Homeowners may be looking for ways to
reduce their energy bills but one man and his friends use occasional weekends to take that idea to the extreme.
In a blog for the Guardian, Malcolm Handoll revealed that he will turn off the power, not for the first time, on Friday night and live without power for 48 hours.
Mr Handoll said the "power off" was inspired by childhood holidays with food cooked over a wood fire, illumination by candlelight and when entertainment wasn't inspired by technology but came from friends, family or nature.
"The nights were dark. Mornings were magical, waking to sunlight and the crackle of the wood fire. I would sit, tea in hand, watching the sun rise above the fields. Nature was alive," he said.
Whilst it is an incredible story of people getting back to nature, it would be unreasonable for anyone to suggest the UK should turn off its power supply this weekend, especially as many people will still require a power supply for various tasks.
Indeed, he readily admits that plenty of people who take part in the power-free weekends, including hundreds across the UK and United States, struggle to come to terms with life without appliances such as iPods, laptops or even hairdryers.
However, there are still some very easy ways to save energy that many homeowners in the UK may overlook.
Click Lancashire highlighted a survey from Seeus2save in November which claimed 80 per cent of people do not turn their television or DVD players off at night.
In 2006, the government said that leaving such products on standby was the equivalent to two power stations of wasted energy.
Given the amount of affordable household appliances such as kettles and microwaves, not to mention computers and consoles, that may be left switched on, there could be a lot of money leaking out the house in missed energy savings.
