Water and Energy challenge
What and why?
Notice and act on inefficiencies such as leaking taps or draughts. Enjoy four-minute showers.
Burning fossil fuels such as gas releases carbon into the atmosphere adding to the greenhouse effect, and because much electricity is generated through gas, this has an impact too. Gas use is also a big focus across households, businesses and institutions following drastic rises in cost due to a mixture of unusual market conditions. Now more than ever we are all looking for ways to cut back on our usage.
On a similar note, water should not be taken for granted. This year has seen the some of the driest months we’ve had in 50 years and we're using on average 146 litres per person every day - that's nearly twice as much water as we were using 60 years ago.1
Minimising your energy and water consumption is about living more sustainably, which can save you significant amount of money, as well as protecting our environment.At the University, consuming water and energy efficiently means we can save money to put back into the student experience, as well as continue driving down our carbon footprint in line with our 2030 targets.
Top tips
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Look out for energy waste, draughts and other inefficiencies and report to the Campus Division Maintenance Helpdesk. Every last kWh we can save helps enormously.
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Ensure you turn off equipment when it is not needed.
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Control temperatures by adjusting thermostats and not by opening windows.
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Don’t let taps run when brushing your teeth – turn them off.
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If you’re a gardener, collect rainwater in water butts and any other suitable containers you have in your garden. Avoid garden hoses – use watering cans for lawns, plants and flower beds.
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Set a 4-minute shower timer or follow a playlist of 4-minute songs.
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Be generally considerate with energy use wherever you are.
#UOBethechange
Use #UOBethechange hashtag and share your journey of taking up the water and energy challenge with others!