Energy wasters brought to light by school's enforcers

Much as the ARP wardens were employed to demand rogue lights were switched off at night during the Second World War, a city high school has borrowed the idea to make sure the building is a blackout at the end of each day.

A group of pupils at Portobello High have been appointed as "energy police" to check all unnecessary bulbs are extinguished before they head home.

They are also checking computers and data projectors in each of the school's 80 classrooms to make sure they have been switched off in a bid to save energy and money.

The energy police - made up of the school's prefects - say they find that around half of the classrooms are still illuminated when they do their checks and are aiming to raise as much awareness as possible amongst staff and pupils about the issue.

They make a note of the classrooms where lights have been left on so they can tell which departments are repeat offenders and they also offer friendly reminders to teachers working late to switch off when they leave.

S6 pupil Rachael Clark, 17, is one of the school's energy police officers. She said: "About half of the classrooms still have their lights on when we go round to check. It's a simple thing but people do forget.

"We turn off the lights and computers and if the teachers are in we remind them to switch them off before they go.

"A lot of money can be saved from doing such a simple thing so we are trying to encourage people to do it."

Portobello High has been named Scotland's greenest school, despite being in a dilapidated state, and takes its green credentials very seriously.

It was awarded its fourth Eco Schools Green Flag in 2009, leading to it becoming the first secondary school in Scotland to achieve permanent Green Flag status.

It is being rebuilt after being rated the school in the worst condition in the Capital.

The new building will be in complete contrast to the current 1960s tower block which has virtually no green space.

Geography teacher Sophie Bigg, who facilitates the Eco Schools project at Portobello High, said: "It can be difficult because there are different groups of people coming through the school, such as the cleaners who come in after the teachers leave.

"It's something that we have to keep trying to do because we have to raise awareness of this.

"Energy is something that we are constantly looking at.

"We have done as much as we can in this school and when we have the new school we can plan a lot better."

Headteacher Peigi MacArthur praised the work of the school's energy police. She said: "Their actions impact on our energy bills which is a great help."