WIN! An energy-saving Intelliplug!

Automatically reduce energy wasted by computer equipment with the Intelliplug!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

You may switch your computer off properly each time you've finish using it but do you always remember to also switch off your monitor? How about your printer or speakers? And don't forget your external hard drive, scanner, internet modem and more.

With so many peripherals plugged into desktop PCs these days, it's easy to miss something and leave equipment left on, wasting energy and costing you money.

The Intelliplug helps you to reduce the electricity you potentially waste by leaving computer peripherals on. Simply plug your PC tower into the main socket and then your peripherals (or extension leads) into the other sockets.

The Intelliplug then detects when you switch your PC tower off and automatically powers down related equipment within 5 seconds - so you can switch off your PC and all the peripherals with just one press of a button.

The competition is open until 28th April and is free to enter to anyone who registers with the Big Green Switch website. Other terms & conditions apply.

So click here now for your chance to win an energy-saving Intelliplug!

Earth Hour deemed a success by organisers

Tens of millions of people switched off their lights for Earth Hour over the weekend according to reports.

The initiative, first held in Sydney last year, has now become a global event with people in every continent, including Antartica, taking part. As a result, cities around the world were plunged into darkness between 8pm and 9pm local time on Saturday evening to highlight the issues of energy waste and climate change.

Results from "host nation" Australia suggest that over half of the country's adult population took part in the event, with Energy Australia, the company which supplies most of the electricity to Sydney, reporting around an 8.4% drop in energy usage in the city during Earth Hour.

Elsewhere, another 25 international Earth Hour "flagship cities" switched off in 10 countries across the globe alongside an additional 370 supporting cities, making Earth Hour the largest voluntary power down event in history.

Read more about the event at the official Earth Hour website.

Did you take part in Earth Hour? Do you think that events like these can have a positive impact on raising global awareness of climate change issues? Have your say by clicking here.

WIN! A Kitchen Composter for your home!

Turn all kitchen waste into perfect compost and plant feed with this Kitchen Composter Set!


CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!



Cooked or raw meat, fish, vegetables, salad, dairy and all can be transformed with ease into rich garden compost and quality liquid plant feed.

Simply put it all into the airtight container, sprinkle in a handful of Bokashi bran and let the micro-organisms get to work. After just a few weeks, the contents are transformed into compost which can then be added to your main compost heap or put straight into the ground.

The Composter is odour-free and airtight so it's perfectly safe and hygienic to keep indoors. You can win a Composter kit complete with scoop, inner drain tray and 2 months supply of Bokashi by completing the entry form here.



The competition is open until 21st April and is free to enter to anyone who registers with the Big Green Switch website. Other terms & conditions apply.


So click here now for your chance to win a kitchen composter!

Walk in The Woods Month

The Tree Council’s month-long festival to encourage everyone to enjoy trees and woods in Spring will take place this May.

Across the UK, walks, talks and other events take place in town and countryside throughout May - a great month to go down to the woods or to a local park or just enjoy tree-lined streets. Spring flowers, bird song and fresh green leaves make this idea particularly inviting.

A walk in the woods is a great green way to spend the day. Trees and woods are critical in supporting life on this planet, including humanity. They reduce pollution, generate oxygen, store carbon, help stabilise the soil, and provide us with renewable raw materials and shelter. Woods also greatly improve urban areas. They help to clean the air, reduce storm water run off, reduce noise and pollution, reduce asthma levels and also contribute intangibly to our sense of wellbeing.

Woods provide a beautiful, natural setting in which to enjoy the day with family or friends. A walk is not only great exercise, it’s much better for the environment than a day in front of the television or in the car. In a wood, you are close to nature and it’s easy to remember why it is so important to save our beautiful planet.

To see what’s happening in your area, have a look at the events list. Or you could organise your own event and get new people interested in trees and the environment, especially in their local patch. A particular aim of Walk in the Woods is to attract people who rarely, if ever, visit woods - even those on their doorstep.

To find out more about this event click here.

Switch off for Earth Hour - March 29th

Created to take a stand against climate chnage, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

Originating in Sydney in 2007, the Earth Hour campaign has now gained global attention. This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world. As a result, at 8pm on 29 March 2008 millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities, including Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tel Aviv will unite and switch off for Earth Hour.

