Watt-watcher Lesley cuts her energy use by 40%

Jan 23 2010 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

WATT watcher Lesley Roberts is the national winner of a competition to cut energy use in the home.

Lesley, who lives in Jesmond in Newcastle, entered the E.ON contest and managed to cut her energy consumption by 40% over 90 days, compared with the corresponding period in the previous year.

Lesley, a former lecturer at Northumbria University’s business school, now runs her own educational consultancy.

She said that improved insulation, better draught insulation and the use of a smart meter which monitors how much power is used by appliances in the house had all helped to cut usage.

“The meter really helped to cut down on appliance usage and also helped to plan how appliances were used,” said Lesley, who wins a £1,000 cash prize from E.ON.

She said: “Watt Watchers has been a fantastic experience for me. I’ve made a massive effort to be more energy efficient.

“The lessons I’ve learned over the course of the competition will definitely last a lifetime.”

Watt Watchers was launched after research showed that 83% of households which were surveyed in the UK were unaware of the savings a few simple changes could make to their energy bills.

Lesley kept a blog over the course of her Watt Watching exercise at www.eonenergy.com/wattwatchers