The Power of Laughter: Fringe ‘LOL’ could power a home for six days!

• Energy produced from laughter at the Edinburgh Fringe could power a home for around six days
• New research conducted by Scottish Gas used smart meter data to calculate how much energy and laughter was needed to power household electrical items
• Scottish Gas has installed more than 30,000 smart meters in homes across Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe closed its doors on Saturday having had the most popular run in the event’s 70-year history. Today, new research has revealed the power of the Fringe’s laughter levels. The analysis, carried out by Scottish Gas, discovered that the energy generated from laughter at this year’s festival would power the average home in Edinburgh for nearly six days!

Statistically, the average person burns 100 calories if they laugh for an hour, and this year the Fringe featured 21,292 performances focused solely on comedy.  Using data from smart meters, Scottish Gas has also worked out that 2017 Fringe laughter would produce enough energy to power:

• 20,800 charges of a smart phone
• An LCD TV continuously for around almost 21 days

Scottish Gas also calculated that the laughter would power:

• 83 rotations of the Falkirk Wheel
• 2 return trips on the Edinburgh Trams from York Place to Edinburgh Airport

A lifetime of LOLs

With the Fringe marking its 70^th birthday this year, Scottish Gas analysed the power of a Lifetime of LOL (Laughing out Loud). They found that if the current population of Edinburgh laughed for an hour a day for 70 years, it would produce enough energy to power a home in Edinburgh for nearly two years.

Scottish Smart Energy Expert, Stephen Cosgrove, who installs smart meters across Edinburgh for Scottish Gas, said: “Everyone enjoys a good laugh, but it’s interesting to imagine how our chuckles and chortles could power a home!

“I’m sure monitoring your energy use will be the last thing on your mind when you’re out having fun. But simple steps – such as switching appliances off at the wall rather leaving them on stand-by before you go out – can help keep energy use in check.

“Having smart meters installed for free can help too. They automatically send meter readings to your energy supplier so you don’t have to. And they come with a smart energy monitor that shows you how much energy is being used and how much is being spent, in pounds and pence, in near real time.”

Scottish Gas has installed more than 30,000 smart meters in homes across Edinburgh. To find out more visit www.scottishgas.co.uk/smart