Let’s save energy whilst recharging over the Easter closure

In 2019, UCL committed to reducing its energy consumption by 40% by 2024. Whilst we have switched to 100% renewable electricity, the best way to reduce our carbon footprint is to reduce our energy use. This means switching equipment off when not in use, and reducing UCL’s use of heating, cooling and lighting.

We can make a difference

Regardless of the pandemic and remote working and studying, switching off can still make a difference to UCL’s environmental impact. Even though our energy consumption has been lower than normal throughout the last year, over the Christmas period 2020, you still helped us save 147 tonnes of carbon through switching off items that would have otherwise been left running, such as experimental equipment. That’s equivalent to planting 2,425 trees. It also saved UCL a tree-mendous £88,441!

Let’s surpass those numbers this Easter! With your help in promoting the Easter Switch Off, we can ensure that vast amounts of appliances will be switched off.

Staff and Students on campus

We recognise that fewer of us are on campus at the moment, but if you are, make use of our Switch off checklists for offices, labs, and halls before you leave for the Easter break.

Staff and Students at home

Most students and staff have moved to working or studying remotely. Yet, you can still be part of this year’s Easter Switch Off! Check out our digital resources to promote switching off UCL equipment via your channels and support those members of the UCL community that are on campus.

This Easter break is also a good time to review your home energy use to make extra savings.  

Here are a few Easter-themed energy tips that you can do from home:

Bulbs

This Easter is not only about planting bulbs, but also about exchanging bulbs. Lighting our homes makes up about 10-15% of our annual energy bills. Switching from traditional bulbs to energy saving bulbs can reduce this by a quarter. This also means more money left in the bank for Easter treats.

Eggs

If you like a nicely boiled Easter egg, try leaving the lid on when cooking them to save energy. If you are having a cup of tea too, make sure to only boil as much water as you need.

Hop

Maybe now is a good time to “hop” on over to a sustainable energy provider? We share many tips for making the switch in this article.

Hide

Apply your Easter egg hiding skills to your work and study equipment! Make sure to hide your background with the blurring function during virtual calls to save bandwidth (and energy). Once you start your Easter break, make sure to switch off and unplug your laptop and other work and study electronics entirely to store them out of sight - This might also help with switching off mentally!

Seek

Once your back from hunting those Easter eggs, why not seek a conversation with your colleagues about which new, energy-saving work practices you can maintain when returning to campus. To take it a step further, organise a workshop for your department to develop a sustainability plan. Sustainable UCL can collaborate with you on this. Contact: sustainable@ucl.ac.uk for more information. If you are a student, consider joining the Clean Energy Society - they managed to put up solar panels on their accommodation! You can also focus your research on UCL’s energy use by developing a living lab project as part of your dissertation.

Lastly, the Sustainable UCL team wishes everyone a restful break and we look forward to continue working with many of you once we’re back and fully recharged.

Check out our Easter Switch Off Resources here!