Leeds Council is set to equip primary schools with energy saving upgrades

Primary schools and council buildings in Leeds are set to go greener with the council awarded £4.3m in government funding.

The energy saving green upgrades, that are set to be installed in 10 council buildings, including children’s centres and primary schools, will help to cut the council’s energy use, reducing the impact of soaring energy prices on budgets.

At the beginning of the year, schools across the UK reported that they had seen a significant increase in their energy bills, including one school who saw their bills increase by £67k. The money given to the council will also help shrink the city’s annual carbon footprint by around 640tonnes. The systems that will be installed over the next year include air source heat pumps, solar photovoltaic panels, and insulation.

After these upgrades have been installed by 2023, they are expected to help the council save more than 3,290,000 kWh of gas and generate over 373,000kWh of renewable electricity every year. This announcement follows a completed £25m upgrade programme that saw over 7,500 solar panels and 61 heat pumps installed across 40 council-owned buildings over the past year.

Leeds City Council’s recently approved Energy Strategy includes an aim to supply all the electricity used by the local authority from secure, zero carbon sources by 2030.

Cllr Helen Hayden, Executive Member for Infrastructure and Climate said it is ‘brilliant’ to see Leeds investing in more essential green upgrades, explaining the funding is ‘even more welcomed at a time of increased pressure on energy budgets.’

‘Key public facilities including primary schools and children’s centres will benefit from cheaper energy bills’, she added, ‘enabling them to spend more on valuable community services and education.’

The £4.3m grant was secured by the council from Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme administered by the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy.

Earlier this summer, Leeds City Council confirmed additional funding for arts and culture projects. Find out more here.

Image credit: Illiya Vjestica