Develop checklists and labels

Checklists and labels can help show us how and why to do the right thing, and also clear up any misunderstandings.

Classrooms are often very colourful places, with posters all over the walls. Any labels and checklists in classroom should be bought to the attention of staff and students, and be consistent in their theme and design. A certain colour could be associated with all labels to do with energy use. Some labels are included with this shut down package.

6 Have a shut down verification week

In the shut down verification week students or staff would be asked to go through the school at say lunchtime, or early in the morning before classes start, and list what has been switched off, and what has been left on. Do this every day of the week and don’t forget to check staff rooms. Public praise for what has been switched off will reinforce good switch off behaviour.

7 Review bills to see how much has been saved

After the program has run for a full billing cycle review the bills to see how much has been saved. Gas bills are seasonal, so you may need to compare with the same bill at the previous time last year. To help track your bills we recommend using the ‘Save Energy@School’ CD which has an energy tracking spreadsheet on it.

Generally off-peak bills are pretty consistent through the year, so you probably don’t need to go searching for last year’s bill so that you can make the comparison.

Then report back to the school and to everyone who has been involved on how much has been saved. Consider providing public recognition to those who have been champions of the program.

8 Move on to the next steps

You may have started with something simple, like improved night time or improved lunch time shut down. Now consider switching off at the wall, or emptying fridges and turning them off over the holidays. After that you could then look at other times of day where wastage occurs, but its normally harder for people to remember to switch off. For example, switching off lights as more daylight comes into a classroom.

If staff and students are now habitually in the habit of doing something simple – like switching off at the end of class - they are now likely to be more willing to start to switch off at other times, and to begin switching off loads at the wall.