South Africans save 575MW during Earth Hour
Enough electricity to power Polokwane was saved in an hour.
SOUTH Africans showed their power to save electricity when they switched off their lights for Earth Hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday, 29 March, saving 575MW – enough electricity to power a city the size of Polokwane in the Limpopo province.
As part of its support for the Earth Hour campaign, Eskom measured the reduction in electricity used during the hour against typical consumption for this time on an average Saturday evening. Eskom had also switched off non-essential lighting at all its offices around the country, except at strategic facilities for security reasons.
Turning off the lights saves hundreds of tons of coal from being burned to produce electricity, so that less greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, thereby saving the planet. It is an act of global commitment to protecting planet earth beyond this symbolic hour
“Earth Hour affords all electricity users an opportunity to realise that it is ‘in our power’ to save electricity and switch to more sustainable ways of living and doing business.
“Individual actions have a collective impact; together, as a nation, we can leave a legacy of a healthy South Africa and a healthy planet,” said Andrew Etzinger, Eskom’s senior general manager for integrated demand management.
For more tips and information on energy efficiency, visit www.eskom.co.za/idm.
