Energy price rise 'painful' for Shropshire schools trust

Gareth Bridges said rising energy prices would be "painful" for schools

A Shropshire schools trust said rising energy bills would be "painful", despite support from the government.

On Wednesday, a price cap was announced for all UK businesses.

However Gareth Bridges, chief financial and operating officer at Marches Academy Trust, said its 10 schools still faced "a significant increase in costs".

He said they were considering options for reducing consumption, with a target of a 20% decrease.

"The government support looks like it's going to give us some protection, but we are still looking at a significant increase in costs," said Mr Bridges. "Maybe 50-60% on electric and possibly 200% on gas."

Each school currently spends between £100K and £150K per year on energy bills, he said, "so you multiply that by 10 schools you start to get to very big sums".

Shrewsbury Academy is one of 10 schools run by the Marches Academy Trust

He said the trust was not yet in a position where it would have to consider asking pupils to wear coats in lessons but other cost-cutting measures were under review.

"We are looking to change behaviours in our school," Mr Bridges said, citing things like shutting down IT equipment, reducing the heating and switching off lights.

"If we can model that in school we can then share that with the children, they'll hold us to account on that, and then they can also take that home and hopefully use those lessons at home," he said.

From 1 October, the government's Energy Bill Relief Scheme will fix prices at 21.1p per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electricity and 7.5p per KWh for gas for six months.

"I think what we'd like to see is more targeted support for big public spaces that use lots of energy and provide public service," Mr Bridges said.

"We'd also like to see some support for renewables."

It's thought the government support for businesses and households could cost up to £150bn, with the prime minister saying it would provide "certainty and peace of mind" for consumers.