Want To Cut Your Electricity Bills?

21 October 2010, 12:29 | Updated: 21 October 2010, 12:36

People in Dorset will be able to slash their home electricity bills by borrowing an energy monitor for free from their local library.

Starting on Monday 25 October, eleven libraries in Dorset will be offering the money-saving gadgets to library members to borrow for a week at no cost, just like a book.

The energy monitors can be connected to your meter and give an accurate reading of how much electricity you are using at that moment.

Residents can then start cutting their bills and reducing their impact on climate change by switching off appliances left on unnecessarily.

Households can typically save between £25 and £75 off a £500 electricity bill by using a monitor and changing their energy using behaviour in the home.

The scheme will be launched on Monday at Bridport Library, where it is being supported by Bridport Town Council and Transition Town Bridport.

Five monitors will also available at each of the following branches: Blandford, Christchurch, Dorchester, Ferndown, Gillingham, Highcliffe, Sherborne, Wareham, Wimborne and Weymouth.

Dorset County Council cabinet member for environment, Robert Gould, said:

“Libraries are at the heart of the community, offering much more than just books. The energy monitor project will help people looking to reduce their energy consumption, whether to save money, shrink their carbon footprint, or both.”

Anyone who lives, works or studies in Dorset can join Dorset libraries free of charge. For more information, go to http://www.dorsetforyou.com/libraries