Amid energy crisis, Britons turn to self-powering gym

Published time: 3 Jan, 2014 14:06

Energy prices in the UK have been rising so fast it prompted a national debate on how to keep electricity supplies in check. In a bid to solve the problem, a British gym has started harnessing the energy of its users to generate its own electricity.

TagsEcology, UK, Austerity, Polly Boiko

The customers sweating in this Bristol gym are not just sweating to burn calories – they’re generating electricity at the same time. The technology used here is used to turn the exercise machines into mini-power generators.

“Our electricity bill, for example, is 8,000 pounds [$13,000] a month. With the new equipment that’s come in, we are seeing it reduced by about 1,500 pounds [$2,500] a month. For us, it’s quite a significant saving,” Jason Eaton, the gym's general manager, told RT’s Polly Boiko.

Installing the energy-efficient equipment is better not only for the company, but for the environment as well. The idea is so simple it’s hard to believe that only one equipment manufacturer has so far embraced it.

For more, watch the report by RT’s Polly Boiko.