Press release

Des Bishop unplugged!

7th September 2009: ESB Customer Supply and 'In the name of the Fada' star, Des Bishop, have joined forces to save energy.

ESB and Ireland's leading comedy star will highlight just how easy it is to save money by becoming more energy efficient. Des has brought ESB Customer Supply's energy guru, Jim Curran, into his home and is documenting his experience on a new blog at www.desbishopunplugged.ie.

Speaking at the launch of the blog in the Science Gallery, Trinity College in Dublin today, Monday September 7th, Des said he had invited ESB Customer Supply into his house to help him make small changes that could lead to big savings.

"Like the TV shows I have done before, I hope that the experiences I have will help people who follow my progress to change their behaviour too," he said.

Fans will be able to follow Des's progress through the blog and watch him learn how to make electricity savings and reduce his bills. Content on the blog already includes a short video revealing what happens when Des brings Jim Curran into his house for the first time.

ESB Customer Supply's Customer Relationship Manager, Louise Murphy, said "our priority is to provide information and advice on the efficient use of electricity to enable our customers to reduce their electricity usage and therefore their costs. Energy savings in the home and business can be easily achieved and this initiative between us and Des Bishop will alert householders on how simple changes to consumption can cut costs".

"We think a lot of people will be able to relate to Des and benefit from this", she added.

Never one to shy away from a subject, Des regularly grapples with social issues such as poverty and testicular cancer. He is now turning his attention to the issue of energy efficiency. And the digital environment is an ideal place for him to share his learning with a wider audience.

"I think like most people I have become desensitised to the constant flashes of information about what we need to do to get our energy usage down," he says. "I always think I must do something but I really have not done anything - I have no energy efficient bulbs in my house, I use my tumble dryer no matter what and of course I still forget to turn off the immersion."

Bishop's comedy has been heavily influenced by his observations of Irish society, with his experiences incorporated into his comedy material. One of his most famous observations was on the Irish use of immersions - "for years that was just a punch line in a routine. But this is serious business and it's no joke. I jumped at the chance to get some help in changing the way I use electricity as I feel it is the responsible and the smart thing to do in these more frugal times".

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