THE wealth of items available to borrow from the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library now includes energy monitors to help visitors save power and money.

THE wealth of items available to borrow from the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library now includes energy monitors to help visitors save power and money.

Along with the books, DVDs and console games, the energy monitors can be borrowed during the pilot scheme being run by Norfolk County Council's Library Service and the Norwich Carbon Reduction Trust (NCRT).

They are available for free from the sound and vision pick-up point on the ground floor for three week periods.

Derrick Murphy, the county council's cabinet member for cultural services, said: “Libraries have for a long time provided the public with an environmentally-conscious and budget-friendly way to borrow and read a huge selection of books, and over time CDs, DVDs, console games and free access to PCs and the internet have been added.

“I think making these monitors available to borrow free of charge will appeal to a much wider range of people than those who would consider buying one and will prove very popular at a time when almost everyone is keen to find ways to save money.”

The six OWL Wireless Energy Monitors, which can be reserved through all libraries across Norfolk, work by being clipped around the energy supply to a house and transmitting usage to a wireless receiver.

They can be programmed to show not only how much energy in kilowatts per hour is being used but also how much this costs in pence.

By seeing the immediate impact that is made by switching off unnecessary devices or replacing standard light bulbs with energy saving alternatives, people who use the monitors tend to reduce their electricity use and see a saving on their energy bill.

Brenda Arthur, NCRT chairman, said: “We know from experience that using one of these monitors for just a couple of weeks can help people change the way they use energy in their homes. The resulting changes enable them to make significant savings in their fuel bills as well as reducing their carbon footprint. We are pleased to be working with the Norfolk Library Service on this initiative.”

If the scheme proves popular, more monitors may become available from other libraries in the county.

Monitors can be reserved by library members in any Norfolk County Council library or via www.libraries.norfolk.gov.uk by searching the online catalogue for energy monitor.