A HUNTINGDONSHIRE village is being challenged to reduce its electricity consumption by monitoring the amounts of energy 100 households consume. Energy used at home accounts for about one third of all UK emissions - plasma TVs, games consoles, tumble drier

A HUNTINGDONSHIRE village is being challenged to reduce its electricity consumption by monitoring the amounts of energy 100 households consume.

Energy used at home accounts for about one third of all UK emissions - plasma TVs, games consoles, tumble driers and dishwashers have all added to the demand for electricity.

The result is that about 3 per cent more electricity is being gobbled up by power hungry appliances, year on year.

If users could see the energy being wasted whilst unnecessary lights are left switched on, or when appliances are left on standby, they would get a real shock.

And the residents of Warboys will be first in line for this shock treatment.

In March, to help bring the cost of wasted electricity home to residents, Huntingdonshire District Council will be launching its Watts Going Down - Community Energy Challenge.

It has been designed to reduce energy wasted in the home with the help of real time energy monitors. These simple devices are easy to use and install and allow users to see exactly how much energy they are using in the home at any given moment.

The device also allows users to see the difference when unnecessary lights and appliances are turned off - they been shown to be one of the best means of encouraging greater energy efficiency; cutting electricity use by up to 10 per cent.

The 100 residents taking part in Warboys, which last year won the Green Village award from the Energy Saving Trust, will be asked to record their electricity meter readings over a period of four weeks.

The first week will show their usual electricity consumption while the following three weeks will record electricity use with the monitors in place - giving a before and after comparison.

As well as showing energy savings in Kilowatts per hour, the monitors give the ser information about the amount of money they would save, and the environmental savings in reduced C02 emissions.