Cities around the world, including many in the UK, will be taking part in this amazing international event so why not make sure that you, your friends and family and everyone else you know are aware of the event and take part.

Find out more at the official website - http://www.earthhour.org/ - and remember to switch off on March 29th at 8pm.

WIN! A mini rainsaver kit for your garden!

Collect rainwater from your house, shed, garage or greenhouse with this fantastic space-saving Mini Rainsaver™ Kit. ENTER NOW!

This Mini Rainsaver™ kit has everything you need to start collecting rainwater from your home, greenhouse, shed or garage to use on your garden.

The kit includes a space-saving water butt which can hold up to 100 litres of water plus a stand and tap for it.

Also included is a Rainsaver™ diverter kit to help you easily connect your water butt to a drainpipe. The diverter then sends water from your gutter into the butt until it is full and then reverts to allowing water to go into the drain, avoiding any overflowing problems.

The competition is open until 14th April and is free to enter to anyone who registers with the Big Green Switch website. Other terms & conditions apply.

Enter now at http://www.biggreenswitch.co.uk/competitions/win-mini-rainsaver-kit

Find many more great water-saving products like this in the Big Green Shop!

Have a green Easter!

With Easter just around the corner, we've come up with a few simple ways to still enjoy all the tradition and fun of the holiday with less of the environmental impact.

The Big Green Switch guide to having a greener Easter is full of tips and ideas for a fun and eco-friendly holiday weekend.

Features include how to opt for a greener Easter egg with less environmental impact, other alternate green Easter gift ideas and our guide to decorating Easter eggs the natural way.

Plus don't forget our fab Big Green Easter Egg Hunt where you could win £100 of eco-friendly gifts and gadgets of your choice!

Click here for our tips for a green Easter.

Green video: How to foil-back your radiators

As part of the Big Green Switch's "Make the LEAP" campaign, we asked everyone to get involved and capture their energy-saving actions on camera.

However, a colleague here in the office at Big Green Switch went one step further and videoed himself in action carrying out his leap day pledge! Watch Nic's video below on how to foil-back your radiators.

WIN! Eco-office goodies to green up your workspace!

Turn your work desk or home office into a eco-haven with a fantastic set of eco-friendly office gadgets, stationery and accessories.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER NOW!

The prize pack includes:

Ecobutton
This latest energy-saving gadget helps you to quickly and safely power down your computer at the touch of a button every time you take a break, go for a meeting or take a phone call.

USB Cell Batteries
Never be without portable power again with this great rechargable batteries which can be charged while you work on your PC.

Intellipanel
Eliminate energy wastage from your desktop computer or laptop set-up with the Intellipanel socket. Automatically powers down all your peripherals once you switch your main computer off.

Recycled mousemat
Unique design made from recycled computer circuit boards.

H2O calculator
Yes, it's a water-powered calculator! Just filling the battery with water generates enough power to last for up to 3 months.

Recycled stationery set
Set of two notebooks made from recycled car tyres and juice cartons plus a pack of pens made from recycled car parts.

Stapleless Ecostapler
Never run out of staples again with this great gadget which clips pages together by cutting and folding the paper in one action.

Recycled coasters
Rest your mug on a rock n roll classic with this set of drinks coasters made from recycled vintage vinyl LPs.

The competition is open until 31st March and is free to enter to anyone who registers with the Big Green Switch website. Other terms & conditions apply.

Enter now at http://www.biggreenswitch.co.uk/competitions/win-eco-office-gadgets

Did you make the LEAP?

Tonnes of CO2 emissions could be cut as a result of pledges made to the Big Green Switch's Make the LEAP towards a greener lifestyle campaign.

Our campaign asked everyone to think of this year's leap day as an extra day in their lives and to pledge to put some time aside to do something green on the day.

We've been inundated with pledges from all over the UK from people pledging to do everything from fitting low energy light bulbs and starting compost heaps to foil-backing radiators and installing water butts.

Leap day pledges in action: Your photos have come into us of you tackling your green activities. Click here to see a selection of leap day pledgers in action!