PRESS RELEASE : Mayor reveals first to benefit from his Greener Schools programme and save thousands on energy bills [April 2025]

• The Mayor’s new Greener Schools pilot will benefit children across the capital, helping schools save almost £15,000 on average per year
• Innovative programme is a key part of Sadiq’s commitment to help schools in London reduce their carbon emissions and save money on their energy bills
• The new Mayoral investment has leveraged further £9.6 million for schools to spend on energy-saving measures such as insulation, LED lights, solar panels and heat pumps

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today revealed the first beneficiaries of his ambitious new Greener Schools pilot, which will enable schools to spend less on their energy bills and more on children’s education.

The new initiative will see 38 schools across 16 London boroughs [1] save an average of almost £15,000 on their energy bills [2] as part of Sadiq’s manifesto commitment to help them cut costs and carbon emissions.

The Mayor invited London boroughs to apply for his £2.9 million Greener Schools pilot funding in December 2024 [3], and has since leveraged a further £9.6 million through boroughs delivering additional investment. [4]

Beneficiaries from a wide variety of education settings and phases – including five special schools, two nurseries, two secondary schools and 31 primary schools – will receive an average of over £77,000 each. Following high demand from the boroughs and schools, further funding of almost £1 million has been allocated to support an additional 13 schools.

The funding will enable schools to introduce key energy-saving measures such as insulation, LED lights, solar panels and heat pumps. It will also fund climate engagement activities such as school-wide sustainability projects including water conservation initiatives, helping to empower the next generation of climate change leaders in communities across the capital.

The pilot is scalable and could be rolled out nationally to benefit more children and schools across the country. If all of London’s schools were to use energy saving interventions, this could save over £50 million annually from the education budget [5].

Sadiq’s pilot has also inspired aspects of the Government’s Great British Energy project announced last month to put rooftop solar panels on 200 schools and 200 hospitals – saving schools money for the next academic year [6].

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted to announce the first schools across the capital to benefit from my new Greener Schools initiative. This investment will help schools reduce their energy costs so they can spend more on vital resources such as books, technology and staff – and cut carbon emissions so schools can play their part in tackling air pollution in the capital.

“Working with the boroughs, we’ve been able to leverage a further £9.6m to fund more vital projects in more schools, helping to meet our target of achieving net zero by 2030, as we continue working to build a greener and fairer London for everyone.”

Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban, said: “It’s great that our Greener Schools programme has had such a positive and enthusiastic uptake from the boroughs and their schools.

“Their collaborative approach has allowed us to unlock further funding, meaning that more schools and pupils will benefit from this important programme.”

Minister for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “Too many schools have been saddled with sky-high energy bills, driven by the UK’s dependence on global fossil fuel markets. That is why it is fantastic to see these awards from the Mayor’s Greener Schools pilot, with new energy saving measures set to put more money back into classrooms across London.
“This follows the launch of Great British Energy’s first major project to put rooftop solar panels on around 200 schools and 200 NHS sites, saving them money on their bills.”

Executive Headteacher at Brecknock and Torriano Federation, Helen Bruckdorfer, said: “We are thrilled to have received grant funding from the Greener Schools Pilot, which will play a key role in advancing the goals outlined in our Torriano School Climate Action Plan. This funding will help us enhance energy efficiency and implement sustainable solutions, such as solar PV and LED lighting.

“Addressing climate change and promoting sustainability are fundamental to the partnership between Camden Council and its schools, and this initiative is a significant step toward a greener, more sustainable future for our community.”

Headteacher at Durants School, Rachel Carli, said: “As an Eco School we are committed to supporting the health of our planet. We are delighted to have received grant funding from the Greener Schools Pilot, which will play a pivotal role in advancing the goals outlined in the Enfield Schools Climate Action Plan.”

Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Climate Action, Cllr Louise Krupski, said: “I am delighted to work with the Mayor of London and his team to decarbonise our local schools.

“This funding will not only unlock significant environmental benefits but will also create opportunities to reinvest savings from energy bills into the classroom. This is an excellent example of climate action in practice.”

Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Enfield Council, Cllr Abdul Abdullahi, said: “After declaring climate emergency in 2019, Enfield Council has committed to making the organisation carbon neutral by 2030 and a carbon neutral borough by 2040.

“The Mayor’s Greener Schools Grant is a step towards achieving the Councils strategic objectives on sustainability and ambitions of the Climate Action Plan. We are pleased to be one of the authorities to have been selected for this pilot programme that will pave the way forward.”

RAFT (Retrofit Action for Tomorrow) has been appointed as the pilot’s strategic partner and will support across key areas, including helping boroughs and schools deliver outreach and community engagement activities.

The pilot is a vital step in delivering the Mayor’s climate plan which includes delivering a 100% zero-emission bus fleet in London, providing more than 40,000 new public bike parking spaces, and more than doubling the number of electric vehicle charging points to 40,000 – all by 2030.

The innovative pilot also builds on Mayoral schemes already helping schools go green such as the Climate Kick-Start Prize, Climate Resilient Schools and Future Neighbourhoods 2030 [6].