MEMO - The Big Turn Off Campaign

The University will be embarking on a Campus Wide Energy Awareness Campaign called 'The Big Turn Off' with the aim of reducing our energy consumption. The University of Sunderland Sustainable Procurement Policy and Strategy represents a commitment to the University’s Environmental and Sustainability Policy and Corporate objective of integrating sustainability and carbon management. The campaign is designed to raise energy awareness amongst staff and students to be more energy conscious. This campaign has a simplemessage:- ‘save energy, save carbon, save the environment, & save money’

You will noticegreen, amberor red stickers appearing on electrical items to indicate which items to switch off! Everyone is encouraged to take part in the Big Turn Off Campaign and to get in to the habit of switching off electrical equipment and light that aren’t being used.

Here are some simple guidelines to consider when asking the questions.

Virtually all electrical items can be categorised as belonging to one of 3 groups.

Group 1: Green

Consists of items which CAN be safely switched off at the mains without affecting their operation.

Will include items such as:

  • Lights.
  • Personal heaters (no longer allowed by the University unless supplied by Facilities following a review of the local conditions).
  • Desktop fans.
  • Mobile phone chargers.
  • Battery chargers.
  • Kitchen items such as toasters, microwaves (especially those with digital displays), coffee machines.
  • PC base units and monitors (many people switch of the PC but leave the monitor on standby, while others think that switching off the screen will mean the PC is off too). Only by powering down the PC and then switching off the monitor screen separately will both no longer consume energy while not in use.
  • Powered PC speakers.
  • Printers which are connected directly to your PC. (i.e. not shared over a network with others).

If you can’t switch off a piece of equipment at the plug socket and/or unplug it, make sure you turn off the equipment itself.

Group 2: Amber

Consists of items which CAN be switched off but may cause adverse effects either to their own operations or those of other items. In such cases it would be wise to consult others before doing so.

Will include items such as:

  • Lab equipment used to run experiments over periods of time.
  • Medical equipment.
  • Shared networked printers (unless you know nobody else will be using the facility).
  • Plasma screens.
  • Corridor lighting.

Group 3: Red

Consists of electrical equipment which should NEVER be switched off due to various reasons such as needing specialist attention to reset, causing loss of data and services, being vital to other systems etc.

Will include items such as:

  • Servers.
  • Water coolers.
  • Vending machines (often have internal fans to keep contents dry/temperature controlled).
  • Fridges.
  • Freezers.

The list of items is not exhaustive, and you can probably think of many more items that will fit in each area. However they will all fall within one of these categories, so if in any doubt please consult with others before deciding to switch anything off which you are not sure about.

Please help us to reduce energy consumption by making a few small changes to your normal routine and switching off what you do not really need. Each item turned off, although it may only be a small contribution, collectively this will add to the overall saving of energy and reduce our carbon footprint.

Myth / True or false? / Explanation
My screen saver saves energy / False / NO - Screen savers often use more energy as the moving image makes the base units hard drive work harder.
By turning my computer off it will automatically turn my monitor off / False / NO - You need to turn if off yourself, just press the button!
Fluorescent lights use more energy to start up than they when they are left on / False / NO- The energy consumed to start a typical lamp is the equivalent of 2 seconds running time. If the light is going to be on for more than two seconds, turn it off!

Simple Guidelines

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  • PC monitors if you leave your desk for a more than 10 minutes.
  • PC’s if you are away from your desk for an hour or so
  • Mobile phone chargers – these still draw energy even when your phone is not connected
  • Lights in offices; lecture and meeting rooms

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  • Shared printers and equipment

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  • Shared printers and equipment
  • Lights in stairways and dark corridors, put safety first!
  • Essential equipment such as fridges & fax machines
  • Other colleagues PC’s in case important work is lost
  • Lights in toilets which out checking for people first.

Energy Saving Tips

  • Switch off lights and close all windows when leaving a room unoccupied.
  • Try using natural daylight as much as possible.
  • Switch off your monitor when not in use. Even if only for 30 minutes.
  • Turn PCs and other equipment off when not in use. Really off, not onto standby.
  • Make sure shared equipment isn’t left forgotten about.
  • Unplug mobile and laptop chargers between uses.
  • Dress for the season.

Please can all staff members sign below to confirm that they have read and understood the above memo:

Name / Signature / Date
David Balme
Sam Seldon
Naomi Craven
Carole McGinn
Maureen Wilkinson
Becky Lane
Helen Cutting
Steven Flanagan
Claire Rawls
Lisa Winter
Bernard Dale
Nicola Robertson
Anne Jones
Louise Bell
Sonia Purvis
Julie Richardson