Manchester faces the change of the Light Brigade

Manchester at dusk: how many of the lights need to be on?

Mancunians are being asked to spotlight the city's energy wasters by tipping-off campaigners to those buildings that leave their lights on at night.

The Light Brigade project is asking for photographs of business premises which have 24 hour lighting.

The scheme is challenging those businesses to bring down their power consumption by pressing the off switch.

Spokesperson Joe Warren says it will mean they "save money and energy and reduce their impact on climate change."

We felt that it was fitting that the city that changed our energy appetites in the Victorian era should be responsible for leading the country in an 'energy diet' for the future. Joe Warren, The Light Brigade

The idea is that once the Light Brigade team have the picture, they will contact the company to encourage them to take action and reduce wastage, emphasising the environmental and economic benefits of their reduction.

Joe says that there is no name-and-shame approach and that, in fact, there's plenty of good exposure to be had for those companies that do take heed.

"If action is taken, the company's details will be put on the website to show they are doing their best to make a difference.

"The companies can then use this positive publicity as they choose.

He adds that any business can get involved, regardless of whether their units are housed in old or new buildings.

One of many buildings in Manchester that has lights on at night

"We want to act as a catalyst for intelligent conversation about energy; if we act as a starting point for this conversation between building owners, tenants, facilities managers and those responsible for managing energy in buildings - then those that are empowered to make changes will be able to research solutions appropriate to individual circumstances."

The pilot scheme runs in Manchester until Monday 1 March when, if it is a success, it will be rolled out to other UK cities.

Joe says the city was an obvious choice for the project because of its long-standing links with energy.

"Manchester is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution - our energy usage has been spiralling out of control since then.

"So we felt that it was fitting that the city that changed our energy appetites in the Victorian era should be responsible for leading the country in an 'energy diet' for the future."

According to the website Lightpollution.org.uk, the UK wastes around £240m a year on unnecessary lighting and the problem of light pollution and large energy usage on the high street was highlighted recently by the Environment Agency.

The Agency said that the incoming Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme, which requires businesses to cut consumption or face stiff fines, will spell the end to 'on-all-night' business lighting.

It remains to be seen how it will affect business practices, but Joe says that in the interim, it's time for the commercial world to take the lead in the battle against energy wastage.

The Light Brigade team are made up of British Council Climate Champions

And while he accepts that turning off a few lights may not seem like much, Joe argues that change must start somewhere.

"Although lighting represents a fraction of our total energy use in the United Kingdom, we cannot hope to accomplish the wholesale social change in energy behaviour unless we start with the small, visible steps.

"Members of the public often look at large lit offices late at night and feel that their own personal actions aren't worth taking.

"Our campaign helps individuals to create the change they want to see in society by encouraging businesses to take those first steps."

The proposal for the Light Brigade came from the British Council Climate Champions, a group of eight young volunteers from across the UK chosen as part of the British Council's Challenge Europe project to develop their own ideas that can help to reduce carbon emissions.

If you want to help the Light Brigade, take a photograph of any building you think is causing light pollution and wasting energy and upload it to The Light Brigade website.