15 Jan 2015 | By Sun International
Join the Table Bay Hotel Team and Switch Off Something
The summer sunshine has got us all working our air-conditioners overtime and trying our best to beat the heat. But that’s not conducive to saving electricity and, as South Africa, and the world at large, needs to stay on the good side of electricity-related issues, the team at the Table Bay Hotel has committed to implementing and actively participating in a great new campaign.
Pop in to the hotel during 2015, and you’ll find the team have adopted a new strategy to help the hotel save energy and help guests make a difference too. As a Sun International environmental sustainability initiative, the Table Bay Hotel has initiated its Switch Off Something (SOS) programme, beginning in January 2015.
It starts within
The Table Bay Hotel team recognised that the best way to help guests save electricity, was to start internally, and each staff member has committed to participating in the Switch Off Something (SOS) campaign. This campaign forms part of the hotel’s longstanding commitment to conserving electricity and creating opportunities for all guests and staff to positively contribute to a more energy-efficient lifestyle at the hotel.
The SOS campaign is more than just a once-off initiative. As a proudly environmentally conscious or green hotel in Cape Town, the Table Bay Hotel has been committed to creating an energy efficient establishment for years. By investing in energy-saving technologies like energy efficient lighting, heat pumps and new LED television sets in the suites, the Table Bay Hotel’s commitment is evident throughout the establishment.
The hotel also regularly participates in events and initiatives that are focused on sustainability and highlighting important energy-related issues, like the annual Earth Hour campaign. In fact, during Earth Hour 2009, the Table Bay Hotel created an event around turning off the lights, treating guests and visitors to a performance by Cecil J Peters.
Getting the team behind energy-saving techniques
General Manager, Sherwin Banda, believes that the Table Bay Hotel team plays an important role in helping the SOS campaign meet its objectives and actively conserve electricity. It’s for this reason that the Switch Off Something (SOS) campaign has first focused on the staff of the Table Bay Hotel. Banda says: “A substantial amount of energy can be saved purely through behavioural change. We want to incubate a culture of energy saving among our people and encourage them to adopt energy-wise ways of working which they can also use at home to reduce their own consumption and costs.”
How the Table Bay Hotel will Switch Off Something
Promotional materials, including posters, stickers and newsletters are being distributed to all Table Bay Hotel staff, which list useful tips on how they can save power by switching off non-essential lights and appliances. But that’s not all.
Tapping in to the competitive streak, the Table Bay Hotel has also implemented a competition component as part of the internal campaign, offering staff cash and other prizes for actively supporting the SOS campaign.
How You Too Can Switch Off Something
But it’s not just about switching off non-essential lights and items when you’re at the hotel. Simple actions like turning off lights when you leave a room at home, or depending on open windows for airflow, rather than air-conditioners can make a huge difference, not only to utility bills but also to the world around us.
By showing guests how easy it is to save electricity through simple actions, the Table Bay Hotel hopes to help them take the lessons home, and, together, we can all commit to saving a little power.