A hugely popular scheme which helps households to take control of their energy bills has been extended by Bath & North East Somerset Council. Residents now have the chance to borrow clip-on energy monitors free of charge at all of the Council’s local libraries. The move coincides with the start of National Energy Saving Week organised by the Energy Saving Trust.
The energy monitors are loaned out for a 3 week period and clip around electricity cables at the fuse box. They have a separate display unit that can be placed in a prominent place such as the lounge or kitchen. The digital display gives householders the opportunity to understand their home electricity use and helps them identify ways they can save electricity, reduce their bills, and cut carbon emissions.
Councillor Paul Crossley (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Leader of Council, said, “The energy monitors are a great way of people monitoring their energy use. The display gives a real-time read out of electricity use and cost, and allows householders to see the energy use read-out drop and rise as lights and appliances are switched on and off, including anything on stand-by.
“Bath & North East Somerset Council is pleased to be supporting residents to control spiralling energy costs through extending this already popular scheme and adopting a greener lifestyle. I encourage people to drop-in to their library and borrow an energy monitor.”
For the past year, monitors have been snapped up for free hire by nearly 200 people from Bath Central Library, Keynsham, and Midsomer Norton libraries. Due to this success, the scheme is being extended to Moorland Road, Paulton, Radstock, Saltford, and Weston libraries. Some of those people who have hired the monitor include:
Amanda Judge, who lives in Keynsham, said, “I found it extremely useful as the free energy monitor made me conscious of the electricity I was using. It showed other members of my family exactly how much energy they were using. It is an excellent tool to help families save money.”
Sue Phillips, who lives in Larkhall, said, “I have spent a lot of time nagging my household to turn off lights and standbys so when I was offered the use of an energy monitor I couldn’t wait to use it. It has been an eye opener for all of us and we are now much more aware of our consumption and carbon footprint. I would recommend everyone to try it.”
The average household in the UK spends around £1,300 per year on energy, and The Energy Savings Trust estimate that householders in Bath and North East Somerset could save over £14 million by becoming more energy-efficient.
Find out more about green living tips at: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/greenerliving