By Sia Ling Xin

SIMPLY switching off television sets and set-top boxes at the power sockets when they are not in use can save some 100,000 flats a total of $2.7 million in electricity costs every year.

Each household would pay $27 less each year and the amount of electricity saved would be enough for 2,700 four-room flats for a year.

A programme by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the South East Community Development Council aims to get the 100,000 or so households in the South East District to do so.

The programme, called "Switch Off Your TV And Set-top Box at the Mains and Gain!", was launched yesterday at the South East Clean and Green Singapore Carnival.

Under the programme, banners and posters will be put up at areas in the district with high levels of human traffic, such as town centres, to spread the word.

They will be up in all 14 constituencies in the district by March next year.

A survey of 100 people carried out by the NEA last month showed that more than eight in 10 of them are aware that TV sets and set-top boxes continue to consume electricity when they are in standby mode. However, only about half of them switch these appliances off at the mains.

About two in three surveyed have access to cable television, and three in four have more than one TV set at home.

People might not want to put in the little effort needed to switch off their TVs and set-top boxes as they do not realise what they can do to help save electricity collectively, said the carnival?s guest of honour, Ms Jessica Tan, Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC.

"Some of these simple daily activities that we do at home can have a big impact, and that?s what we?re trying to raise awareness of," she said.

Sales assistant Yeo Siew Eng, 37, said of the programme: "It will act as a reminder to many of us to do our part to save the planet."

At the carnival yesterday, workshops on how to lead a "green" lifestyle were held, and singersongwriter Clement Chow performed the Clean and Green Singapore theme song.

lingxin@ sph.com.sg

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