Schools are spending too much money on their energy bills, green campaigners have said.

Friends of the Earth has revealed that Southampton schools paid out £1m on electricity in the last year, but believe this figure could be nearly halved by investing in solar panels.

The environmental charity estimates that schools could each save up to £8,000 per year by turning to solar energy, but also believe the project would help young people learn more about clean energy.

Through its Freedom of Information request, Friends of the Earth also found that Hampshire’s 530 schools spent £5.7m on electricity in the same 2013/2014 period.

Campaigners say that with Southampton City Council’s help to install more solar power at Southampton’s 74 schools, it calculates that they could offset this spending on electricity by around £592,000 – 57 per cent. In Hampshire, schools could generate savings of £4.2m – 74 per cent of the overall bill.

Friends of the Earth says schools can struggle to fund the upfront costs of installation, but said to loans, co-operatives and rental schemes could help and called on councils to help.

Sue Holt, Havant Friends of the Earth campaigner, said: “I’m shocked by how much schools are paying for their electricity and through no fault of their own – many just aren’t aware of the alternatives.

“We support Southampton City Council’s programme to install solar panels on public buildings and we’d like to see more councils following their lead.

“Schools can save money, tackle climate change and generate local jobs if they go for solar power.”

Eastleigh MP Mike Thornton, speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow, backed the Friends of the Earth scheme, which is called Run on Sun, and said it needed to be made easier for schools to go solar.

Friends of the Earth is running a competition for primary schools, to win a set of solar panels.

It wants people to nominate their children’s school, old school, or school nearby.

For more information log on at foe.co.uk.