South Africans joined the rest of the world when they switched off their lights for Earth Hour from 20:30 to 21:30 on Saturday night and together they saved 410 MW, Eskom has announced.

Earth Hour is a global call for the protection of the planet and for people to take a stand against climate change. Each year on the last Saturday of March, South Africans join thousands of people around the globe and use their collective voice to inspire, motivate and lead the charge on their hopes, dreams and concerns about the planet.

In a terse statement on Monday Eskom said it “encourages people to take action beyond this one hour and to make energy efficiency and environmental conservation part of their daily lifestyles”.