For schools and education
Energy for Schools and Multi-Academy Trusts
Electricity and gas contracts for state schools, academy trusts, independent schools and FE colleges, with SECR data for the trustees' report. Trusts renewing must use DfE's Energy for Schools, a DfE approved deal or an alternative of equivalent value, and we price that alternative.
- Sectors served
- State, MAT, independent, FE
- Budget alignment
- Sept-Aug academic year
- Reporting included
- SECR + DfE sustainability
- Insights inclusion
- Free across every meter
School energy contracts run on the academic year and answer to trustees.
Since 1 October 2026, paragraph 2.29 of the Academy Trust Handbook says trusts must use DfE's Energy for Schools service or a DfE approved energy deal when contracts renew, unless they have sourced an alternative of equivalent value for money. We price that alternative on the same basis, so the board can see both before it decides. Maintained schools can use Energy for Schools but the handbook does not bind them, and independent schools and FE colleges choose their own route. Renewals are timed to the September to August year.
Out-of-hours use is often the first thing monitoring finds. At Watford Grammar School for Boys, Purely Insights showed 60% of energy was used when the building was empty, and acting on it saved £5,641 a year. At Bosvena School in Cornwall, the data showed the supply was set to 600 kVA when the site needed 150 kVA; we handled the downgrade and the school saves £26,347 a year.
Academy trust energy reporting means SECR for the larger trusts. A trust with two or more of income over £36 million, a balance sheet over £18 million and more than 250 employees, that used over 40,000 kWh, puts its energy use, emissions, an intensity ratio and its energy-saving steps in the trustees' report (DfE guidance, updated 12 August 2026). We build those figures from your meter data, and REGO-backed electricity can go on any contract.
What’s included
Every feature listed ships in the standard product. Nothing here is a paid upgrade.
Procurement
- Whole-portfolio tender across 19 UK suppliers
- Academic-year contract end dates by default
- Three-year forward budget visibility on request
- Year-2 break clauses where capital projects need flexibility
- Single supplier across the trust or coordinated multi-supplier
- Wholesale + non-commodity + supplier margin + Purely margin shown separately
Monitoring and operations
- Purely Insights free across every school meter
- Weekend and out-of-hours baseload alerting
- BMS-actionable consumption reports per site
- Bill validation against the contracted rate every cycle
- Renewal-window alerts 6 to 12 months before contract end
- Change-of-tenancy support for school-site changes
Sustainability and compliance
- REGO-backed electricity layered on any contract
- SECR submission for trusts above the threshold
- DfE sustainability and climate strategy alignment
- Scope 1 + 2 emissions reporting per school
- ESOS Phase 4 support where an organisation qualifies
- Board and trustee pack on request, branded if required
Specifications
The technical answers procurement, finance, and IT will ask for.
| Sectors served | State schools, MATs, independent schools, FE colleges, sixth-form colleges |
|---|---|
| Typical scale | 1 school through to 30+ school MATs |
| Decision maker | Bursar, COO, CFO, or Head of Estates |
| Contract terms | 12 to 60 months, often 36 with year-2 break |
| Renewal calendar | Aligned to academic year (Sept-Aug) |
| Budget visibility | Up to 3 forward years on request |
| Reporting included | SECR data export, DfE sustainability format |
| Insights monitoring | Free, weekend baseload alerting, per-school |
| Carbon and ESOS | Layerable via /services/carbon-compliance |
| Case studies | Watford Grammar School for Boys, Bosvena School, Mitton Manor Pre-School, Grand-Y-Care Nursery |
Compare
Side-by-side against the realistic alternatives, no straw men.
| Feature | Purely Energy education | Public-sector framework (CCS, ESPO) | Incumbent renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-of-market tender | 19 suppliers | Framework panel only | 1 supplier |
| Margin transparency | Shown separately | Framework fee disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Academic-year alignment | Default | Possible, negotiated | Whatever the renewal is |
| Weekend baseload alerting | Built in via Insights | Not included | Not included |
| SECR / DfE reporting | Included data export | Separate engagement | Not included |
| Year-2 break flexibility | Negotiable on most contracts | Framework dependent | Rare |
Real-world use cases
Scenarios from the Purely Energy book of business.
