The UK’s annual wasted light energy could power Blackpool Illuminations for 354 consecutive years

The UK’s annual wasted light energy could power Blackpool Illuminations for 354 consecutive years!

New research from 100Green reveals the average Brit estimates they waste 3 hours and 36 seconds of energy PER DAY by leaving the lights on - that’s 21 hours, 4 minutes and 12 seconds each week, or a total of 1,095 hours and 36 wasted minutes every single year. 

The research, which explores the amount of wasted light energy in the UK, reveals that the UK’s annual wasted light energy could power the Blackpool Illuminations light show for just shy of 354 consecutive years. 

The study estimates that, as a nation, we annually waste 339,810,000kWh of energy by unnecessarily leaving the lights on. Comparatively, the Blackpool light show uses 960,000kWh, and the average UK household uses an estimated 2,700kWh overall energy each year. 

The UK’s only 100% green energy supplier also estimates that the nation’s wasted light energy could power 128,856 British homes for an entire year - that’s enough energy to power almost every home in Stockport (126,648 households - 2021 Census). 

Below, 100Green visualises what could be powered with the UK’s annual wasted light energy, and Doug Stewart, CEO at 100Green offers tips for remembering to turn off the lights: 

“It’s like Blackpool Illuminations in here”...

Many will have ingrained memories of their parents yelling out: “It’s like Blackpool Illuminations in here,” if they forgot to turn the ‘big light’ off when not using a room.

In fact, 100Green’s survey of 2000 UK adults reveals that over 4 in 5 (83%) people are aware of the phrase in reference to leaving the lights on. 

In line with the 2023 light show, which launched at the beginning this month, the study estimates that the nation could power the Blackpool Illuminations for almost 354 consecutive years - from the UK's annual light energy waste alone. 

If the Blackpool Illuminations were always on, the UK’s annual light energy waste could power them for a mammoth 117 years, 11 months, three weeks, five days, 18 hours, 49 minutes and 37 seconds straight - based on the 960,000kWh the light show uses every year. 

How many households could be powered with the UK’s annual wasted light energy? 

While most of us are taught from childhood to turn the lights off before leaving a room, many people have really felt the impact of leaving them on over the past few years due to rising energy costs. 

Based on the average household usage of 2,700kWh of energy, 100Green estimate the nation could power 125,856 homes for an entire year from the annual light energy waste. 

That’s enough energy to power almost every home in Stockport, with an estimated 126,648 households, according to the 2021 Census. 

Doug Stewart, CEO at 100Green comments: “Although the 12.05kWh wasted on unnecessary light usage per household isn’t astronomical, when we add that up across the 28.2million households in the UK - the nation-wide figures are astounding. 

“Forgetting to turn off the lights is a hard habit to break, but there are a few things people in the UK can do to help them remember. For example, setting an alert on their mobile phone. 

“We use our smartphones to remind us to take medication, feed pets and for appointments, so it’s not outlandish to set a daily reminder to do a quick check of the house before you leave to ensure all lights are off. 

“Although they are slightly more expensive than standard bulbs, smart light bulbs are another great hack we can use to save energy. 

“We’re all guilty of leaving the lights on accidentally, but the more we can do to change our behaviours, the bigger impact we will have on fighting climate changes as well as reducing our energy bills.” 

If you choose to run this story, please credit 100Green with a backlink to: https://www.greenenergyuk.com/blog/news/uk-light-energy-waste