Lights out London's £90,000 gift

Much of the capital is taking part in Lights Out London from 9pm, and research from price comparison site moneysupermarket.com reveals if all three million households in London switch off their lights tonight, over 900,000 kWh of energy could be saved.

If Londoners go one step further and switch off all non-essential electrical appliances, such as televisions and kettles, 36 million kWh of energy could be saved – that’s £3.6m based on the average electricity bill.

If the UK followed suit, householders could save a total near £760,000 for turning off their lights for an hour and a whopping £30 million if non-essential appliances were switched off.

Paul Schofield, head of utilities at moneysupermarket.com, said: “Climate change is an increasingly important issue and any effort to raise its awareness is commendable. Our research shows small energy saving measures, such as switching off electrical appliances and lights that aren’t being used can save you a lot on energy consumption and money off your bills.

“In just one hour, a single household can save about £1.15 by switching off a range of appliances, or £30 million across the UK. While this campaign will help us think about energy consumption, it would be fruitless financially if we were languishing on an expensive electricity tariff. My advice would be to shop around to choose one that suits your usage.”