Schools across the UK could see their energy bills soar by up to £80 million in the coming months.

That’s according to a new analysis by the Labour Party which suggests that many schools could face this winter the dilemma of teaching or keeping the lights on.

The authors of the report estimate the average energy bill for a school could rise by 12% as a result of the increasing energy prices.

In response to the findings of the analysis, Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, the union which represents more than 35,000 school leaders, said: “With energy costs skyrocketing, the government does urgently need to look at how schools might be impacted this winter.

“Covid guidance on classroom ventilation is still ‘open some windows’, but schools do need to be kept at a reasonable temperature for the children in them, which means heating use and bills could rapidly start to cripple already pressured school budgets.

“We are already hearing of schools seeing their gas bills being dramatically increased, even when they thought they were locked into a fixed tariff.

“The government needs to recognise this and ensure schools have the funding and resources they need to keep staff and students comfortable and safe.”