AN environmentally-friendly café is giving its customers free tea and coffee if they sign a pledge to take part in the Big Switch Off.

Staff at the Eco Café at the Fold, Bransford, near Malvern, said they would also be practising what they preach by turning off all their lights and serving food and drink by candelight between 4.30pm and its closing time of 8pm tomorrow.

The initiative has been inspired by Worcestershire County Council’s Switch It Off campaign, which is being backed by your Worcester News.

Café manager Steve Jones said the restaurant, which has been open for about 16 months, serves locally-sourced produce, has a wood chip heater and solar power so the Switch It Off campaign naturally fits in with its values.

He said: “It is the core of what we do – to exist in a sustainable way.”

Mr Jones said he has had a good response to the pledge system so far.

“We took part last year and did a similar thing but it was not long after we had opened so we didn’t get many responses,” he said. “This year we have got it sorted well in time for the start of the campaign so we have got all of the promotional material.”

The Switch It Off campaign, which started at the beginning of the week, urges people, schools and workplaces in the county to do their bit for the environment and save some money at the same time.

People are being encouraged to turn off unwanted lights and electrical appliances left on standby.

Central Networks has been monitoring electricity consumption since Monday and Worcestershire achieved a five per cent reduction in energy demand during the Big Switch Off last year. This year’s Big Switch Off takes place between 4.30pm and 6.30pm tomorrow.

For more information contact the county council’s assistant sustainability officer Heather Lammas on 01905 766855 or visit worcestershiregov.uk/switchitoff.