My time as an SSO+ Ambassador
Blog article by Giannis C, Student Switch Off+ Ambassador, TUC
Hi! My name is Giannis C and I am studing on Techical University of Crete (TUC). In March 2019, I was informed about the SAVES 2 project and the actions that the members have done by the SAVES 2 team. From that time, I started to be interested in the project and, from September 2019, I participated in the Student Switch Off+ campaign (SSO+, for students living in the private rented sector) as an Ambassador student. Until now, as a team, we have done important things on campus such as informing students about our program and advising them on ways to save energy, filling out questionnaires on energy saving, and held energy awareness days. A large number of students responded to these actions, and myself included, we learned a lot about energy saving, climate change and even how much we could do to help. Unfortunately, due to coronavirus a lot of actions have been cancelled. TUC students hope that the academic year will continue in mid-May. Our final activity of the year is the dissemination of the student survey on SSO and SSO+ via emails and social media so we can assess the impact that the campaigns have had this year! In conclusion, I would like to share 6 of my favorites ways to save energy in home, especially during this period.
1. Connect the electrical appliances in your home to a power outlet so you can switch off the power supply when the equipment is not in use.
2. Set your computer to sleep or hibernate mode instead of using a screensaver to use less power during periods of inactivity. It is estimated that using these features can reduce your electricity bill by up to 25 € per year.
3. Do not forget about chargers when not in use. Each charger we use (mobile or cordless phone, various electrical appliances), especially if it is outdated, can cost us 2-3 € per year and its use involves the release of 20-30 kg of carbon dioxide. Better to unplug them.
4. When buying new electrical appliances, choose a high energy class (A ++, A +, A). For a refrigerator this could lead to annual savings of 25 € and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 250 kg. For a washing machine, this could lead to a 3 € per year saving and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 30 kg.
5. We change the incandescent bulbs in our space with energy-saving lamps.
6. In the summer we set the fan to cool and avoid using an air conditioner. In just 30 days we save about 60 € and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 600-700 kg.
Don’t forget to save energy and to have good health!
