Analysis / Compare and prove value
How does a school know it has bought energy well?
A useful energy decision connects the price, the agreement and the service the school will receive. Build that evidence before a short quotation deadline arrives.
The question behind the quotation
A lower unit rate is an attractive starting point. It does not, by itself, explain whether a school has bought well. A decision can look inexpensive at signing yet disappoint because the consumption estimate was wrong, important charges were excluded or the school cannot obtain help when an invoice is disputed.
DfE's April 2025 account of its school energy research identified difficulty comparing deals, judging whether prices offered value, handling volatile markets and responding to rapid quotation deadlines. It also recorded concerns about expensive contracts that were difficult to leave. This is an official account of user research, without a published sample or detailed results in that article; it should inform questions rather than establish how every school experiences the market.
School Connection's recommendation is to organise the decision around three tests: can the school explain what it is buying, show why it chose the arrangement and check whether the promised value arrives?
Make the decision possible before making it urgent
Begin with the current agreement, its end date, notice provisions, authorised buyer and approval timetable. Put governing-body or committee dates beside the procurement timetable. Establish who can approve a recommendation and who can sign. A quote deadline is a commercial constraint to plan around, rather than a reason to bypass those arrangements.
The starting route depends on the institution. For a maintained school, check the local authority scheme and existing contractual position. For a trust, check its procurement controls and the academy energy requirements. For an independent school, establish its ownership, governance and applicable legal position. The programme's separate routes explain these checks before the common buying journey begins.
Give every option the same requirement to price
Create one dated information pack covering the same meters, sites, delivery dates and consumption assumptions. Record actual readings, estimated data and missing periods separately. Explain forthcoming changes: a building closing, additional boarding provision, a heat pump, new solar generation or a changed lettings pattern can make last year's demand a poor forecast.
Then ask what each offer actually includes. A fixed commodity price and an agreement fixing specified delivered charges are different propositions. Record exclusions, volume adjustments, service fees and termination exposure. Preserve the quoted terms alongside the figures so a later reviewer can reconstruct the choice.
One accountable adviser, with a meaningful check
Where the school chooses TPI support, a single appointed adviser can provide a clear brief and controlled supplier contact. Agree the supplier panel, expected outputs, fees, conflicts and reporting responsibilities. DfE's minimum-standard questions also recommend seeking a quote from at least one other supplier when a broker supplies multiple quotes. That independent check does not require simultaneous appointments of several brokers.
Ask the adviser to explain a recommendation in language the board can challenge. Which suppliers responded? Why were others unavailable? Does the preferred offer still represent value after all fees? What service is actually contracted after supply starts? A useful answer names documents and responsibilities rather than relying on an assurance that the market has been searched.
Keep four short records
| Record | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Common assumptions | Have the options been assessed for the same school and period? |
| Cost and risk comparison | What changes the bill, and who carries that uncertainty? |
| Recommendation and approval | Why did this option win, and who authorised it? |
| Delivery and review plan | How will the school check the contract and service? |
Judge the purchase again after it starts
Reconcile opening readings and first invoices against the agreement. Track unresolved queries and whether the adviser meets the promised response times. Separate billing recoveries, tariff effects and consumption reductions: they describe different benefits and should not be counted twice. Use weather, occupancy and building changes to explain movements in usage.
The outcome is a decision the school can understand today and review later. Continue to the benchmarking guide to turn those four records into an assessment that distinguishes historical evidence, forward offers and the uncertainty between them.