The Big Switch Off: People urged to switch off lights to save energy and make the most of dark skies

An event aimed at getting people to switch off their lights and make the most of dark skies is returning.

The Big Switch Off event is returning to the Lake District on Thursday 23 February, from 7pm.

Across Ambleside and Grasmere, street lights will be turned off and businesses and residents are encouraged to take part by turning their own lights off.

The event is designed to combat wasting energy by leaving lights on when not needed which adds to electricity bills and releases more carbon emissions.

The event also looks to highlight how artificial light at night is also harmful to wildlife, can damage people’s sleep patterns affecting long-term health, and creates light pollution when too bright or badly fitted.

Jack Ellerby, Friends of the Lake District’s Dark Skies Cumbria Officer, said: “Last February the clear skies gave a really impressive show of thousands of stars after all the lights went off.

"I talked to visitors and residents out and about and they were so pleased to have the opportunity to see so many stars.

"This year we’ve created a ‘Dark Skies room brochure’ leaflet for accommodation business guests to encourage them to step outside, look up and be wowed by how many stars they can see.”

Gillian Kelly, of Ambleside Action For A Future, said: “The annual Big Switch Off is about encouraging all of us to reduce the wasteful use of energy, to ask ourselves, do we really need so many lights on all through the night?

"Seeing lots of lights go off is a highly visible way of getting the broader messages across to safeguard climate stability and help to reverse the severe declines to our threatened wildlife.

"Lots of individual small actions add up to make a collective improvement for people and the planet.”

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