TORY ministers must introduce a “sustained, long-term commitment” to improving the energy efficiency of schools nationwide, education unions demanded today.

The call came after the Department for Education announced £500 million for primaries, secondaries and colleges to spend on insulation and energy efficient lighting this winter amid soaring bills. 

The move will “not only help them save money, but it will make them more energy efficient during the cold period and increase winter resilience for future years,” ministers claimed.

Unions welcomed the funding, which could be worth £16,000 for each primary school, £42,000 for every secondary and £290,000 for further education colleges. 

But Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, warned much more would be needed in the coming years.

“Given the spiralling costs of energy and the environmental crisis, trying to improve the energy efficiency of existing school buildings is the right thing to be doing,” he said.

"However, schools will continue to face rapidly rising energy bills.

“We would urge the government to make this the start of a sustained, long-term commitment to improving energy efficiency.”