Everyone of us can make small changes to the way we live for the benefit of the environment, and using less energy around the house is a good start.

Sioned ap Gareth, Gwynedd Council’s Environmental Partnership Coordinator (left) presenting the “OWL” energy monitors to Maureen Denham from Caernarfon Library

The Gwynedd Environmental Partnership has worked in partnership with Gwynedd Council’s Libraries Service so that “OWL” energy monitors can be borrowed from every one of the county’s libraries.

The monitors will be available to borrow – free of charge for a period of three weeks – from every Gwynedd library from today (21 June).

The gadget works by measuring the electricity flow to the home when electrical appliances are switched on. The data is displayed on the monitor in terms of cost, the CO2 produced and the electricity used. The gadget will be useful to find out which appliances use the most electricity, and which ones are on even when you think they’re off.

Statistics show that by monitoring the use of electricity on the monitors, it is possible to make an annual saving of around £125 on electricity bills, as well as saving three-quarters of a tonnes of CO2. 

Huw Davies, Chairman of the Gwynedd Environmental Partnership said: ‘’The project is a good way of raising awareness amongst Gwynedd residents about the importance of saving energy. The monitors can lead to a significant reduction in the amount of energy we use in the home from day to day and the amount of carbon discharged. Carbon emissions can contribute towards global warming – something that a number of people are worried about these days.”

Nia Gruffydd, Gwynedd Council’s Library User Services Manager added: “We are very pleased to be able to loan these monitors out free of charge from every one of Gwynedd’s libraries and we hope that they will be of use to our users to measure how much energy is used in their homes.”

By following a number of simple steps in the home every one of us can make big changes in the CO2 discharged – and savings in electricity bills. Here are some examples of what you can do today:

• Always turn your lights off when you leave the room
• Change your light bulbs to energy-efficient ones – they use 25% less energy than normal light bulbs and last 12 times as long
• Fill the washing machine or dish-washer – one full load uses less energy than two half loads
• Also remember to set the washing machine on 30 degrees Celsius
• Dry your clothes on the line rather than in the dryer – remember that one load can cost between 30p and 70p to dry in a machine
• Don’t leave electrical appliances on ‘standby’ – turn them off completely at the switch in the wall
• Don’t overfill the kettle – only boil what’s needed

For more information about the initiative, contact Nia Gruffydd, Gwynedd Council Libraries Service on 01286 679465.