Bristol-based waste management consultancy Resource Futures is working with Bath and North East Somerset Council to motivate primary school teachers and pupils to save energy through simple, everyday changes in behaviour.
Schools have been invited to take part in the BEST (B&NES Energy Saving Teams) competition, which focuses on pupil-led behavioural change and integrating energy efficiency into the curriculum. 
BEST complements recent work by B&NES and Transition Bath to support schools with making their buildings more energy efficient.
It forms part of the council’s Schools Carbon Reduction Programme, which supports schools to cut carbon and energy costs while teaching pupils key skills.
All schools are being invited to a training workshop and will also get a resource pack to help them run the competition during a two-week period in March when staff and pupils will be encouraged to switch off lights and electrical appliances as much as possible.
B&NES cabinet member for early years, children and youth Cllr Dine Romero said: “This is a great new initiative which will encourage pupils to come up with ideas to change behaviour and will also include curriculum learning. The Schools Carbon Reduction Programme is part of our commitment to making Bath and North East Somerset a low carbon and sustainable region.”
Schools signing up this month will be eligible for additional in-school support, customised to suit their needs such as a planning meeting with staff, action-planning with the pupil campaign team, energy detective work with pupils to establish areas of potential saving and an assembly to launch the BEST campaign.
Prizes will be awarded in three categories designed so all schools have a chance to win irrespective of the type of building or how much energy they have already saved. Prizes will include trips to local environmental education centres and sustainable education resources for schools.
The competition is being held with Bristol-based environmental consultancy Resource Futures, an employee-owned, non-profit-distributing company with a 25-year heritage of environmental improvement.
