Complicity through Complacency

SGBs in schools are an important body of parents responsible for managing the good functioning of schools. We have, over the last many years, tried to guide schools on the benefits and importance of understanding the consumption and cost of electricity and water, where monthly municipal invoices is the first important step, from which real-time monitoring is the natural extension.

Suntricity created FirstLook™ in 2013, so that we can understand the consumption and cost of electricity and water in each school from the basis of the monthly invoices, from which we are able to understand clear patterns. A series of logical steps based on kWh, KL, Rand and number of learners quickly established references.

With over 100 electricity and water accounts forming part of a now extensive database of 15,000 municipal invoices, it would be logical to conclude we have solid database to establish the “average” consumption and cost of electricity and water in a Primary or Secondary/High school in Johannesburg.

Therefore, if your school is invoiced over R300,000 for water in the first 4 months of 2022, we can categorically say “you have a problem”, because we know of very similar schools where costs are 80% LESS. 

So, essentially two options open to the SGB:

  1. DO SOMETHING AND REDUCE THE COST
  2. DO NOTHING AND PAY THE BILL

Surely, the obvious choice is of course choice 1. 

Nevertheless, you would be amazed to learn how many SGBs choose Option 2 - DO NOTHING AND PAY THE BILL. 

Some of the consequences of doing nothing are: millions of Rand wasted, higher school fees, less available funds for the core business of education, more environmental damage, waste of a valuable resource, bad governance, etc etc etc, which is complicity through complacency - where the SGB is part of a much larger problem of a society of waste.

Which option is your SGB part of: Option 1 or Option 2?

If you are part of the Option 1 group and need assistance, Suntricity would love to be part of your journey. 

For further information contact: mail@suntricity.co.za or call on 011 534 8695