Energy Saving Day (E-Day), designed to raise awareness on energy saving, failed to make any impact on electricity usage.

Yesterday’s E-Day, the first of its kind, asked people to switch off all appliances they did not need, with the National Grid monitoring how this affected electricity consumption in the UK. However, electricity usage was 0.1% above an ‘average’ day.

Dr Matt Prescott, organiser of E-Day, said: ‘E-Day did not succeed in cutting the UK’s electricity demand … I am afraid that E-Day did not achieve the scale of public awareness or participation needed to have a measurable effect.’

Dr Prescott blamed colder weather for the lack of reduction, as additional heating used in some regions may have masked electricity savings elsewhere, and added, ‘I will do my best to learn the relevant lessons for next time.’

E-Day, designed to raise awareness on energy saving, was backed by Greenpeace, Christian Aid and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), as well as electricity companies EDF, E.On and Scottish Power.

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