A new pilot project to assess energy efficiency in schools and to educate students and their families about conservation has just started in a number of east coast schools. The project is a joint venture between Ashdown Energy Ireland and the West Wales Eco Centre in Newport, Pembrokeshire.

The main features of the initiative include comprehensive surveys of 68 schools, 34 in each country. They will also provide presentations to pupils on fossil fuels, renewable energy and their applications. Home energy reports on pupils' homes will be reviewed in association with the Energy Savings Trust.

Ashdown Energy has been jointly funded by the EU and Irish companies, mainly the ESB, Ireland On-Line and Aer Rianta, to survey the schools. It will carry out energy audits on heating systems and the results will be reported to the boards of management.

So far, 15 schools have been surveyed and Richard Copeland, executive director of Ashdown Energy, has found that "the schools so far lack trained maintenance personnel - and this may be the root of the schools' problems."

Each Transition Year student at the 34 schools on the east coast will be provided with a home energy questionnaire. When the replies are analysed, they will get specific recommendations on improving energy efficiency and cutting costs. A trophy will be awarded to the most energy efficient school and a £100 prize will be raffled between responding houses.

Copeland says he "hopes to provide about 50 jobs in this field as a result of the venture over a two-year period."

The EU environment commissioner, Ritt Bjerregaard, believes that projects of this sort will provide some of Europe's 19 million unemployed with jobs over the next decade.

energymatter.com is a website with energy advice. It also includes a compilation of energy service providers, for example, insulation and draught-proofing services, builders, architects etc. It will provide schools with contacts which will in turn stimulate business at no cost to the school.