Alliance Leader hails people of Northern Ireland as green giants

10.37.33am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 4th Jul 2007

Alliance Leader David Ford

Alliance Leader David Ford has welcomed news that people in Northern Ireland are leading the way in UK on energy efficiency. An Energy Saving Trust report revealed that local people are more likely to switch off electrical goods when not in use, than people in the rest of the UK . These revelations came within a report on technology and energy use published today called 'The Ampere Strikes Back.'

David Ford said: "I strongly welcome the findings of this report which shows that Northern Ireland is the most energy efficient place in the UK , although more must be done.

"It is clear that modern technology, such as laptops and flat screen TVs has serious implications for electricity consumption, and with that comes the threat of adding to prospect of global warming.

"This report reveals a number of staggering statistics on energy consumption. By 2020, TVs, PCs and music systems will account for 45% of electricity used in local households.

"The report also stated that if people switched off all appliances when not in use, each household will not only help the environment, but also save £37 every year. People have two real incentives to abandon the standby button on their TV, and I would encourage everyone to switch off all electrical goods to do their bit to protect the environment."

ENDS