THERE were glow-sticks all round but it wasn't your average party.

Members of the Shirley Warren community got together in a bid to save energy and reduce the cost of household bills.

Part of a national research project to teach people how to use less electricity the event saw dozens of families switch off their lights at peak times.

With prizes of a slow cooker - which is cheaper than using an oven - and LED light bulbs the event at Shirley Warren Action Church was organised by Shirley Warren Working Together group, who have been making themselves heard for over a year with a new community cafe, parent toddler groups and arts and crafts activities at the Warren Crescent base.

Now information gathered from the community about what will help them use less electricity will be used by The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and rolled out across the country, in a bid to get people using less electricity at peak times.

Organiser Judith Sellwood said around 20 per cent of your electricity bill goes towards keeping the network in good working order. As part of the local strategy, the aim is to use less electricity during the peak evening time, easing the pressure on the community network and reducing the need to constantly increase the capacity of the system - which comes back to consumers in the form of increased bills. She said: "It's trying to get people interested in the message. If less electricity is used at peak times then it reduces maintenance costs for the network".

Shirley Warren is one of only two communities in the Solent area selected to participate in the SAVE ‘Community Coaching’ research project. The other is Kings Worthy in Winchester.