Energy Sparks
Energy Sparks is a UK-registered charity that runs a near real-time energy monitoring, alerting, and education platform for schools. It serves 1,336 primary, secondary, special, and independent schools across England, Scotland, and Wales, funded by charitable grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersBath, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Energy Sparks does
Energy Sparks is a UK-registered charity (number 1189273) founded around 2017 and headquartered in Bath. It operates a near real-time energy monitoring and management platform for schools, aggregating smart meter data and presenting it through dashboards, school-specific insights, automated alerts, and 147 curriculum-linked eco-team activities. Complementary services include on-site energy audits, in-person education workshops, and free online training, all designed to help schools cut energy costs, reduce carbon emissions, and embed sustainability in pupil learning.
The underlying platform is built on open-data principles, publishing all collected school energy data under an open license. It integrates third-party data sources including Carbon Intensity data for carbon impact estimation, Sheffield PV Live for solar PV generation estimates, Meteostat/NOAA for historical temperatures, Visual Crossing Weather for forecasting, and OpenStreetMap and Postcodes.io for geolocation. The technology stack supports anomaly detection for alerting and a recommendation engine that tailors advice to each school's usage patterns.
The organisation is funded entirely through charitable grants and donations, providing its core platform and services free of charge to schools. Distribution is hybrid: schools can self-enrol via the website, while Multi-Academy Trusts and Local Authorities are addressed through dedicated partnership channels that onboard groups of schools. As of the input data, Energy Sparks supports 1,336 active schools across England (1,228), Wales (106), and Scotland (2), reaching approximately 736,001 pupils, with a staff headcount of 11-50. No funding rounds with disclosed equity capital are recorded beyond a £0 Centrica event in November 2021.
Energy Sparks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Energy Sparks
- Legal name
- Energy Sparks
- Website
- https://energysparks.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Energy Sparks is a UK-registered charity that runs a near real-time energy monitoring, alerting, and education platform for schools. It serves 1,336 primary, secondary, special, and independent schools across England, Scotland, and Wales, funded by charitable grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Energy Sparks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- School Energy Management Software
- akta.pro primary industry
- Customer Energy Engagement (In-Home Displays, Portals, Usage Insights) (EUADAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Utilities & Energy Management (Meters, Boilers, Chillers) (EDALALAH)
Keywords
Where Energy Sparks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bath
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Energy Sparks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable funding and grants: Energy Sparks is a registered charity (registration 1189273) funded primarily through grants and charitable donations. The organization provides its services free to schools, supported by funders who share the mission of helping schools reduce energy costs and fight climate change.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free service for all schools |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Energy Sparks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Energy Sparks provides a near real-time, school-specific energy analysis and management tool that ingests smart meter data from schools and delivers dashboards, automated alerts, and tailored energy saving advice. The platform is paired with 147 curriculum-linked eco-team and classroom activities and supported by complementary on-site services including educational workshops, energy audits, and training. The offering is provided free of charge to schools across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Product overview
Energy Sparks is a unified school energy management platform combining a core energy management tool with supplementary education and support services. The core product is the Energy Management Tool, which provides near real-time energy data, school-specific insights, automated alerts, and tailored advice. This integrates with 147 eco-team and curriculum-linked energy saving activities. The platform is complemented by Education Workshops, Energy Audits, and Training services, all designed to help schools reduce energy costs and develop pupils' sustainability skills. The system supports schools of all types including primary, secondary, special, and independent schools, as well as Multi-Academy Trusts and Local Authorities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Energy Management Tool Near real-time energy monitoring and management platform for schools that aggregates smart meter data, surfaces dashboards, charts and automated alerts, and provides tailored school-specific advice to help schools identify energy waste and achieve savings. Provided free to UK schools.
- Education Workshops Interactive in-school educational workshops that engage pupils in energy saving and climate action, integrating with the Energy Management Tool data for hands-on learning. Provided free to schools.
- Energy Audits On-site professional energy audits providing a detailed assessment of a school's energy consumption patterns and identifying opportunities for improvement. Provided free to schools.
