The consumption of domestic and office equipment in stand-by mode is estimated to be 20 TWh/year i Germany and a similar level in France.

The rational use of energy and protection of the environment are included in the objectives of the Stadtwerke Tübingen GmbH. Side by side with its programmes to subsidise and expand cogeneration, the supplier of energy to the town of Tübingen is basing its activity above all on a service in close touch with its customers with a view to increasing profitability and better protecting the environment.

Responsible management and the interest taken in its customers have been key factors in inducing customer loyalty following the liberalisation of the electricity market.

In 1991, the Stadtwerke Tübingen was one of the first energy distributing Companies in Germany to carry out a programme for subsidising white goods.

Anyone who selected a household appliance with a low rate of energy consumption received a grant at the shop subsidised by the Stadtwerke and the specialised shops. The Stadtwerke acted as precursors and its actions demonstrated that the commitment of an electricity distribution Company could lead to a noticeable reduction in the average energy consumption of households.

The programme subsidising white goods was followed by a variety of actions on lighting, during which approximately 7,000 low consumption bulbs were distributed or sold at reduced prices, in conjunction with local specialised shops.

The programme of action intended to reduce consumption in stand-by mode was launched in the autumn of 1996. The Stadtwerke Tübingen has drawn up a programme to encourage consumption in stand-by mode in September 1996, i.e. before the start of the SAVE project in January 1998. This programme provides encouragement for the purchase of television sets and video tape recorders with low consumption in stand-by mode through a subsidy of 25 Euros.

Through the early implementation of measures, the Stadtwerke has succeeded in stopping the annual increase in CO2 emissions in the town, which were of the order of 40,000 t. It has thus been able to maintain the production of CO2 at a level that has been almost constant between 1987 and 1997, at approximately 420,000 t.

A total assessment – without taking account of the emissions from vehicle traffic – shows that it has been possible to reduce the specific emissions of CO2 per person per year by 1 %. This, as well as the expansion of cogeneration, is the result of a group of programmes to save energy.

Apart from the programme on stand-by, we should also mention the following programmes :

Stadtwerke Tübingen

//1991

case

Urban Policy > Urban environment

Environmental sustainability