Energy and carbon management

The Union is monitoring and reviews its energy use on a regular basis.Current data includes, Electricity and Gas use. The University and Union has a minimum efficiency specification list which sets standards for buying white goods, ventilation and heating systems and lighting. 

Carbon Ambassadors

The University of Bristol Student's Union was one of the first Unions to get involved with the carbon academy and has run training on carbon auditing this year and last.

The carbon ambassadors project aims to train students in carbon auditing and then match them with community groups to do audits of their buildings. The project aims to help small companies and community groups to identify and save carbon.

At work... 

• Enable the power down features on your PC - Screen savers do not save energy; 
• Switch off your PC monitor when you are not using it, for example when you go to meetings or for lunch - A monitor uses about two-thirds of a PCs total electricity. If left on overnight wastes the energy that would be used to make 800 A4 sheets of paper; 
• Switch office equipment off at night. A photocopier left on overnight uses enough energy to make 5,300 photocopies; 
• Switch off lights if you are leaving the room for longer than 15 minutes - it is a myth that it is cheaper to leave fluorescent lights on than to switch them off; 
• Switch off lights when you go home - lighting an empty office overnight wastes enough energy to heat water for 1000 cups of coffee; 
• Maximise the use of natural daylight and switch off lights when daylight is adequate - switching off a typical fluorescent light for one hour in each working day, 30 kg of carbon dioxide emissions is saved annually. 
• Please ensure you are not blocking radiators or heaters with office furniture and leave some space for air to circulate the heat. 

At home... 

• Don't overfill the kettle for just one drink - heat the amount of water you really need; 
• Use jug-type kettles - they have smaller elements and therefore need less water; 
• Ensure the water completely covers the elements; 
• Don't leave the fridge door open for longer than necessary; 
• Defrost your fridge regularly - this will help it to run more efficiently, If it refrosts quickly, check that the door seals are working properly; 
• Don't site the fridge close to the cooker or boiler - if this is unavoidable, leave a good gap between them; 
• Turning the thermostat down by just 1°C can cut as much as 10% off your heating bills; 
• Switch off your TV, video and Hi-Fi at the set. Standby can use as much as 10%-60% of the electricity that would be used by the device if it was switched on; 
• Use low energy lamps wherever you can as they use less than a quarter of the electricity used by ordinary light bulbs and last 12 times longer! 
• Dry your clothes on a clothes line - tumble driers use huge amounts of energy.