Businesses and households will be switching off to save electricity while joining in with Earth Hour from 8.30pm tomorrow night.

The likes of City Hall, Chapelfield Shopping Centre, Norwich Castle and The Forum will all go dark as they switch off all but essential lighting.

Fifty households have also pledged to mark Earth Hour and a troupe of fire-eaters and musicians will add to the fuel-free celebrations outside The Forum.

Organised by WWF, the World Wildlife Fund, the Earth Hour is co-ordinated locally by Norwich Carbon Reduction Trust and is funded and supported by Norwich City Council and Chapelfield Shopping Centre.

Richard Willson, environmental strategy manager at the city council, said: 'It's one small step we can all take to show we care about our environment.'

Several of the organisations participating in Norwich are taking big steps to improve their environmental performance. Chapelfield Shopping Centre recycles 95pc of all its waste and the city council has saved nearly �300,000 from its energy bills and those of its contractors since 2009.

Geoff Tucker, marketing director of Norse Commercial Services, said: 'Norse will be celebrating this global event by switching off all non-essential lights at our Fifers Lane headquarters and other sites.

'We have encouraged our employees to join in at home and spread the message to friends and family.'

The organisations which are 'switching off' in Norwich include; Norwich Theatre Royal, The Playhouse, Archant Norfolk, Caf� Bar Marzanos, St Peter Mancroft Church, St Andrews Hall and Investing Ethically.

- Are you doing something unusual to mark Earth Hour? Contact reporter David Freezer on 01603 772418 or david.freezer@archant.co.uk