Frequently Asked Questions
If you have questions that may need answering about our networks and servers have a look here in our FAQ's.
Is it true that you use more energy to turn lights on and off than to leave them running?
There is a widely held belief that it is better to leave fluorescent lights (like energy saving light bulbs) on rather than switching them off. It is true that they draw more power when they are warming up however this only takes a few seconds at most so is equivalent to a couple of minutes electricity use when they are on.
Although CFLs do not use much electricity it is still best to keep them switched off when they are not needed as otherwise you are wasting money and energy. If you are going to leave the room for more than a few minutes, turn off the lights.
back to top
How much energy can be saved by using efficient electronic equipment and switching things off standby?
The facts:
- The average household wastes £37 each year by leaving appliances on standby. Across the UK this is equivalent to the annual output of about 2½ 700MW power stations
- Households in the UK now spend around 10% of their electricity bill on standby power
- UK households spend £1.9 billion every year on electricity used in consumer electronic products
- Set-top boxes for the reception of digital TV are being given away for free with subscription packages and by 2010 they could be costing UK households £366m every year in electricity or £14 per household
- Every year TVs in the UK use £116 million worth of electricity just waiting to be switched on.
- The UK's DVDs and VCRs consume over £255 million worth of electricity whilst on standby, producing over 1m tonnes of CO2
- If everyone boiled only the water they needed to make a cup of tea instead of “filling” the kettle every time, we could save enough electricity in a year to run nearly half of the street lighting in the country
back to top