- Training Free online training sessions and 1:1 support to help schools maximise the value of the Energy Sparks platform and implement energy saving measures.
Quantifiable outcome
- Schools typically achieve 10% energy and carbon savings in their first year
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use Energy Sparks
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Energy Sparks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature8 records
Energy Sparks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Postcodes.iocoreProvides address location data including Ordnance Survey and Royal Mail data for school geolocation and postcode services within the Energy Sparks platform.
- Carbon Intensity Data (carbonintensity.org.uk)coreProvides estimated carbon intensity data enabling Energy Sparks to calculate and report on the carbon impact of schools' energy usage.
- Sheffield PV LivecoreProvides estimated solar photovoltaic generation data used by Energy Sparks to track schools' solar energy production.
- MeteostatcoreProvides historical temperature data (sourced from NOAA, DWD, and others) for contextual analysis of energy usage patterns.
- OpenStreetMapcoreProvides mapping services and data through Stadia Maps and OpenMapTiles for school location visualization.
- Visual Crossing WeathercoreProvides weather forecast data powering Energy Sparks' weather-based energy analysis and predictions.
- STEM Ambassadors ProgrammeminorEnergy Sparks uses volunteers provided through the STEM Ambassadors programme. STEM Ambassadors confirms that all registered volunteers have completed DBS checks and Child Protection training.
- NSPCCcoreEnergy Sparks staff complete NSPCC Child Protection course training. The NSPCC Helpline is also referenced as a safeguard resource.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Energy Sparks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Energy Elephant: Ireland-based energy management platform focused on schools and SMEs, aggregating smart meter data to identify savings. Closest like-for-like product comparable given its school-specific positioning and behavioral-engagement overlays.
- Eco-Schools: International sustainability programme for schools with a UK arm, providing frameworks, activities, and accreditation. Comparable mission and education-sector target audience, though more programme-led than data-led.
- Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE): UK charity working on community and school energy efficiency, including training and analytical tools. Comparable charitable structure, UK education focus, and energy-data-for-behavior-change approach.
Broad incumbents
- Carbon Trust: Established UK sustainability consultancy with historical school engagement programmes (e.g., the former Carbon Trust Schools programme). Overlaps in audience and mission, but at significantly larger scale and broader remit.
- Schneider Electric EcoStruxure: Global building energy management platform with school and university deployments. Comparable underlying energy-monitoring capability at far greater scale, but lacks Energy Sparks' education-specific curriculum and community layer.
Regional players
- SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland): Irish government agency running school energy awareness programmes and energy management support. Comparable school energy engagement model but operated as a national agency in a different jurisdiction.
- ResourceSmart (CERES): Australian schools sustainability programme that combines environmental auditing, action planning, and curriculum-linked activities. Strong functional analogue to Energy Sparks' education-plus-data model, but in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Energy Sparks social profiles
Digital presenceEnergy Sparks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Energy Sparks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Energy Sparks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Energy Sparks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Energy Sparks
What does Energy Sparks do?
Energy Sparks provides a near real-time, school-specific energy analysis and management tool that ingests smart meter data from schools and delivers dashboards, automated alerts, and tailored energy saving advice. The platform is paired with 147 curriculum-linked eco-team and classroom activities and supported by complementary on-site services including educational workshops, energy audits, and training. The offering is provided free of charge to schools across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Is Energy Sparks a public or private company?
Energy Sparks is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Energy Sparks founded?
Energy Sparks was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Energy Sparks based?
Energy Sparks is headquartered in Bath, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Energy Sparks make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable funding and grants.
Who are Energy Sparks's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Energy Elephant, Eco-Schools and Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE). Broad incumbents are Carbon Trust and Schneider Electric EcoStruxure. Regional players are SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) and ResourceSmart (CERES).
Does Energy Sparks have an API?
No public API is recorded for Energy Sparks.
What industry is Energy Sparks in?
Energy Sparks's product category is School Energy Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADAFAH, Customer Energy Engagement (In-Home Displays, Portals, Usage Insights), with a secondary code of EDALALAH, Utilities & Energy Management (Meters, Boilers, Chillers).