go! Switch Off

What is 'go! Switch Off'?

Wherever you live, work, or study, you can take part in activities to help save energy and to save water. 

Even the smallest actions add up to big impacts. 

We’re facing a climate emergency and we want to slash the university’s carbon emissions by 63% by 2030.​

We’re already doing a lot but we need the help of everyone to meet our ambition.  75% of all the electricity used on campus is controlled by individuals!

The power is in your hands so, go! Switch Off!

What you can do

These are the actions where we can making the biggest carbon savings.

• Switch off all electronics and lights when you leave a room or when it’s no longer needed.
  • If all lights on our UK campuses were left on overnight, it would create around 15 tonnes of CO2 in a single evening!
• Layer up instead of turning the heating up.
• Don't waste it - only use what you need. Whether that's unplugging your devices when they've finished charging or turning taps off when you wash your hands and brush your teeth.

Every £1 saved on energy is £1 we can direct towards our core business and to help support staff and students more directly. 

Seasonal Switch Off

Each year we ask everyone to turn off all non-essential equipment before leaving for Christmas, Easter and the summer holidays.

Help us to save energy whilst the university is closed by thinking carefully about which equipment has to stay on, and switching off everything else.

Together with your colleagues, use our checklists to switch off your office, department or lab before leaving.

Switch Off checklist

Lab shutdown poster

Lab energy walkaround checklist

Living in halls on campus?

The go! Switch Off halls competition supports and encourages students to save energy and water.

The competition is scheduled to run from September 25 to October 31 2023.

This semester, the hall that saves the most energy will win a prize for the hall!

This is important not only to reduce our carbon emission but also because the more money the university spends on energy, the less it has available to support its teaching and research and the student experience.

All catered halls on campus, as well as Melton hall, are automatically taking part in the competition. 
So, go! Switch Off.

• Save energy and water, we’ll be sharing tips and checklists to help you do this.
• Take shorter showers. Every minute you spend in a power shower uses up to 17 litres of water.
• Air dry laundry instead of using the tumble drier. Tumble drying washing in halls of residence accounts for around 300 t CO2 each year.
• Tell your friends and hallmates about the competition and encourage them to go greener and help your hall win!