Warwickshire News Mine

Switch it Off gets underway on Monday, October 20, and continues through until Friday, October 24, when from 4.30pm until 6.30pm all householders and businesses are being called on to use as little electricity as possible.

This is the third year of the Switch it Off campaign, which in the previous two years has recorded huge successes in reducing the amount of energy used in the county.

And once again this year there will be the Switch it Off giveaways, including reusable bags and free energy efficient lightbulbs, in towns around Warwickshire:
20th October - Stratford giveaway with Stratford District Council.
22nd October - Nuneaton giveaway with the Fire and Rescue Service.
24th October - Bedworth giveaway
24th October - Action 21 will also be doing a giveaway at Princes Drive in Leamington.
Warwick District Council and Rugby Borough Council will also have bags and be holding their own giveaways.

Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “Switch it Off is capturing the imagination of more and more people each year. It’s simple message of turning off appliances not in use, and particularly not leaving items on standby is already saving some householders hundreds of pounds a year.

“We are once again working with our partner authorities in Coventry and Worcestershire this year, plus the Warwickshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre and Central Networks, but I’m also delighted that organisations such as the Heart of England Coop and Chamber of Commerce have come on board so early in support of the campaign.

“And of course this year we have the new fun element where restaurants and bars around Warwickshire are holding candlelit meal deals to encourage householders to head out for a ‘low energy’ meal, and turn off at home.”

If businesses are interested in joining the Switch it Off candlelit meal event, they should visit http://www.enjoywarwickshire.com for more information.

The aim of Switch it Off is to get people to think about doing the little things in their home to save energy, little things which can then have a huge impact on bills.

Videos, set-top boxes, televisions and even the clocks on microwaves are using surprisingly high amounts of power everyday in our homes. The average family spend on electricity can be slashed by 25 per cent by switching off.

According to the Energy Saving Trust nationally 71 per cent of people regularly leave items on stand by in their homes, and 65 per cent of people leave lights on in rooms they are not using.

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. And for the latest offers from bars and restaurants taking part in the candlelit meal promotion see http://www.enjoywarwickshire.com

Link to WCC