University of Southampton's Annual Blackout

The annual ‘Blackout’ at the University of Southampton started in 2012, involving between 250 & 300 students and staff auditing and switching off unnecessary office equipment throughout all university buildings across campuses on one single evening. The aim is to demonstrate the potential carbon savings and financial savings from sustainable equipment management.  Over the first weekend Blackout saved 7 tonnes of Carbon, 16,000kWh of electricity (enough to power 5 family homes for a year) and over £1,600.

Blackout has since run across most Welsh universities, and is now being offered in partnership with the NUS to any Higher Education Institution, with a UK wide Blackout planned for 2015.