St. Bart's Multi Academy Trust

Overview

St. Bart’s Multi-Academy Trust currently consists of 23 schools spread across the Counties of Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire.

The trust faced a common but complex challenge: managing a diverse energy portfolio across multiple sites with various suppliers.

This fragmentation led to a frustrating lack of data and a difficult path forward. Before partnering with WME, the Trust struggled to effectively monitor usage, leaving them unable to identify waste or streamline costs. They needed a trusted energy partner to manage their collective energy portfolio, budgets and sustainability plans.

Who are West Mercia Energy?

Specialising solely in managing energy contracts for the public sector WME is a Public Buying Organisation, jointly owned by four local authorities: Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Worcestershire and Herefordshire councils respectively.

As a DfE approved energy framework provider, WME provide energy procurement and additional services to over 250 multi academy trusts and 3,000 schools across the UK. WME is committed to supporting their public sector clients to achieve their specific net zero ambitions and working collectively to achieve the Government's net zero pledge.

St. Bart’s Journey to Partnership

The search for a partner began when St. Bart’s recognised that their existing setup was too fragmented. WME stood out by offering a guaranteed compliant procurement route that gave the Trust complete peace of mind.

WME's managed service acted as a ‘one-stop shop’, covering everything from risk-managed procurement and transparent reporting to bill validation and query management. This comprehensive approach ticked more boxes than any other competitor. The distinguished level of support made the partnership an easy choice.

Our Work

By moving to WME, St. Bart’s transformed its approach from reactive troubleshooting to proactive, data-driven energy management. Our end-to-end service included:

Transparent energy procurement
Access to myWME energy monitoring platform
Proactive portfolio management across multiple sites
Full query management
Smooth bill validation and payment management

Data First Approach Reduces Spend and Consumption

The transition to WME’s managed service was a straightforward process, backed by consistent support to help the Trust navigate the initial transition. The myWME portal has been a huge success for the daily operational running. The portal allowed the team to move away from guesswork and monitor accurate energy usage across every site in real-time. With a clear view of their energy consumption rates, the Trust could spot hidden anomalies, such as equipment running when buildings were empty or spikes in usage during school holidays. These insights opened opportunities to reduce budget spending and fine-tune management systems.

The financial and operational results of this data-led approach have been substantial. By acting on the portal's insights, St. Bart’s successfully reduced its ‘out of hours energy consumption’ from 50% down to a MAT average of 27% in just one year. These efficiency gains, combined with the successful rollout of solar PV across 12 schools, led to a massive £103,000 saving on energy costs over the last twelve months. Beyond financial savings, the Trust’s DEC scores saw an improvement, proving that better data management leads directly to a smaller carbon footprint and a more sustainable site.

The Future of St. Bart’s Partnership

The myWME platform has become the central tool for driving St. Bart’s net-zero strategy forward. Having data in a simple, collected format has taken the complexity out of carbon reporting and energy assessments. It allows the Trust to see exactly where they stand and where to go next.

With solar panels already installed at 12 schools, St. Bart’s is eager to push their renewable goals even further. They are already looking to WME for guidance on SEG, to make the most of their excess solar generation. They want to ensure that all the clean energy they produce helps both the planet and their budget.

The myWME platform has become the central tool for driving St. Bart's net-zero strategy forward. Having data in a simple, collected format has taken the complexity out of carbon reporting and energy assessments. It allows the Trust to see exactly where they stand and where to go next. With solar panels already installed at 12 schools, St Bart's is eager to push their renewable goals even further. They are already looking to WME for guidance on SEG, to make the most of their excess solar generation. They want to ensure that all the clean energy they produce helps both the plane and their budget.

Having a good working relationship with the team at WME has been instrumental in moving our energy management forward. Having a person at the end of a phone and fast responses to questions asked is very supportive.

Working with the team at WME has been a breath of fresh air for the Trust. The relationship was built on more than just procurement; it was surrounded by genuine support. In 2024 the Trust were successful in applying to WME's Social Value Fund, utilising allocated funding to help the schools focus on real behaviour change among students, a benefit gained from efficient management and transparent reporting.

Between the direct support and the useful webinars hosted by WME, St. Bart's feels that they have a partner that truly understands their specific needs as a multi-academy trust.