Procurement
Energy advice Contact YPO’s energy
the Carbon Trust provides excellent resources and your local authority may assist, too, even after you’ve gained independence as an academy. If none of those routes feel right,
YPO is an independent education support partner. We understand the challenges you have in running a school or academy but, as well as being experts in education, we also have sector specialists in areas such as buildings maintenance, insurance and energy. Our utilities team have years of experience in reducing and managing consumption as well as helping you secure a tariff that works for you. We’re always happy to answer questions on energy and water management.
QA COLD-CALLER KEEPS TELLING
ME HE CAN SAVE OUR SCHOOL MONEY – HOW DO WE KNOW WHETHER HE IS REPUTABLE? Unfortunately, there is no regulated body for utilities brokers in the UK whether a caller is a charming charlatan, or in fact a true expert with your best interests at heart! The best way is to ask lots of
questions – really try to determine not only whether they understand energy or whatever they are trying to sell, but do they understand the education sector and the unique challenges that your school or academy faces? If in doubt, seek independent advice from your local authority’s energy team or from someone else you trust who is try asking your incumbent energy procurement team – they will naturally want to keep your business but they might offer an angle or insight you hadn’t considered. Failing that, look at things like
independent awards in the energy sector, focusing on who is recognised for trust, service and customer support rather than sales. YPO was lauded for ‘Best Customer Service’ in the 2016 Energy Live Consultancy Awards and, in the same awards, specialist took home ‘Industry Expert of the Year’. I like to think that proves YPO’s credentials!
team on 01924 821784 or email your query to
energy@ypo.co.uk.
ENERGY SAVING TIPS QWE ARE KEEN TO EXPLORE
Undertaking simple good housekeeping and implementing basic energy-saving measures can improve conditions and save your school money.
RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS PHOTOVOLTAICS – HOW DO WE FIND THE BEST SOLUTIONS FOR OUR PREMISES? At the risk of sounding repetitive, the best conversation to have in independent who understands an outline understanding of what can be done, it’s time to bring in specialist advice to provide project design and quotes for whatever technology you are looking at. Bear in mind that bigger projects will need to have an auditable decision- making process to justify why you gave the work to a particular contractor. Using an independent public-sector procurement organisation ensures you have that audit trail, as well as the consultancy support to make sure you invest in the best solution for your school.
QONCE WE KNOW WHAT WE
NEED, IS FUNDING AVAILABLE TO COVER THE COSTS? Absolutely! There are a number of different funding options in place, depending on location and the type of project. Salix Finance is the best known – it provides interest-free in the public sector with the funds provided by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the DfE, the Welsh and Scottish Governments and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. There are also some good regional schemes such as the Programme. Your energy-buying team should be able to advise you or speak to YPO for more information.
Heating: Check thermostats regularly and consider whether ICT equipment will mean certain rooms become overheated, while drafts or poorly insulated roofs and windows might influence settings. Clear heating vents and radiators of obstructions.
Upgrade controls: Use smart new control systems to automate when your heating needs to come on in order to reach optimum temerature. These will adjust automatically depending on the weather.
Maintainance: Gas-fired boilers should be serviced by a reputable company once a year, oil-fired boilers twice a year. Insulate pipes and water tanks to prevent heat loss.
Water: Fix dripping taps and leaks quickly, replace taps with ones that turn off automatically and use timer switches so that water is only heated when required.
Electricity: Use ‘free’ daylight as your light source where possible, using daylight blinds to avoid glare. Install low-energy lighting and use occupancy sensors in areas that are used less frequently.
For further advice on energy-efficiency initiatives and renewable technologies, visit
carbontrust.com.
HOW CAN YPO HELP?
Complicated tariffs and efficiency pressures are daunting. YPO’s frameworks link you to leading suppliers, which will help to minimise your risk of price exposure, from standard gas and electricity contracts to innovative renewable energy options. Frameworks include: Gas: 621; Biomass: 737; Water: RM3790; Microgeneration (solar and wind power): 668.
Bureau Service: YPO provides an energy data analysis and management service to help check that invoices are correct, identify areas where you could make savings and ensure that you have access to cost, carbon and consumption data whenever you need. Contact the team on 01924 821784.
YPO has more than 80 procurement frameworks. To find out more about the procurement service and to get advice on how you can make the most of your school budgets, contact YPO on 01924
664664 or email
procurementservices@ypo.co.uk. YPO works with suppliers across the UK to offer the latest products and services to schools at the most competitive prices. Explore over 30,000 products at
ypo.co.uk/products.
FundEd SUMMER 2017 53
PHOTO: CAITLIN DALGETTY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
