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Before you join the energy basket, assess your school’s options
The April basket deadline is a useful point to review your energy buying choice. Compare the DfE route, other approved deals and appropriate alternatives against the complete cost, service and commitment your school needs.
Use the deadline to review the decision
A basket closing date can focus attention on the application. It should also bring the school’s wider energy decision into view. Before authorising a commitment, can the finance team explain why this arrangement suits the school, what else it considered and what support it expects throughout the agreement?
DfE’s April 2027 Energy for Schools basket is one route to assess. Other DfE-approved energy deals and procurement-compliant alternatives may also be relevant. The useful exercise is to establish which available arrangement fits the school’s requirements, supported by a comparison the authorised decision-maker can understand.
Our view is that the approaching deadline should prompt that assessment. It should not create an assumption that joining the basket is the only available choice, or that an alternative must be better. The evidence should explain the recommendation.
Establish what you are comparing
Start with a common brief: the legal customer, meters, consumption, proposed supply dates, likely estate changes and support required. Use the same requirement when examining different arrangements. A historical benchmark can inform the assessment, while future prices and contractual exposure need their own explanation.
| Route to examine | What your school needs to establish |
|---|---|
| DfE Energy for Schools | The purchasing approach, variable pricing, services, joining requirements and fit with the school’s budget tolerance. |
| Other DfE-approved deals | Eligibility, available terms, pricing structure, service and the steps required to use the deal. |
| An alternative agreement | The lawful buying route, complete cost, service and risk, with the required equivalent-value evidence for an academy trust. |
Ask what the school receives beyond supply
Give the continuing service a place in the assessment. The school may need bill validation, usable consumption information, metering support, help investigating unusual use or a coordinated plan to reduce avoidable demand. Establish what is included, who carries out the work, what it costs and how delivery will be checked.
An experienced TPI can help assess offers and manage that work where appointed to do so. Ask about market coverage, relevant capability, all remuneration and the limits of its authority. Using an adviser is a separate decision from choosing the procurement route; an adviser may also work through a suitable framework.
Compare a defined service rather than assuming that one route provides more support. A broader service can contribute to value when its cost, suitability and expected delivery are evidenced. It does not by itself establish equivalent value or a compliant award.
Keep the route and approval clear
For academy trusts, DfE Energy for Schools or a DfE-approved deal remains the baseline at renewal. An alternative needs to satisfy applicable procurement requirements and demonstrate equivalent value for money. Keep the evaluation of price, terms, service and risk, the recommendation, governance decision and supporting compliance records.
Maintained schools should establish the LA’s arrangements, delegated powers and existing obligations before exploring an independent purchase. Confirm who may instruct an adviser, run the buying process and accept an agreement. Seeking options does not remove those responsibilities.
Check what each application, letter of authority or instruction permits and when it becomes binding. Record unresolved questions before acceptance. Where time is too short for a proper assessment, obtain advice on the available compliant arrangements and any interim exposure.
Keep the basket date in its proper place
As checked on 4 November, DfE lists Friday 6 November 2026 as the deadline for the April 2027 basket. Its preferred information date of 26 October has passed. Later submissions receive best-efforts processing; issues can prevent inclusion, and an interim rate may apply depending on current contract expiry.
Confirm the present contract end and notice requirements, complete meter information and whether the intended start remains achievable. Ask DfE directly about processing and any gap. If reading after 6 November, check its current page for the next available basket. Eligibility here concerns state-funded schools and trusts in England.
Leave with a choice you can explain
Use the programme’s route guide to establish the school’s position, then work through the complete-cost comparison and decision paper. Record the arrangements assessed, the reasons for the preferred route, the support required and any conditions to resolve.
The outcome should be a clear school decision: we understand the available options, can explain why this agreement fits our needs, and know who will protect its value after it begins.