Remind the district staff to setback school heating equipment by 10-15 degrees beginning as early as half an hour before school is out. The setbacks should hold throughout the night, on holidays, and weekends. It takes less fuel to reheat a school than it does to leave the heat running all night. Use equipment that has a big energy usage before 10 a.m. or after 2 p.m. whenever possible. This helps cut peak demand charges on a school's power bills.
Big equipment includes kilns, electric ovens, sawdust collectors, and stage and sports lights.
Let mother nature give a hand by using natural daylighting and shutting off electric lights. Open the blinds to let in sunlight and warmth. Studies show that students score better with daylighting rather than electric lighting. Use energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps to replace incandescent lamps in your school. Keep hot water temperatures to a maximum 115-120 degrees for sinks and showers.