Be energy friendly this Winter

Posted on by

Images from the University of Oxford 'Be energy friendly' campaign. The bones of the dinosaur pulling a light switch, with the words 'Light off' underneath. A statue holding a kettle and a cup of tea with the words 'Boil less' underneath. The Radcliffe Camera with lights wrapped around it with the words 'Switch off' underneath. An Emperor head statue wearing a jumper with the words 'Layer up' underneath. A tortoise with snoozing laptop on its back with the words 'Power down' underneath.

Be Energy Friendly

Last winter, the University community worked together to reduce its energy use. This resulted in an amazing 17% reduction in gas consumption over the winter months, representing an emissions reduction of 3,400 tCO2e and financial savings of £1.1M. These savings contributed to the University reaching its environmental sustainability ambitions which are in line with EU and World Health Organisation guidance for heating buildings.

The University Sustainability team is calling on staff and students to be energy friendly again this winter and has suggested the following tips which are linked to the campaign:

  • Lights off: turn off the lights if you’re the last one to leave the room
  • Boil less: only boil as much water as you need (this could save £3 per day per kettle)
  • Layer up: bring a jumper for comfort during the winter months
  • Switch off: turn off appliances at the socket when not in use, and keep electric heaters off for good (they consume up to £1 of energy per hour and can increase the risk of fires)
  • Power down: turn off your computer and screen at the end of the working day, and make sure your computer is set to ‘hibernate’ if you’re away from your desk. Find out more about how much energy this can save.

Learn more about the Campaign and discover further energy saving suggestions on the University of Oxford Sustainability web pages.

Infographic of a mobile phone with a power switch highlighted on the screen. A cable is attached to the phone. In the bends of the winding cable are the words 'Energy saving tips in the library'

Please follow some of our local energy saving tips when you are in the library. Here are a few to help reach this year’s University-wide energy reduction goal:

  1. Charged up your laptop and mobile devices? Unplug when charged and switch off when not in use.
  2. Enable power saving settings on your laptop – do this once, then save energy without even thinking about it. And a great battery saving tip is to reduce the screen brightness on your mobile phone & laptop.
  3. Finished using a library PC? Log out and switch off to save energy.
  4. Using one of our Discussion Rooms? Remember to switch off the lights when you are finished and turn off the lamps in the carrels when you leave too.
  5. Stay cosy longer in the library and wear extra layers. And remember you can bring in a hot drink in a re-usuable cup to avoid spills and stay warm.

Leave a Reply