Get turned on to 'Switch it off' week in Warwickshire
Turning off equipment at home such as TVs and videos on stand by can prevent thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere causing climate change, and slash home electricity bills by up to a quarter.
Warwickshire County Council is next week running ‘Switch it off’ week across the county, urging residents to turn off appliances they are not using.
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 dramatically reduced by simply turning them off rather than leaving them on stand by.
The week 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.