go! Switch Off

What is 'go! Switch Off'?

Throughout the autumn and winter join in with our energy saving campaign and ‘go! Switch Off’. 

Wherever you live, work, or study, you can take part in activities to help save energy and to save water. 

Even the smallest actions add up to big impacts. 

We’re facing a climate emergency and we want to slash the university’s carbon emissions by 63% by 2030.​

We’re already doing a lot but we need the help of everyone to meet our ambition.  75% of all the electricity used on campus is controlled by individuals!

The power is in your hands so, go! Switch Off!

What you can do

These are the actions where we can making the biggest carbon savings.

• Switch off all electronics and lights when you leave a room or when it’s no longer needed.
  • If all lights on our UK campuses were left on overnight, it would create around 15 tonnes of CO2 in a single evening!
• Layer up instead of turning the heating up.
• Don't waste it - only use what you need. Whether that's unplugging your devices when they've finished charging or turning taps off when you wash your hands and brush your teeth.

• Take shorter showers
  • Every minute you spend in a power shower uses up to 17 litres of water.
• Air dry laundry instead of using the tumble drier. 
  • Tumble drying washing in halls of residence accounts for around 300 t CO2 each year.

Upcoming events

The Recycling Game – 24 November and 3 December, 11-3pm

Enva, our waste contractor, will be in Portland Building running the recycling game. Take part, learn what can and can't be recycled and win prizes.

Cutting Carbon event – 2 December, 6.30-8pm

Join the university Sustainability Team to find out about the university’s carbon reduction journey and share your ideas on how we can cut carbon. The student Sustainability Society will have tips to reduce your own carbon footprint and join in with a quiz from the Environment and Social Justice network. 

This is a free event for University of Nottingham students.

Register you interest

Photo competition – Now until 17 December

Enter our photo competition for a chance to win a £20 Love2Shop voucher.

1. Make a change to save energy or water on campus or at home.
2. Take a picture of the change or of you holding a sign with a pledge you have made.
3. Post it on social media (Twitter, Facebook or Instagram) and tag it with #goswitchoff.
4. If you'd like us to share it, tag us too: @uonsustain, @uonsustainability @uonsustainability 

Living in halls on campus?

The go! Switch Off halls competition supports and encourages students to save energy and water, as well as to recycle better.

All catered halls on campus, as well as Melton hall, are automatically taking part in the competition. This is running over two weeks between 22 November to 5 December 2021.

The hall that saves the most energy and separates the most waste for recycling also wins a £500 prize for the hall!
So, go! Switch Off.

• Save energy & recycle as much as you can, we’ll be sharing tips and checklists to help you do this.
• Tell your friends about the competition and be on the lookout on our social media pages for ways you can go greener and help your hall win!