A NATIONAL energy supplier has pledge to spend £50,000 on renewable energy for two Stockton Schools.

Stockton Borough Council’s electricity supplier npower is promising to improve energy efficiency within the schools as part of its Climate Cops programme, a five year scheme designed to help make UK schools more sustainable.

This has lead to feasibility studies being undertaken for two wind turbines to be installed at Ingleby Mill Primary school and Bader Primary school. If viable, the turbines will be built with this funding.

The Climate Cops Academy holds day-long sessions to help pupils learn about climate change and understand how they can use energy more efficiently through a combination of hands-on activities and team challenges.

The participating schools also received free energy audits to identify ways the school can save energy and money.

Councillor Jennie Beaumont, Stockton Borough Council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: "Schools contribute about a quarter of all of the council’s carbon emissions so the Climate Cops Academy days are a great way of getting the message across to children.

"I’d also like to thank npower for their generous donation which I’m sure will have a positive impact on our efforts to save energy and reduce carbon emissions in our schools."

Rosie Legg, Sustainable School Project Manager at npower, said: "We are very pleased to be working with Stockton Council and they have been very supportive in helping us to deliver this hugely successful Climate Cops programme.

"We have received a great response from the schools where they have already seen big changes to how energy is used. npower has local offices nearby in Thornaby and we hope that we can continue to make a real difference in other schools in the area to help reduce their energy consumption".

Following on from the success of the first five Climate Cop Academy days, the Council secured ten more days for primary schools from npower.

Schools can also order the npower Climate Cops teaching resources by completing the order form on www.npower.com/education The Climate Cops programme forms a key part of the npower Brighter Futures programme which helps young people right from school to work.