Antrim Councillor Alan Lawther said: “I would also call on people to replace old light bulbs with new energy efficiency ones and ask people to make greater efforts to switch off lights in rooms they are not using. These are small steps but they make a difference to the environment and in people’s pockets.
“Installing insulation and draft proofing are other measures which would help save much money and I would strongly encourage people to invest in these if they do not already have them.
“I would call for the Executive and Northern Ireland Electricity to at the very least consider the use of a smart electricity grid. With a system like that individual consumers can see in their houses what they are paying. It would mean that peak electricity demand would goes down and let people economise better.
“The introduction of smart meters could help Northern Ireland brand itself as a green world leader and this region could be brilliant pilot zone for this project. It would help reduce energy consumption and pinpoint those who use electricity without paying..”
ENDS