Energy
The more energy we use at home, the more demand we put on our national and international energy systems.
Cutting down on our energy usage plays an important role in limiting climate change and protecting life on our planet. Lowering energy demand means that more of our energy needs can be met using renewable power sources, such as wind and solar.
Energy
The more energy we use at home, the more demand we put on our national and international energy systems.
Cutting down on our energy usage plays an important role in limiting climate change and protecting life on our planet. Lowering energy demand means that more of our energy needs can be met using renewable power sources, such as wind and solar.
Fossil fuels are extracted and burned to produce energy, releasing greenhouse gas emissions. This contributes to climate change, which is causing sea level rise, extreme weather events and increasingly difficult conditions for people and wildlife to survive in.
Our energy goals are:
- To use energy as efficiently as possible at home and on campus, which will contribute to the low carbon world we are building.
- To contribute to global efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
- To lower energy demand so that more of our energy can be provided by clean and renewable power sources, which will have benefits for the climate and for human health by reducing environmental pollution.
- To protect our natural landscapes by limiting energy production, ultimately making the world a more beautiful place for all people and animals to benefit from.
What we can do
- Don’t leave electronic devises on standby or charge your phone overnight - if it’s not in use, switch it off!
- Switch off lights when leaving the room.
- Turn down the heating or turn heaters off if it’s not too cold, and wrap up warmly instead.
- Make sure windows and doors are closed when the heating is on.
- Use a draft excluder for your door.
- When cooking, put a lid on pans to retain the heat.
- When replacing any electrical appliances make sure that they are as energy efficient as possible.
- Fill the kettle with only the amount of water you need.
- Spend less time in the shower to save hot water.
- Only use the washing machine when you have a full load of washing.
- Avoid using energy-intensive appliances like tumble dryers.
- Change the energy savings setting on your laptop or computer to reduce the time for turning off the display and sleep mode.
Key energy stats
- 80% : Proportion of the world’s energy supplied by fossil fuels
- 26% : EU’s total energy consumption that occurs in households
- 1/3 + : UK’s greenhouse gas emissions that come from heating
- 32,145 kWh : Average amount of energy per person per year in the UK
- 7,413 kWh : Average amount of energy used per person per year in India
Learn more
Check out these sources to learn more about energy consumption, its impact on the planet and what you can do to combat the problem: