TEACHERS and students from across Devon and Cornwall visited Okehampton College this week, to learn about the college's energy saving projects.

They visited the college to start learning energy-smart skills and behaviours as part of a new peer-to-peer schools mentoring programme, facilitated by green energy charity Ashden.

The college and St Colomb Minor Academy in Cornwall will be acting as mentors in Ashden's flagship LESS CO2 programme for sustainable schools.

Each school will be showing their respective cohort how investing in clean energy and reducing energy use can reap many rewards, including making major savings on fuel bills as well as reductions in anti-social behaviour.

With more than 1,000 pupils and 200 staff, Okehampton College has achieved annual savings on its fuel bills of more than £70,000 since going green. Over the last four years the college has installed a number energy saving measures, like photo voltaic panels and energy measuring devices to order to increase increase energy efficiency.

The result has not only been saving money which can be spent on the curriculum, but it is also educational and the school is being used as example of good practice.

Community energy manager Keith Webber said: 'If you can motivate both staff and pupils to get involved in switching things off when they go home for the day, and encouraging their peers to do the same, you're going to make a big difference.'

LESS CO2 programme manager Simon Brammer said: 'Schools told us they don't need any more online resources or 'experts' parachuting in to tell them what to do.

'They want practical, on-going support to help them develop the skills and know-how to make lasting changes – and that's what we aim to deliver.'

Boasley Cross Primary and Lydford Primary School are among the Devon-based schools taking part in the scheme.

As part of the free programme, each participating school will receive a free energy audit, followed by help in developing a tailored plan for their school and three subsequent quarterly workshops.