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Community Services
Thousands of people in Leicestershire have supported a campaign to go green and save energy.
The Big Switch Off was the first of its kind in the county and encouraged people to turn off electrical items which were on stand-by and any unnecessary lights on Friday 17 October.
The combined effort of people turning off appliances and lights saw a reduction in demand of 4.5 Mega Watt hours (MWh) for the first hour – compared with the previous week.
The energy saved is enough energy to power 45,000 standard 100 watt light bulbs for an hour or 2,250 kettles being boiled for an hour.
Council buildings across Leicestershire showed significant decreases in energy consumption – and if repeated across the year could help cut electricity bills.
The best results for the Big Switch Off were recorded during the first hour, showing the campaign was most successful in offices, workplaces and schools.
Leicestershire County Council staff reduced electricity consumption in County Hall by 13 per cent compared to the same time last year, by switching off unnecessary lights, computers and printers. If staff continued to switch off standby for the two hours every day for a year, it could cut more than £5,600 from County Hall’s electricity bill.
North West Leicestershire District Council recorded a massive 64.5 per cent drop in energy use during the Big Switch Off compared with the previous two weeks at its council offices. During the entire week staff saved 219kg of carbon dioxide. If that reduction was kept up for a whole year, the council could save 11.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide – enough to fill 68 double decker buses.
Leicester City Council saw a reduction in energy demand of 10.1 per cent at its eight main buildings, compared to the average demand for a Friday at that time of year. If this saving was repeated for every working day of the year the council could save £6,000 from these buildings alone.
Blaby District Council recorded a 48 per cent reduction in electricity used in its offices compared with the same time last year. Over a year, if staff kept taking the same “switch it off” actions every Friday evening after finishing work, this would amount to a saving of 13.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide, approximately 79 double decker buses lined bumper to bumper.
Schools across the county also took part in the Big Switch Off. All Eco Schools were invited to enter a competition to see which could save the most energy.
The winners, Latimer Primary School, in Anstey, won a renewable energy education kit for recording a 69 per cent drop in energy use, compared with the previous week. The kit includes a mini wind turbine, solar panel and solar hot water kit.
Pupils from the schools’ eco committees made a secret check of classrooms at the start of the Big Switch Off to make sure computer monitors, lights and appliances had been turned off at break times and announced the best and worst performing classes in assembly.
Ruth Camamile, Chair of ENABLE (Environmental Action for a Better Leicestershire), said: "I would like to thank everyone who took part in the Big Switch Off. It shows that simple steps, such as turning off monitors which are on stand-by, or lights which you don't need, really can add up to make a big difference. This event is not just a one-off, people can reduce their energy consumption every day, and we are determined to improve our performance even further in the future."
To find out more about the Big Switch Off, go to: www.leics.gov.uk/bigswitchoff
Notes:
The Big Switch Off is a countywide campaign led by ENABLE and North West Leicestershire District Council. The partnership includes Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council, Blaby District Council, Charnwood Borough Council, Harborough District Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Melton Borough Council, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire.
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Big Switch Off cuts energy bills | |
|---|---|
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