There was quite a buzz at St. Mary’s Primary School in Timsbury, Somerset, this week as the pupils and teachers celebrated the school’s new eco-friendly, carbon neutral heating system. 

St. Mary’s is the first primary school in the country to install a biomass boiler with the help of Good Energy. Earlier this year, Good Energy’s electricity tariff was certified by the independent Green Energy Supply Scheme. One of the requirements of the Scheme is that a minimum of 50kg of CO2 is abated for each customer each year, and Good Energy has chosen to do this through investing in renewable heat projects which benefit the community. The biomass boiler at St. Mary’s Primary School is the first such project, and to celebrate, Good Energy’s CEO Juliet Davenport and local MP Jacob Rees-Mogg joined some reception pupils and headteacher Sue Heal, at the school last week.

The biomass boiler will heat the entire school in these coming autumn and winter months. It is powered by carbon neutral and locally-sourced wood pellets and is such a good system that over the next seven years, the school will have saved 280 tonnes of C02 - the equivalent to driving 30 times around the world in an average car!

As headteacher Sue Heal says, the school aspires “to raise environmentally aware pupils, regardless of their age.” The council also has wider plans to improve environmental sustainability at numerous schools throughout the area, contributing towards its key priority of tackling the causes and effects of climate change. Jacob Rees-Mogg, local MP, said: “Good Energy’s commitment to the Government’s targets of reducing C02, by funding schemes such as the biomass boiler project, demonstrates to all schools, businesses and communities throughout the South West how we all have a part to play.”

Watch this space for further information about out renewable heat projects.