July 2025

Kristian Gabor
Education expert

Facing high energy costs and the pressure to balance ever-tighter budgets, finding efficiencies has become a financial necessity for schools and other institutions across the UK’s education sector.

Add to this a growing need to reduce carbon emissions and meet net-zero targets, and it’s clear that making smart investments matters more than ever.

One area of operations that offers real opportunities for energy and cost savings is the on-site laundry room.

Whether it’s washing bedding for a boarding school, getting mud and grass stains out of sports kit, or staying on top of towels, many settings will use these resource-intensive facilities daily, and could see real benefits from upgrades.

Common challenges for school laundry rooms

Many school laundries rely on domestic-spec equipment, which isn’t designed to keep up with demand or large throughput, has longer cycle times and is far more likely to break down with constant use.

Installing newer, commercial-grade appliances will lead to fewer breakdowns, more capacity, and a much longer lifespan for your equipment, which will also add up to longer-term savings on top of improved energy efficiency and lower bills.

Even better, a commercial washer is far more effective when it comes to delivering reliable laundry disinfection, which could be a boost for settings where infection control is key.

What makes commercial laundry systems more efficient?

JLA’s popular commercial washers and dryers are packed with technology to make life easier, speed up cycle times, and save plenty of water and power as they go. Our commercial washing machines, for example, feature smart sensors that weigh a load then adjust the amount of water, temperature, and time needed to complete a cycle.

Similarly, our large-capacity tumble dryers use moisture-sensing technology to prevent overdrying, reducing electricity use and making sure you get perfectly dried clothes without extra delay.

We also offer the unique, ozone-powered OTEX laundry system, which, unlike traditional thermal disinfection, uses the naturally disinfecting power of ozone gas to kill 99.999% of harmful bacteria, moulds and yeasts, even on an energy-saving cool wash.

Together, these innovations can dramatically cut energy consumption without compromising on hygiene or performance.

Can you measure your return on investment?

As commercial-grade washers and dryers are engineered to use significantly less water and electricity per cycle, it is common to see a noticeable drop in energy use and utility bills over time – especially in settings where machines are in daily use. And because they’re more durable than domestic alternatives, they should also have a longer working life.

For many schools, especially those already processing large volumes of laundry, upgrading an in-house laundry could prove far more cost-effective than outsourcing. Factor in savings on transportation, turnaround times, handling, and hygiene control, and the benefits are tough to ignore.

Finding the right solution for your setting

Every education setting has its own needs, making a tailored approach to laundry essential.

Boarding schools, for example, will rely on high-capacity systems that can keep up with daily loads of uniforms, bedding, and towels, making consistency and reliability important.

Universities, meanwhile, will likely benefit from student-managed laundry services that use smart technology like app-controlled machines and contactless payments for ease of use. These setups are often more convenient for users and more efficient for facilities teams to look after.

And in vocational colleges, laundry is often embedded in the teaching – think towels for beauty therapy, sports science, or hospitality. These courses will depend on specialist equipment that’s capable of meeting industry standards, while also being energy-efficient and easy to operate.

Maintenance: the last piece of the puzzle

Even the most reliable laundry machines need proactive care to make sure they keep performing at their best. Preventative maintenance is how you’ll maintain efficiency beyond installation, reducing the risk of costly breakdowns and keeping energy use in check.

Many settings choose to protect their investments with service-level agreements like JLA’s all-inclusive Total Care package, which offers peace of mind through scheduled maintenance, inclusive servicing and repairs, and responsive repairs – all for a simple monthly price that makes it much easier to budget.

For more smart solutions to help you save energy, visit our Energy Smart Hub a resource hub packed full of practical tips and insights, brought to you from our experts:

Think of upgrading an existing setup or planning for a new laundry room? Get in touch to see how our experts can help you cut costs and meet sustainability targets.

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Download the JLA education sector brochure

Take a look at our detailed brochure for more information on how JLA can help the education sector.

