What really annoys me when trying to save power.

[Jonny69]

I tend to try and save what power I can and my bills are quite low as a result. I do it for a mix of thrift and my part for the environment.

However, at a time when we are all being encouraged by the government to save power so we can lower our impact on the environment it really ticks me off when I walk past a derelict shop and inside all the lights are still on :angry:

What's the point in us saving anything if the jerk landlord leaves 6 strip lights on in an empty shop? There's one out on my high street, ex estate agent, that has maybe 20 low voltage dichroics on behind the whitewash in the window from their old window display and it's been like that for maybe 2 years now. Then there's one I pass near where I work and there are 6 strip lights left on. I make that 330 Watts down the drain 24/7. What a complete waste :angry:

Anyway, rant over, just wanted to get that off my chest.

[Nutcase]

Know what you mean. I survey a lot of empty properties, and the ones that still have their meters (a lot have been removed probably for the above reason!) usually have something on.

Worst one I've seen was a propertly empty since 2003 with the heating on :shocked:

[Matblack]

The illuminated sign on the Woolworths in town is still on :/

MB

[Lomster]

Their is a building here that used to be powerhouse and it had its sign light on for about 4yrs or more, it may still be on in which case it will be about 6yrs...
I think that they are starting to fine companies that do this aren't they? I am sure I heard it or read it somewhere!

[Knipples]

Shops that are just closed for the night annoy me if they have all their lights on still. I mean if they have a "closed at 5pm" sign on the door then they aren't really leaving the lights on for security reasons because burglars could just take one look at the sign and know they have gone home.

Also big office blocks with whole floors of lights left on at silly o clock in the morning.

My parents annoy me because they leave random lights on downstairs even when no ones in the room, when I ask why the light is on (or if I turn it off and then find it back on again) they say because they want it on, and can't come up with a good reason for it. It's their electric bill, but then theyre the first to moan if I leave my TV on and then leave my room for any short time.

[Kitten]

We've just had a load of those 'drive 5 miles less' posters put up around areas near work, like every half a mile on both sides of the road for about 5 miles. In both densely populated areas with few cars and completely commercial areas, so that the people who live there don't have cars or can't get from one place to another without using a car (literally, the nearest shop is like 2.5 miles away). Seriously, if you didn't have to drive in that area, you wouldn't. I reckon it cost more energy to print/produce those posters, then get someone to drive around and put them up than will be saved, because they've completely misjudged where to put them. What a stupid waste of time and energy!

[Jonny69]

Pisses me off so much. It also hits them in the wallet for several hundred quid a year that they have to pass on to the shopkeepers who then have to charge us more!!!

[Tak]

The illuminated sign on the Woolworths in town is still on :/

MB

The one near work had all its lights on and the security alarm ringing for weeks (the shutters meant you only heard it if you walked past so it wasn't "disruptive").
Its been bought now though - its becoming an Alworth :huh:

[Lomster]

our woolworths lights were switched off by staff on the day that it closed down but when people viewed it or work got done to it the lights kept getting left on.
H&M bought it and even they kept keeping the lights on!!!!!

[Desmo]

I get rattled by a building near us. When we were doing our early morning walks we go past a building that has outside lights on to light the car park. Now even at 6.30am it was light enough that these lights needn't be on. Who owns the building? Essex County Council ::/:

[Nutcase]

For shops that are stillopen I think insurance companies insist on them being lighted to a certain extent overnight - so the cameras pick up any dodgy activity. I know that's the case in the warehouse I used to work at.

Although to save money they installed night lights that were more energy efficient (but crud to work in).

[Del Lardo]

I get rattled by a building near us. When we were doing our early morning walks we go past a building that has outside lights on to light the car park. Now even at 6.30am it was light enough that these lights needn't be on. Who owns the building? Essex County Council ::/:

Each watt of power that is run 24/7/365 costs £1 so if they are using 400w of lighting 12 hours a day you (as council tax payer) are paying £200/year for the privilege, great isn't it :shocked:


Think we're going to see a big reduction in buildings (especially office blocks) with lights left on, there are new CO2 regs coming in so large companies have to report their CO2 usage and will be taxed heavily if they are using too much. Lots of interest at the moment for solutions to allow companies to monitor, track and reduce their CO2 emissions and lighting is an easy one to do though things like PCs/servers and aircon are also going to make a massive difference.

As an example our small ~25 person office uses ~15KW during office hours dropping to ~8KW overnight, that's a yearly bill of ~£11500 or £460/person :shocked:

[Justsomebloke]

I feel this about All shop lights on at night not just empty ones. They should All be switched off at the mains come midnight & every third street lamp an all. I hate motorways that have Untold lights on at night, I have head lights & cats eyes are Pure simplistic genius. I will Never get over there Awesomeness.

[Jonny69]

I have head lights & cats eyes are Pure simplistic genius. I will Never get over there Awesomeness.
But even now they've figured out a way so that cats eyes can draw power. Loads of them are full of LEDs now. It's craziness gone crazy I tell you.

Del Lardface, that's an epic amount of power to be drawing :shocked:

[Desmo]

Each watt of power that is run 24/7/365 costs £1 so if they are using 400w of lighting 12 hours a day you (as council tax payer) are paying £200/year for the privilege, great isn't it :shocked:
I saw this just a couple of weeks after our local council were handing out free energy saving bulbs for the houses. It does make you wonder.