STUNELL SAVES ENERGY… AND MONEY

4.20.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 21st Oct 2008

Local MP Andrew Stunell has pledged to cut back on his energy use in support of Energy Saving Week (20th-26th October) to help tackle climate change and reduce energy bills - and urged local people to do the same.

Recent research from the Energy Saving Trust has shown that people feel that a lack of time is a barrier to them taking energy saving measures - yet even saving a small amount of energy can shave money from fuel bills.

Andrew has teamed up with the Energy Saving Trust to highlight the issue, and provide some tips on quick and easy measures that people can take to cut their energy consumption and reduce their fuel bills - a key aspect of the Liberal Democrat Economic Recovery Plan.

Commenting, Andrew said:

"Wasted energy has a huge impact on the energy bills of hard working local people and is also damaging to the environment.

"We all lead busier and busier lives, and finding the time to be green can be difficult. But as this week will show, it doesn't take much time to save energy and as a result, money.

"I'll be making sure I do my bit by taking simple steps like switching appliances off at the socket rather than leaving them on stand by, and using low energy light bulbs to improve energy efficiency in my home, and I would urge as many people as possible to do the same."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1). The Liberal Democrat Economic Recovery Plan was launched by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP, and Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable MP on 30th September 2008. The full text of the nine-point plan is available here.

2). The Energy Saving Trust recommends ten quick and simple ways that people can start to save energy in their homes.

1) Turn the thermostat down by 1 degree. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent. You could save around £50 per year.

2) Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.

3) Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.

4) Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances, such as mobile phones, on charge unnecessarily.

5) If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.

6) Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).

7) A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off!

8) Use energy saving light bulbs. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £40 over the lifetime of the bulb and only take a few minutes to install. This saving could be up to £60 over its lifetime if you're replacing a very high wattage incandescent bulb, or one used for more than a few hours a day.

9) Call the Act on CO2 Advice Line on 0800 512 012 for free, local, impartial, individually tailored advice on measures you can take to save energy. Advisers can also let people know about grants and other help that may be available.

10) Visit the Energy Saving Trust website at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for a wide variety of information on saving energy, including Energy Saving Recommended products, insulation, generating your own energy, greener transport and more.