HOW many girls from the Mount School, York, does it take to turn a light off?

None - because the lights go off automatically as part of a new energy-saving system installed at the school.

Sensors monitor movement in the classrooms and if there is no activity in a ten-minute period, the lights switch off by themselves.

The system, and the way it was funded, is now being held up as a bright idea for other schools to copy by energy-saving campaigners at Planet York. The switch-over is set to save the school about ten per cent on its electricity bills and has been partly paid for with a grant from the Energy Saving Trust.

The Mount was one of ten schools across the country which got together with energy businesses under the trust's pilot Energy Services for Schools scheme.

Anne Bolton, bursar at the school, said the lighting system had been installed over the summer, along with some improvements to the heating system by energy company Lattice Energy.

Hugh O'Malley, energy consultant for Lattice, said the Energy Saving Trust had contributed half the cost because they were satisfied it would save a certain amount of energy.

The remainder of the cost was met by Lattice, and The Mount will pay back the cost over several years using the money it saves on bills.

Anne said: "We're very keen on saving energy and conservation and trying to make sure we're behaving in an environmental manner. We are a Quaker school and a lot of the girls are encouraged to think very carefully about environmental issues."

She said a survey had been carried out into how pupils travelled to school every day and the school would be looking at more environmental ways to travel during this term. As part of the scheme, schools had to draw up an energy policy and action plan.

Planet York is a year-long energy efficiency campaign run by the Energy Saving Trust, the City of York Council and the Evening Press.

Laura Collins, campaign manager, said: "This is fantastic news for Planet York. We would like to congratulate the Mount School for taking action against wasting energy and money. They are an example to the rest of us to show how we can reduce the energy we use, saving money and the environment at the same time."

- The Energy Services for Schools scheme is to be extended later this year. Any schools wanting to find out more, or about other ways in which they can get help with energy-saving measures, can phone the School Energy helpline on 0870 7000457 or look at the website at www.schoolenergy.org.uk

Updated: 12:45 Monday, October 22, 2001