Leicestershire reduced energy use on the Big Switch Off Day (Friday 17th Ocotober) by 4.5 megawatt hours by switching off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances. The savings were biggest during the first hour of the campaign 4 – 5pm compared to the previous week.

The energy saved is enough energy to power 4,500 standard 100 watt electrical light bulbs for an hour or 2,250 kettles being boiled for one hour.

Savings were most noticeable in offices, workplaces and schools.

Council buildings

Council buildings across Leicestershire made significant savings….

Leicestershire County Council staff reduced energy consumption by 13% at County Hall compared to the same period the previous year by switching off lights, computers and printers. If kept up for a year this could cut County Hall’s electricity bill by £5,600 a year.

North West Leicestershire District Council staff saved a massive 64.5% of energy use during the Big Switch Off week compared to the previous two weeks saving 219kg of carbon dioxide. Over a year this could save 11.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide – enough to fill 68 double decker buses.

Leicester City Council saw a reduction in energy demand of 10.1 % at its eight main buildings, compared to the average demand for a Friday at that time of year. If this saving was repeated for every working day of the year the council could save £6,000 from these buildings alone.

Blaby District Council recorded a 48 per cent reduction in electricity used in its offices compared with the same time last year. Over a year, this would amount to a saving of 13.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide, approximately 79 double decker buses lined bumper to bumper.

Schools

Schools across the county also took part in the Big Switch Off. All Eco Schools were invited to enter a competition to see which could save the most energy.

The winners, Latimer Primary School, in Anstey, won a renewable energy education kit for recording a 69 per cent drop in energy use, compared with the previous week. The kit includes a mini wind turbine, solar panel and solar hot water kit.

Pupils from the schools’ eco committees made a secret check of classrooms at the start of the Big Switch Off to make sure computer monitors, lights and appliances had been turned off at break times and announced the best and worst performing classes in assembly.

This was the first year of the campaign and there are plans for the Big Switch Off to be bigger and more wide reaching for the 2009 campaign which will take place over the period of a week in October.

Page Last Updated: 14 January 2009