British Gas to Lead Energy Efficiency Revolution in Schools

LEICESTER, England, May 21, 2010 - The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Rt Hon Ed
Balls MP, announced British Gas' role in a GBP12 million energy efficiency
initiative to help schools and pupils to become energy aware.

The move will help meet the Government's goal to reduce carbon emissions
in schools and help local authorities comply with the Carbon Reduction Commitment
Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC)
(www.britishgas.co.uk/business/energy-efficiency/legal-obligations/carbon-reduction-commitment.html).

All publicly funded schools will be invited to apply for a free energy
display meter giving an accurate real-time reading of how much electricity a
school building is using. Schools will be able to use this data to inform
decisions about how to make energy savings.

Schools account for around 2 percent of UK green house gas emissions,
with 9.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted annually by schools in
England(1). The energy display meters, which are provided and installed by
British Gas, are expected to help reduce consumption by 10-15 percent, around
1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, and it is estimated that it will save an
average 900-pupil secondary school more than GBP3,000 a year on fuel bills
alone(2).

Partnerships for Schools will be responsible for overseeing the delivery
of the project, working in partnership with British Gas, as the selected
private sector partner. This contract comes on the back off British Gas being
awarded the Buying Solutions framework to provide Automatic Meter Reading
(AMR) services across electricity, gas, water and aM&T/ sub-metering
solutions to the public sector market.

The initiative will also see school children becoming experts in energy
efficiency, as pupils will be able to see in real-time on large 'dashboard'
displays how their behaviour, such as switching on lights, computers and
electrical equipment, affects the school's electricity use. The project is
being supported by the British Gas Generation Green educational programme
which has created a range of learning resources, including lessons plans,
which are specifically designed to be used alongside the 'dashboard'
displays.

Speaking at Pimlico Academy, one of the first schools to sign up to the
initiative, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Rt Hon
Ed Balls MP said:

"School children of today have a real desire to become the environmental
champions of the future - and we need to harness this interest. This GBP12
million investment will enable schools to lead the way on an energy
revolution, helping staff to reduce energy consumption, and helping children
to better understand the importance of their behaviour in tackling
environmental issues."

Kanat Emiroglu, Managing Director of British Gas Business, said:

"British Gas is committed to supporting the public sector in meeting
government targets to reduce carbon emissions and we are proud to be at the
forefront of the biggest revolution in energy efficiency since the switch to
natural gas in the home in the 1970s.

British Gas is the largest provider of advanced and smart meters to the
public and private sector. Smart and advanced metering, combined with our
Energy Services and our multi-site expertise, are already showing how our
customers can be put back in control of their energy usage, helping them use
less energy, cut carbon emissions, comply with government legislation and
save money."

Tim Byles, Chief Executive of Partnerships of Schools, said:

"The use of display meters is a great way to engage young people's
interest in the environment and energy efficiency. In Building Schools for
the Future schools where display meters are already in operation, there has
been a real enthusiasm for using the information generated in lessons and
changes to behaviour both in schools and at home. We're looking forward to
making this opportunity available to more schools across the country."

The display meters project was announced today in conjunction with an
awareness campaign designed to help schools reduce their overall energy
costs. It will be supported by a broad coalition of public, private and third
sector partners, all of which have a shared interest in reducing energy
usage.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families has a long term goal
for schools to be sustainable by 2020. The Zero Carbon Task Force was set up
in 2008 to advise on how best to achieve this, and two key recommendations
made by the Task Force in March 2009 were the use of energy display meters
and a comprehensive awareness campaign to help change energy efficiency
behaviour in schools.

All primary and secondary state schools in England will be eligible to
apply for a free sub-meter. An information pack will be available to all
schools, and schools will be given instructions for how the meter should be
used, and guidance on how it can support teaching and learning. For more
information, schools can visit:
www.teachernet.gov.uk/energydisplaymeter

1 Source: The Sustainable Development Commission

2 Source: Carbon Trust

About British Gas Business

British Gas Business offer a range of products and services tailored to
the business market, including fixed price energy contracts, boiler and
central heating services, an online business insurance comparison service,
and a connections and metering service for new energy supplies, conversions
and upgrades.

For more information on cheap electricity
(www.britishgas.co.uk/business/products-and-services/business-electricity.html)
and the benefits of using a smart electricity meter
(www.britishgas.co.uk/business/products-and-services/connections-metering.html )
to monitor energy consumption, customers can visit
www.britishgas.co.uk/business.

(Due to the length of these URLs, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the
space if one exists.)

    For further information please contact:

    Kate Saner
    katesaner@bluerubicon.com
    +44(0)20-7260-2700

For further information please contact: Kate Saner, katesaner at bluerubicon.com, +44(0)20-7260-2700