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Cut your electricity bill by 25 per cent

More than 50 families are learning through the month of October that they can cut their electricity bill by up to 25 per cent by simply discovering where they are wasting energy.

Electricity prices have increased by about 60 per cent in the last two years, yet despite this most bill payers remain totally unaware of the amount of electricity they are using and where they are wasting it, said Warwickshire County Council’s Strategic Energy Manager Dr Jacky Lawrence.

Dr Lawrence said: “Ask someone what they pay for a litre of petrol and almost everyone could tell you, in fact people drive out of their way for the best deal – ask them what they pay for a kilowatt hour of electricity and you’ll get a blank look (it’s about 12p).

“Throughout October we are loaning about 50 families across Warwickshire ‘Electrisave’ meters which actually show what electricity is costing people per hour via a handheld device.”

For example, a television watched for just four hours a day, yet left on stand by for the remaining 20 hours will cost £61 a year, similarly an inkjet printer left on stand by for 20 hours a day will cost £33 per year, these costs can be slashed dramatically by simply turning them off rather than leaving them on stand by.

Already comments are coming back from people using the Electrisave devices via diaries they are keeping through the week they have the meter.

“A typical reading for the day is about 5p per hour, the highest reading I got was my washing machine which cost 31p per hour.”

“I set the alarm for when electricity was costing me more than 30p per hour. It went off quite a few times.”

“I think my energy habits will change as a result of living with this Electrisave for a week. I thought it was very interesting.”

“The most my electricity cost me was £1.20 per hour when the oven was on. I think that overall my dishwasher used the most electricity over the week.”

Throughout this month Warwickshire County Council is running a campaign to `Switch it off – don’t just stand by and waste energy’.

This will culminate on Friday, November 3, with a `Big Turn Off’ day when everyone in Warwickshire will be urged to limit their electricity usage between 4.30pm and 6.30pm to demonstrate the energy that can be saved during the peak period.

Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “Wasting electricity has a direct impact on climate change. In Warwickshire we supported the launch of a countywide Climate Change Strategy in July.

“It really doesn’t take a lot to think about saving energy. You are not only saving the planet from the comfort of your own home, but also cutting your own electricity bill by up to 25 per cent.

“If everyone in Warwickshire, Coventry and Worcestershire stopped leaving appliances on stand by it would prevent 86,322 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere through wasted electricity and save more than £20m (enough to pay the annual electricity bill for 71,953 homes).”

For more information on taking steps to `Switch it off’ visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/switchitoff or call the energy advice hotline on 0800 512012.