The big turn off is coming to Leamington
The big turn off is coming to Leamington
This Friday every householder in Warwickshire is being urged to not turn on their home appliances between 4.30pm and 6.30pm to demonstrate the energy to be saved during the week’s peak period.
The big turn off has been arranged to try and make everyone think about the needless items they have on every day around the home.
And on Thursday between 11am and 2pm in Leamington town centre advice will be on hand as experts visit the town with giveaways to promote `switching it off’.
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 running ‘Switch it off’ through this 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.
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.