Some schools cutting down opening hours to save on rising energy bills
Headteachers are expecting an increase of over 100% in their bills
Last updated 29th May 2022
As the cost of living crisis continues to hit hard, some schools are having to resort to reduce teaching hours to save money.
A survey published by the NAHT trade union for teachers found that headteachers were expecting an average increase of 106% on their energy bills.
Over 1,000 schools responded to the survey, published ahead of the union's annual conference in Telford, and found that 99% of those surveyed were expecting an increase in costs in the coming year.
As well as this, one in three schools (37%) responding to the survey said they were predicting to make a loss by the end of next year as a result of rising energy costs.
When asked how they were coping with rising bills, some schools said they have had to cut back on teaching hours, lesson time and teaching assistants in order to make ends meet.
Some headteachers who responded to the survey said they had either resigned or considered leaving their posts so that cheaper headteachers could be recruited to save schools.
As a result, over half of schools said they would be reducing the amount of spending for equipment for their students so that the schools could remain open.
Speaking ahead of the conference, NAHT general secretary, Paul Whiteman said the rising costs for energy will have an effect on students' education.
"We are hearing quite clearly from our members that rising energy costs will almost certainly have a negative impact on education, and could hamper their recovery efforts," he said.
"For some, the energy price hikes are the equivalent to the cost of a full-time teacher.
"Every penny spent in schools is a choice. These increased energy costs mean that money which could be being spent on pupils is being paid to energy companies instead."
He added: "The Government's attempts to restore school spending to 2010 levels is being rapidly eroded by these and other cost pressures. The Government needs to do more to ease the impact of the energy crisis on schools, for children's sake."
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said that ministers are considering what additional support they can offer schools and students.
"Cost increases should be seen in the wider context of funding for schools. In 2022-23, core schools funding will increase by £4 billion compared to 2021-22 - a 7% cash terms per pupil boost - and this will help schools to meet wider cost pressures, including energy prices," they said.
"All schools can access a range of tools to help them get the best value from their resources, including recommended deals for energy costs and services related to energy."
How the cost of living crisis is affecting other areas of everyday life:
Interest rates and inflation go up
Inflation rose by 8.8% in the 12 months to January 2023, down from 9.2% in December 2022. With interest rates also rising to 4%, those saving money will earn more interest on their finances, whilst those paying mortgages would pay more interest to the bank.
Energy bills
The price of energy went up incredibly as the cost of living crisis hit, with the gas price spike caused largely by the war in Ukraine. The price cap - which is set by an independent regulator to help offset costs onto customers - was set to rise to £3,549 for an average home in October but a price freeze from the government restricted the typical bill to £2,500. That's still an increase of 27% from the previous energy cap and as it's a cap on unit cost, the more energy you use the higher your bill will be.
Food prices
The cost of a weekly shop also has gone up as a result of the cost of living crisis. As a result of the war in Ukraine, a number of products including cooking oils and wheat have been disrupted. This means that several products are now considerably more expensive, driving bills up for customers.
Prices at the pumps
The average cost of petrol has also rose to unprecedented levels. Supply lines for petrol have been thrown into doubt as a result of the war in Ukraine, as Russia is a large export partner for gas, oil and fuel. In April 2022, the average price for a litre of petrol on the forecourt was 160.2p, whilst a litre of diesel would cost 170.5p. By late June 2022 the price had risen to an average of 190.9p for a litre of unleaded and 198.9p for a litre of diesel. In March 2023 the price wass on average of 147.03 in petrol and 167.04 in diesel.
Average cost of filling up a car with petrol hits £100
On 9th June 2022, the average cost of filling up a car with petrol hit £100 for the first time ever. Diesel had already hit that milestone. It comes as the cost of fuel hit a record high of one pound eighty a litre. The 2p rise was the biggest daily jump in 17 years. Prices have dropped by at least 20p per litre since the high point.