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High Street shops should switch off the lights at night
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| The doors of these shops may be shut for the night, but their lights continue to blaze. Picture: Jon Fuller-Rowell. 11337401 |
WASTEFUL shops in Worcester's High Street are damaging the environment by blasting hot air into overheated premises and leaving lighting on all night.
A study of the city's High Street shops has been undertaken by the new environmental coalition group One Planet Worcester, which wants to encourage retailers to help save the planet - and save themselves a few pennies - by being more energy efficient with their heating and lighting systems.
The group claims the results show just how wasteful some of our biggest high street names can be, with Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Costa Coffee, H&M and Clinton Cards among the worst offenders for cranking the heat up.
The survey uncovered huge differences between in-store temperatures, with more than half the 48 shops surveyed measuring above the accepted retail temperature of about 20C (according to the Chartered Institute of Business Services Engineers), and one in eight being heated to 23C or above.
Even worse, although the survey was done on a freezing January afternoon, almost three-quarters of the stores either kept their front doors open or had no front door at all. Only three shops had the energy-saving combination of a cool temperature and a closed door.
Robert Wilkins, one of the organisers of One Planet Worcester, said: "There are big shops which keep their doors shut - so why can't all the others? More than 70 per cent of shops are behaving in what looks like a profligate way. We found a temperature range between shops of 5C, so it seems clear improvements could be made. We don't want shops to be painfully cold - just comfortably warm."
The group also found that about a dozen High Street stores still had their window lights on at 11pm, with Superdrug and Jessops particularly brightly-lit.
Peter Robinson, also of One Planet Worcester, said: "What are they showing people? If it was for security, all the big shops would be doing it"
Some stores, including Clinton Cards and The Officers Club, have agreed to turn their temperatures down after being contacted by One Planet Worcester.
A spokesman for jeweller Ernest Jones said it was looking into ways of reducing its carbon footprint, but its shop does not actually have a front door to close.
Worcester's Costa Coffee manager Farad Ouchefoune said the temperature of his cafe would normally be kept below 23C, but was turned up if customers complained on a cold day.
H&M floor manager Jo Henderson said the clothing store "always tries to keep the temperature cool for our customers" and the heating was normally set at 19C.
Worcester Superdrug manager Roy Barnes said he had been in touch with his head office about switching off the lights at night after being contacted by One Planet Worcester, but Jessops store manager Kate Ford said interior lighting came on automatically at night and she did not know how it could be switched off. Marks & Spencer and Debenhams declined to comment.
7:10am Tuesday 25th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: local resident, worcester on 10:30am Tue 25 Mar 08
Drove past Turnpike House Medical centre yesterday and outide lights were on during the DAY. The centre was closed as it was Easter Monday
Drove past Turnpike House Medical centre yesterday and outide lights were on during the DAY. The centre was closed as it was Easter Monday
Posted by: Robert Wilkins, Worcester on 10:59am Tue 25 Mar 08
I've found a great booklet published by the Carbon Trust - Retail Energy Management - the new profit centre for retail businesses Booklet No CTV001. It's free and gives an action checklist for shops to slim their carbon footprint and loads of advice on how to do it. If I were a shop owner I would think it essential reading. It could save me loads of money!
www.thecarbontrust.c
o.uk/energy Tel 0800 085 2005
I've found a great booklet published by the Carbon Trust - Retail Energy Management - the new profit centre for retail businesses Booklet No CTV001. It's free and gives an action checklist for shops to slim their carbon footprint and loads of advice on how to do it. If I were a shop owner I would think it essential reading. It could save me loads of money!
www.thecarbontrust.c
o.uk/energy Tel 0800 085 2005
Posted by: local resident, worcester on 12:28pm Tue 25 Mar 08
Perhaps they should distribute this leaflet to all retail businesses. It might have more effect than the riduculous junk mail sent by the city and county council.
This is one thing I would happily pay for.
Lower running costs, less increases.
Perhaps they should distribute this leaflet to all retail businesses. It might have more effect than the riduculous junk mail sent by the city and county council.
This is one thing I would happily pay for.
Lower running costs, less increases.
Posted by: CJH, Worcester on 1:12pm Tue 25 Mar 08
The council should do a survey of all city businesses and ask them the [bold]reasons[/bold] for leaving their lights on. Is it for extra security, or merely advertising purposes? Or, more likely, just because everyone else does it? How many people actually walk past the shops at night to go window shopping? Perhaps an increase in council tax to those who refuse to see the sense of saving energy would be sensible. Why are we so frightened of legislation to combat this problem - if businesses were letting toxic gases escape then they would be prosecuted immediately!
The council should do a survey of all city businesses and ask them the
reasons for leaving their lights on. Is it for extra security, or merely advertising purposes? Or, more likely, just because everyone else does it? How many people actually walk past the shops at night to go window shopping? Perhaps an increase in council tax to those who refuse to see the sense of saving energy would be sensible. Why are we so frightened of legislation to combat this problem - if businesses were letting toxic gases escape then they would be prosecuted immediately!
Posted by: Alan on 9:45pm Tue 25 Mar 08
I find that some shops are so hot that I can't wait to get out of them. Surely this doesn't help in their aim to part me from my money.
How many times do you see car park lights on during the day?
The Carbon Trust publish a huge range of free booklets. They can offer information to Businesses, Schools and Householders, go to their website (www.carbontrust.co.
uk ) and have a look. You have nothing to lose - except perhaps a bit off your energy bills.
I find that some shops are so hot that I can't wait to get out of them. Surely this doesn't help in their aim to part me from my money.
How many times do you see car park lights on during the day?
The Carbon Trust publish a huge range of free booklets. They can offer information to Businesses, Schools and Householders, go to their website (www.carbontrust.co.
uk ) and have a look. You have nothing to lose - except perhaps a bit off your energy bills.
Posted by: King Creole, Worcester on 10:21pm Tue 25 Mar 08
I suspect that many stores leave lights on at night for security reasons mainly because there are no police patrols out on foot to deter vandals and thieves. We need to get the priority of police on the beat, not in the office or car, to ameliorate that problem
I suspect that many stores leave lights on at night for security reasons mainly because there are no police patrols out on foot to deter vandals and thieves. We need to get the priority of police on the beat, not in the office or car, to ameliorate that problem
Posted by: Plasma, Malvern on 10:14am Mon 31 Mar 08
An open message to all the hoodies,yobs and vandals of Worcester... might be some good news guys! One Planet Worcester has recommended that all the shops in the high street turn their night lights out. Woweee! This means you can carry on or even increase your activities almost with impunity cos no one can see your face, even the CCTV willhave difficulty picking you out if you lob a brick through M&S window, or bash the brains out of some disabled old man hobbling his way home. You can urinate and defecate virtually everywhere increasing your anti-socialism to a higher level. To speed things up join
One Planet Worcester and support their proposal.
An open message to all the hoodies,yobs and vandals of Worcester... might be some good news guys! One Planet Worcester has recommended that all the shops in the high street turn their night lights out. Woweee! This means you can carry on or even increase your activities almost with impunity cos no one can see your face, even the CCTV willhave difficulty picking you out if you lob a brick through M&S window, or bash the brains out of some disabled old man hobbling his way home. You can urinate and defecate virtually everywhere increasing your anti-socialism to a higher level. To speed things up join
One Planet Worcester and support their proposal.
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