Nobody wants an unhappy lion to remind them that they are not helping in conservation efforts. Awards are presented at assemblies to classes that have done a good job of turning off their own lights. The basic activity, though, of getting lights turned off at recess and lunch and after school, and encouraging other students and teachers to do the same, is still the job of the Energy Patrol and all that's really necessary for success. The model provided by DeVargas School can be adapted to meet your school's special requirements. In some schools, light switch reminders have been designed to fit on door handles.
Some schools hold competitions to design reminders so all students can be involved.
In some schools, staff members have not been comfortable giving even the most responsible students access to a master key, so strategies other than reminders taped to light switches have been used to notify staff that lights were left on. The program may also change over time. It's common after several months of operating an energy patrol to find that lights are almost never left on. If this happens, patrols often change their schedules so surprise spot checks are made once or twice a week or month. Patrols can also take on new tasks such as checking to see that shades are opened and closed at the proper times or checking thermostat settings to see that they are appropriately set.