Warwickshire News Mine

By taking simple steps to cut down on electricity use at home, particularly switching things off rather than leaving them on stand by, households could cut their electricity bills by a quarter.

More than 50 families are taking the challenge, and Cllr Farnell is this week joining them by installing Electrisave devices in his home.

This simple piece of equipment shows exactly how much electricity is costing in the home via a handheld remote, which displays a pence per hour cost. Therefore people turning things off can see that they are immediately saving money.

Cllr Farnell said: “I think it would be easy for us all to say that climate change is too big an issue and none of us can do anything about it. Here in Warwickshire we are showing that people can not only make a difference and prevent harmful carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere, but also save themselves money.

“I look forward to seeing if I am wasting electricity, and whether I can make any reductions.”

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).”

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.

Comments are already coming back from people using the Electrisave devices, via diaries they are keeping throughout 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.”

This week Warwickshire County Council is running a campaign to ‘Switch it off – don’t just stand by and waste energy’.

This will culminate on Friday 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.

Link to WCC