“We are petitioning the UK government to follow the example of Germany, Austria, France and Spain and mandate that digital ad screens are switched off at night to save energy,” says UK lobby group Adfree Cities. Traditional paper billboards are a more sustainable alternative, it says.
“The outdoor advertising industry is installing a huge number of digital screens in British towns and cities,” says Adfree Cities – described as ‘a network of groups across the UK who are concerned about the impacts of corporate advertising on health, wellbeing, environment, climate, communities and the local economy.’
“These bright screens are highly profitable for advertisers as they typically run around six ads per minute, compared to having a static advert on a traditional paper billboard.
“As National Grid and Ofgem warn that power cuts this winter are a distinct possibility, households are being warned that household energy rationing may be needed to reduce pressure on the Grid, while people with long-term health conditions have raised alarm over what blackouts would mean for life-saving machines such as dialysis.
“And yet, digital billboards continue to blare out ads day and night, using a massive amount of power that puts unnecessary pressure on the Grid. What is our priority? Powering homes, schools and hospitals? Or unnecessary advertising?
A recent meeting of Bristol Adblock, founder of Adfree Cities
“Just one large digital billboard uses the same electricity as 11 average UK homes per year,” says Adfree Cities. “Smaller advertising screens also require a surprisingly large amount of power – those at bus shelters use the same electricity as four UK homes, while a recent FOI request in Manchester shows that ‘on-pavement’ ad units each require the same power as three UK homes.
“These figures are calculated using industry numbers for powering the screens. That doesn’t include other energy costs associated with ad screens, such as their data servers, environmental sensors or cooling mechanisms.
“Switching off digital billboards at night, as a minimum, represents an immediate and logical energy saving measure that would reduce pressure on the Grid and save power for households, hospitals and schools where it is really needed. Germany, Austria, France, Spain and other countries across Europe have all taken this step. It’s time for the UK to follow suit.
British Airways ad on M32 digital billboard
“It might be argued that digital screens represent an environmental benefit by reducing paper use and removing the need for someone to physically travel to the site every couple of weeks to install a new billboard.
“However, modern paper production and recycling makes paper highly sustainable, while the materials used in digital screens are often either non-recyclable or not recycled and can even be toxic.
"The environmental cost of construction, including the steel, glass and rare minerals used in the electronics, is also substantial."
The petition, addressed to: Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy can be found HERE.
