When I first arrived in Moscow on my posting to Russia in December 1992 I had a terrific view from my 13th-floor window of a sea of apartment blocks, beyond which a blood-red sun sank towards the dark horizon sometime in mid-afternoon. As darkness fell, I was astonished to see that almost every single light in every window of the apartment blocks was illuminated.
Energy has traditionally been cheap in most countries of the former Soviet Union. For years that has led to little focus on saving energy. With prices beginning to rise to market levels and increasing concern about climate change, Ukraine has immense potential to cut down on carbon emissions and reduce its energy imports. Using less energy at home will also help consumers save money. With this in mind the British embassy in Kyiv is organising a digital public awareness campaign called “Save Energy! Save Money!” (in Ukrainian). As part of this we have announced a photo competition entitled “Save Energy! Stop Climate Change!” (in Ukrainian) sponsored by TNK-BP and SCM (System Capital Management).
This is exciting stuff: check out the links above to see a host of concrete examples from private households and businesses on how to save energy and how this can save you money. We are constantly expanding the advice with new ideas on how to save energy eg in the kitchen or when making home improvements. We also set out to show that the Kyiv embassy is practicing what it preaches (in Ukrainian).