On March 30 at 8.30pm people across the globe will participate in Earth Hour. The symbolism of switching off your lights at night to save energy is visually powerful. But to make a real difference you should consider switching down the thermostat.
In households, heating and hot water alone account for 79 percent of total final energy use. Lighting and home appliances combined account for only 14 percent percent of household energy consumption.
Luckily, everyone can take a small step and make a change. Research shows that turning down the heat by just 1°C helps to save around £75 a year per person on an average household’s energy bill.* However, we don’t need to suffer in the cold to make a difference. A smarter approach to how we use our heating and hot water can significantly reduce our carbon footprint without sacrificing on comfort.
Smart thermostats which can control the heating and water have many energy-saving features. They can use your phone’s location to turn down the heat when no one is at home and adapt to local weather to make use of natural heat and sunshine. Moreover, they can automatically turn your heating off when an open window is detected to prevent energy wastage. Combined, these features can significantly reduce your energy bill.
There are many energy-saving solutions already available which are not being fully utilised. Earth Hour is the perfect time to start thinking about the positive changes everyone can make.
Follow the Hashtag EarthHour here