Efforts to curb energy use at Lawrence public schools are paying off, the district’s energy manager told school board members Monday night.

The district’s new energy conservation plan, which started in September, saved schools $82,056 during its first four months, compared with energy costs for the same period in 2002. That is a savings of 13.7 percent.

“We’re just getting the program started,” said John Geist, the energy manager. “It’s going to work really well.”

District officials have said a contract they signed with Energy Education Inc. would save them around $4 million a year when fully implemented. The district will pay the company $121,000 per year for four years to suggest energy improvements, with the district guaranteed to save at least that much in its energy bills.

So far, changes include turning thermostats down to 55 degrees from 72 degrees while buildings aren’t occupied, telling janitors not to turn on lights in buildings early in the morning and making other mechanical adjustments. Future improvements include replacing single-pane windows with double-pane windows.

Geist said he made adjustments for weather and square footage differences between the two years in calculating the $82,056 number. That means energy savings from the closing of East Heights and Grant schools would have been in addition to that figure.

Itemized savings were available for only a three-month period, from September to November. During that time, the district spent $30,151 less on electricity, $21,983 less on natural gas and $3,212 less on water than had been projected prior to signing the energy contract.

Board member Rich Minder said the figures were a sign the promised energy savings would be delivered.

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“We’re just scratching the surface,” he said.