| Customer profile | Scenario | Outcome with Energy for Schools and Multi-Academy Trusts |
|---|---|---|
| Bosvena School, Bodmin | Supply capacity set at 600 kVA when the site needed 150 kVA. | We handled the downgrade to 150 kVA with the network operator: £26,347 a year saved. See /case-studies/bosvena-school. |
| Watford Grammar School for Boys | One school, £5,641 a year saved, see /case-studies/watford-grammar-school-for-boys. | Real named case study, full detail at /case-studies/watford-grammar-school-for-boys. |
| Mitton Manor Pre-School, Tewkesbury | Non-profit pre-school paying £2,505 a year for gas and electricity. | New contract agreed within 24 hours, 24% lower at £1,910 a year. See /case-studies/mitton-manor-pre-school. |
| Grand-Y-Care Nursery, Lanark | Out of contract on water, paying £14,799 a year across gas, electricity and water. | 2 and 3 year fixes at £12,060 a year, saving £2,739. See /case-studies/grand-y-care-nursery-lanark-scotland. |
Frequently asked questions
Do academy trusts have to use DfE's Energy for Schools?
Not if they find an equivalent deal. Since 1 October 2026, paragraph 2.29 of the Academy Trust Handbook says trusts must use DfE's Energy for Schools service or a DfE approved energy deal when contracts renew, unless they have sourced an alternative agreement of equivalent value for money. We price that alternative on the same basis, so the trust has the comparison on file. Maintained and independent schools are not covered by the handbook.
Do you work with state schools, independents, MATs, or FE colleges?
All four. Consolidation, a margin shown on every quote and Insights monitoring work the same way for each. The differences are the buying rules (the Academy Trust Handbook for academy trusts), the budget cycle (the academic year for most) and the reporting each one owes.
Can contracts be aligned to the academic year?
Yes. Sept-Aug end dates are the default for education customers. Where existing contracts run on calendar-year cycles we coordinate the switch at natural break points to align everything within 18 months without forced exit fees.
What does the weekend-baseload alerting do?
Insights monitors half-hourly consumption per meter and flags any site with overnight or weekend baseload above a threshold you set. Most schools find at least one site running heating or hot water through Saturday and Sunday because of a BMS schedule that nobody updated. The fix takes 20 minutes; the saving runs annually.
What energy reporting does an academy trust need?
SECR, if the trust is large: two or more of income over £36 million, a balance sheet over £18 million and more than 250 employees, and over 40,000 kWh of energy in the year. It then reports its energy use in kWh, its emissions, an intensity ratio (DfE suggests tonnes of CO2e per pupil) and the steps it took to cut energy use, in the trustees' report (DfE SECR guidance for academy trusts, updated 12 August 2026). We collate the meter data, apply the government conversion factors and draft the figures for your auditors. Detail at /services/carbon-compliance.
Do you supply REGO-backed renewable electricity?
Yes. REGO-backed electricity can go on any school or trust contract, and we show its cost next to the standard price. It lets a trust report market-based Scope 2 emissions for that supply at zero; the location-based figure still uses the grid average.
Does ESOS apply to schools and academy trusts?
Usually not. The ESOS guidance says public bodies (contracting authorities) do not need to take part, which normally covers academy trusts and maintained schools. An organisation that is a large undertaking (250 or more staff, or turnover above £44 million and a balance sheet above £38 million) must: Phase 4 counts who qualifies on 31 December 2026, and notification is due by 5 December 2027. We can provide the lead assessor through /services/carbon-compliance.
Will we have a single named contact?
Yes. The named account contact who runs the quote becomes your day-one contact for the contract life. For multi-academy trusts the same contact handles the trust-wide review and the per-school questions, with quarterly business reviews as standard.
Question not covered? Call us on 0161 521 3400 or request a quote and we will answer it during the discovery call.
Related products and tools for education
Watford Grammar School for Boys
Monitoring found 60% of energy used out of hours: £5,641 a year saved.
Bosvena School
Supply cut from 600 kVA to the 150 kVA it needed: £26,347 a year saved.
Mitton Manor Pre-School
Gas and electricity bills cut 24%, contract agreed within 24 hours.
Grand-Y-Care Nursery
Out of contract on water: £2,739 a year saved across three utilities.
Fixed Energy Contracts
Default base for schools, MATs, and FE colleges.
Purely Insights
Free weekend-baseload alerting and per-school dashboards.
Green Energy
REGO-backed electricity for DfE-aligned sustainability claims.
Carbon Compliance
SECR for trust accounts, ESOS for larger MATs and FE colleges.
Ready to discuss Energy for Schools and Multi-Academy Trusts?
Same-day quote for SME, 48-hour turnaround for mid-market and I&C portfolios. Every quote shows wholesale, non-commodity, supplier margin, and Purely margin separately.