Easter Switch-off

Hundreds of staff and students participate in the Easter switch-off. They switch off fridges, microwaves, lights, mics, projectors, monitors, lab equipment, ventilation, and heating!

Energy savings are made across UCL, from our libraries to our labs and takes us a step closer to our sustainability goals. 

If we switched off like it every weekend, UCL could reduce its carbon emissions by around 1,300 tonnes and shave nearly £700k off the energy bill every year.

It shows small changes can lead to a huge impact. Simple changes in our everyday behaviours, like switching off non-essential equipment, will help to tackle the climate crisis.

How to get involved

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Decide your switch-off actions - Download our switch-off checklists.

 

• Easter switch-off checklist for offices;
• Easter switch-off checklist for labs; 
• Easter switch-off checklist for halls. 

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Make your switch-off pledge - to win prizes for your department or accommodation halls for those with the most pledges.

 

• Make your switch-off pledge (closes 13th April 2022).

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Encourage others to switch-off - use our resources including email templates and poster, tag @sustainableUCL using hashtag #ChangePossible including a picture of yourself switching-off. 

 

• Easter switch-off social media graphic (pdf);
• Easter switch-off portrait poster (pdf);
• Easter switch-off poster (pdf) for offices;
• Easter switch-off screensaver (pdf);
• Easter switch-off TEAMs background (pdf);
• Easter switch-off email footer;
• Easter switch-off landscape screen PowerPoint;
• Easter switch-off portrait screen PowerPoint.

Campaign results 

Easter Switch-off 2023

All 300 pledges resulted in a combined saving of 32 tonnes of carbon.

Winners 

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50 departments and residences across the university who took part. But our winners were:

1. The Ear Institute
2. Division of Bioscience
3. Bartlett Faculty Office

Easter Switch-off 2022

All UCL's pledges resulted in a combined saving of 69 tonnes of carbon – that’s equivalent to planting 1,143 trees.* This saved UCL an impressive £39,710 over the Easter closure – more than a sizable nest egg!

Winners

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• Most pledges - The Institute of Neurology and Stapleton House (63 pledges)
• Most savings - The Bartlett School of Architecture reducing their energy use by 51%!

Savings Calculations

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*On average, one tree can consume approximately 60kg of CO2 from the atmosphere.

• The holiday period was from 13.04.2022 – 18.04.2022
• Energy used during the holidays = 2,379,873kWh
• Savings compared to term time = 353,406kWh
• Average weekday energy use during term time = 434,091kWh
• Average weekday energy use during holidays = 388,850kWh
• Average weekend energy use during term time = 363,655kWh
• Average weekend energy use during holidays = 353,020kWh
• Figures based on DEFRA carbon factor