SIR — It was a privilege to be involved in last week's energy-saving Open Homes scheme, organised by Transition Minehead and Alcombe and brilliantly co-ordinated by Hester Watson and Lorna Scott.

Under the scheme, 22 homes across West Somerset opened their doors to the public to demonstrate ways to save energy, and ours was one of them. We thought we were energy-aware, but it wasn't until we began to look closely at our facts and figures in preparation for the week that we began to realise just how much energy we are still wasting.

We discovered no less than 20 appliances around the house left needlessly on standby - no less than five of them busily heating transformers to no purpose. In our kitchen alone, three different machines were telling us (slightly different) time, while our cold-fill washing machine and electric showers were busy NOT using our wonderful solar-heated hot water.

So it's off at the switch with all unnecessary appliances, in with the plumber for a tank-fed shower, down to the second-hand shop for a hot-fill washer and thank you to the Open Homes organisers - the week didn't just open our homes, it opened our eyes too! And whether it's to save money or to save the planet, that's got to be a good thing!

Elizabeth Atkinson and Emily Feldberg,

Address supplied.