Welcome to Standby Saturday 31 October 2009! Standby Saturday is the Australian nationwide “All the time – every time” switch-off of non-essential electrical appliances and equipment, such as TVs, computers, microwaves, stereos, playstations, and mobile phone chargers, with the aim of significantly reducing Australia’s carbon emissions. Standby Saturday is not a one off, Switch Off, All the Time – Every Time
Thanks to all of you who registered and took part in Standby Saturday. The total number of people in Australia who took part was in the thousands in 2008. We had 130 schools participate. We even had people from USA and Canada come on board. We look forward to expanding our North American participation in 2009. The 2008 schools competition had hundreds of entries, there are photos of the award presentations here. In 2009 there will be more competitions, we will keep you posted. Thanks to all of you.
Click here to find out ‘What is Standby Saturday?’.
Heatwave in Melbourne shows how crucial it is we change our approach to Standby Power. When Victoria is having blackouts, people still don’t realise the enormous waste associated with standby. Switch Off All the Time Every Time During the Victorian Heatwave we calculated standby was costing 200 Megawatts a day. Thats twice the reserve power for the state. See photos of winning entries and the awards
Standby Saturday campaigns to stop energy wastage
Figures from the International Energy Agency show that, based on 10% energy wastage for domestic residencies, electrical devices left on standby waste an estimated 4.8 Terawatt hours of energy per year and account for nearly 7.7 Megatonnes of carbon emissions each year. This doesn’t include commercial equipment and is equivalent to the total output of Australia’s biggest power station for over 10 days. Standby Saturday highlights a simple but important step to reduce unnecessary energy wastage – switch off appliances and equipment all the time – every time when not in use, instead of leaving them on standby. Anyone who occupies a building containing electrical equipment is eligible to register, so families, schools, businesses and organisations of any size can all participate. Standby Saturday is also encouraging everyone who already switches off to sign up, as well as new ‘converts’. This campaign is not just about one Saturday. It is about changing your habits and switching off ALL THE TIME -EVERY TIME. Our aim is to encourage a shift in everyone’s attitude – so join the campaign and ask the people you know as well. Every little bit helps.
Standby Saturday is being run by a group of individuals committed to all Australians and Australian businesses operating with sustainable habits. We believe that Australians are amongst the world’s most innovative cultures and can lead the world in environmental products and practices.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Encourage mass reduction of energy wastage.
Kick-start a positive permanent habit change.
Offer solutions to aid long-lasting habit change.
Measure & report on the results of a nationwide action.
Participate in reducing CO2 emissions in Australia.