A new study by a researcher at Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London shows that switching lights and electrical appliances off when they’re not being used, as well as upgrading to more energy efficient models, has a greater impact on CO2 emissions than previously believed.

The study looked at the figure for emission rates that the Government uses to calculate the impact of energy efficient measures and improvements and showed that this estimate could be as much as 60 per cent too low. The report focuses on just how the Government determine this figure and at the moment they use an average across all forms of energy generation to determine a value of 0.43kg per kilowatt hour of electricity used.

The figure that the Government calculate and use includes energy production from low-carbon energy sources such as solar, wind and nuclear power. However these cannot respond to immediate changes in energy demand which is where energy generation from fossil fuels comes in.

Researcher Adam Hawkes calculated the actual energy efficiency rate between 2002 and 2009 at 0.69kg per kilowatt hour, 62 per cent higher than the figure the Government currently uses. Adam stated following the study:

“This means any reduction we make in our electricity use – for example, if everyone switched off lights that they weren't using, or turned off electric heating earlier in the year – could have a bigger impact on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by power stations than previously thought,”

The conclusions in the report could have a big impact on future energy efficiency and production policies in the future as well as further encouraging people to think about their electricity usage. 

Author:  Thomas Davies

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