A SCHOOL has saved é16,000 a year simply by switching off its computers.

Teachers and children at Hazel Grove High in Stockport make sure that lights, computers and photocopiers are turned off at the end of each day.

The 1,300-pupil school was paying é100,000 a year in energy and water bills and was responsible for churning 530 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere every year.

But a string of green-friendly measures saved thousands of pounds as well as cutting the harmful emissions.

An environment `hit squad' brought into the school found lights and electricity were being used around the clock.

The school has 500 computers, which were being left on 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

All 70 classrooms now have recycling bins, which sit aside traditional waste baskets. An enthusiastic parent teachers' association generates é6,000 a year from monthly recycling collections of paper.

Two year nine students used their initiative to create green stickers - which they placed on every light switch and PC to remind staff and pupils to switch off appliances after use.

Simple changes

The school is based on the site of separate boys and girls' schools dating back to the 1950s.

Although some of the overhauls recommended by the agency were too costly to implement, simple changes have made a big difference to the environment.

The antiquated urinals in the boys' toilets routinely flushed every two minutes.

By simply fitting a new timing mechanism, the water is released every eight minutes during the school day and does not operate during the weekend or school holidays.

Garry Cash, the school's business manager, said there had been a huge change of attitude among pupils.

He said: "We were paying in excess of é100,000 a year for gas, electricity and water.

"We invited a surveyor to give us advice.

"He gave us ideas which were really the start of us looking at our consumption. We had a very high electricity usage overnight. compared to what was regarded as the norm.

"A significant number of computers and monitors were left on standby overnight 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We now ask students to switch everything off at the end of the day.

"It means each computer is only on 35 hours a week rather than 168.

"We underestimated the attitudes of our students to things like global warming."