An overview on how JLA can help the education sector
Sustainability and ESG
Laundry, catering, HVAC and fire safety products
Digital support
Network of engineers
Purchase options, including Total Care

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The challenge: bring efficient heating to a heritage HQ

A family business for 120 years, Lincoln-based Stokes Tea & Coffee has a proud history of innovation that’s kept it competitive even as newcomers have arrived in the sector. To futureproof its ongoing success, the firm recently completed a £2 million refurbishment of its historic HQ, the Lawn Building – a former asylum turned roastery and training academy.

The work would include the replacement of its 43-year-old heating system with new commercial boilers to deliver reliable performance and zoning functionality to help meet different demands across the site. The system would also need to cut carbon emissions and ideally allow for the seamless integration of renewable energy systems in the future.

The solution: a flexible, future-ready boiler system

JLA was brought in to design and supply a commercial heating solution complete with all-inclusive servicing and breakdown cover for a decade. A pair of state-of-the-art boilers now do the work of three older cast iron models, improving efficiency by up to 30%. What’s more, the building’s entire heating system is controlled by a digital cascade unit, which also offers weather compensation and intelligent zoning for optimum performance from day to day.

By redesigning the Lawn Building’s internal pipework, JLA has enabled independent heating for the café and function room – two spaces often used outside normal working hours. This has allowed Stokes to turn on the heating in spaces where it’s needed, cutting unnecessary energy use.

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“We like to make things last at Stokes, so we’re striving to make our Lawn Building into an eco-showcase where we can help share our knowledge and experience in waste and emissions reduction with anyone facing the challenges of owning or occupying historic buildings like ours.”

Andy Jackson, Project Manager, Stokes Tea & Coffee

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Through the tenant lens

As JLA’s sustainability strategy lead, I take accountability for driving down emissions across our entire value chain. This means I’ve seen first-hand how much influence FMs can have – not just in managing day-to-day operations, but in shaping the long-term environmental impact of their organisations.

With sustainability rising on the agenda, understanding and managing your organisation’s carbon emissions is now a critical part of the FM role. But where Scopes 1 and 2 already offer a clear, well-established way to classify and report emissions, the newer Scope 3 is set to have an even bigger impact.

This is because Scope 3 involves quantifying indirect emissions across your whole supply chain – from procurement and outsourced services, right through to business travel, waste disposal and employee commutes. In fact, Scope 3 could account for up to 90% of your entire carbon footprint.

So, what is Scope 3, and what do you need to know?

Understanding Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions

While Scope 1 emissions cover processes owned or controlled by your organisation, like fleet vehicles, and Scope 2 quantifies emissions resulting from energy you use but don’t generate, like electricity, Scope 3 is much broader, covering emissions created across your entire value chain.

The obvious complexity of this makes Scope 3 the hardest to measure, but also the most meaningful to act on. And while Scope 3 reporting isn’t mandatory just yet, your organisation will gain credibility for including it in any Net Zero planning.

How FMs can lead on Scope 3

JLA’s joint research with FMJ, published in our recent white paper, shows that 54% of FMs are already factoring sustainability into their procurement decisions, with a third treating it as a top priority.

But when it comes to supplier engagement, there’s an unfortunate gap. We found that only 12% of FM professionals are speaking to suppliers about sustainability – despite the fact that Scope 3 reporting relies on the data, and, crucially, the decisions, of your supply partners.

Behind costs, tracking emissions is widely seen as being the second biggest barrier to achieving sustainability, which is why starting the dialogue is essential. Right now, just 1% of FMs report actively talking with suppliers about making improvements.

That said, there signs of growing momentum. Water conservation, as one example, is already a priority for 63% of FMs, highlighting a focus on resource use and environmental impact. And as Scope 3 becomes more visible – and urgent – for all of us, a drive for new transparency and accountability should spread across the sector.

Want to understand what falls under Scope 3? Download JLA’s quick guide here.

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Existing customers

Month: July 2025