Northern Ireland schools advised to wear extra clothing as energy bills rise

Staff and pupils at schools in Northern Ireland have been advised to wear extra clothing if it is cold as heating costs increase. The BBC reported on October 7 that the Education Authority has written to school heads instructing them to reduce heating and lighting wherever possible. [1]

The Education Authority warned that school gas and electricity costs are projected to grow by about 8 million pounds by March 2027. School principal Kirsty Logan Hall noted that operating in an older building creates energy efficiency challenges. Increasing energy prices are already affecting households throughout Northern Ireland, with the impact of the United States and Israel war with Iran acting as a contributing factor. [1]

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom located in the north east of the island of Ireland. Education policy is a devolved matter under the Northern Ireland Assembly, which holds responsibility for various regional policy decisions. [3]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, the British government has also been considering spending over 1 billion pounds to support poorer UK households as energy bills are forecast to rise further. [7]