With just a few flicks of the switch and other energy-saving measures, the Seneca Valley School District was able to trim $307,000 off its utility costs during the past 18 months.

Rick Lapishka, the district's assistant director of buildings, grounds and activities, said the district saved the money by adopting a program that aims to change people's behavior.

"We are trying to change … the habits of our staff and faculty," said Mr. Lapishka, also the district energy education specialist.

That means turning out lights in an empty room, using fewer overhead lights on a sunny day and turning down the heat earlier in the day because it takes a few hours for the rooms to cool down.

Teachers are asked keep their classroom doors shut and to close blinds, shut down their computers and turn off all lights at the end of the day, Mr. Lapishka said.

More than a year ago, the district signed a contract with Energy Education Inc., a company that studies, analyzes and advises schools and other institutions on the best ways to save energy.

The district agreed to pay the company $13,000 a month for four years. Mr. Lapishka also receives $23,000 a year beyond his regular salary to administer the program.

So last year, the district spent about $179,000 paying for the program. Those expenses subtracted from the $307,000 savings means the district came out ahead by about $128,000.

Because of the savings, Energy Education Inc. awarded the school board an excellence in energy conservation plaque to emphasize its accomplishment.

"This program fascinates me because there is a student element," said Dr. Gerald Malecki, former Seneca Valley superintendant and marketing consultant to Energy Education Inc. "We're hoping we can get into that next phase that children can take home things that can be more useful to turn the rest of the environment green."

At a recent school board meeting, Mr. Lapishka said the energy reduction impact was 15,349 MMBTU, the equivalent of 1,832 metric tons of carbon dioxide. "We would have to remove 329 cars from the road [for a year] to equal this," he said.

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