Des Bishop shows us how to save

If you bump into Des Bishop on the street today, you might find yourself cursing under your breath about that bloody ESB bill you forgot to pay. The dreaded envelopes, with Bishop’s face emblazoned across them, have been landing on doorsteps around the country. But he’s taking it in his stride. “No, I didn’t know they were going to do that,” he laughs. “But I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m hassling people for money. In fact, I’m showing them how to save.”

Bishop is currently taking part in an ESB-sponsored experiment to see what changes he can make to reduce his energy consumption. He’s allowed energy-efficiency guru Jim Curran into his home to offer advice and tips, and is documenting the experience on a blog. What’s the maximum saving that can be made for the minimum outlay of effort? “Putting a timer on the immersion,” he says. “You set it to run a half hour in the morning, a half hour in the evening. We’re not talking mega-savings here. But if everybody does it, that adds up.” www.desbishopunplugged.ie