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Find out how you can start saving energy in your sleep
Exhausted Brits are wasting nearly £44m a year leaving TVs and PCs on while they are asleep, according to new research findings unveiled today to mark Energy Saving Week (20-26 October).
This amounts to enough to pay the annual electricity bills of 78,000 households and generates as much carbon dioxide as driving round the world 19,000 times.
A survey of 6,000 adults across five European countries has found that Brits' worst nocturnal habit is leaving the TV on or on standby with almost half of Brits surveyed confessing to doing this. And Brits are among the worst in Europe for leaving a light on when they go to bed, with 25 per cent of those surveyed admitting this compared to only seven per cent in France and Spain.
However, Brits are far less likely than their European neighbours to leave the heating on overnight, with only 14 per cent of us in the habit, compared to 26 per cent in Germany, 29 per cent in France and 33 per cent in Sweden.
Making the change
Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, commented: "It's hard to believe that in the current economic climate we're effectively dreaming away this kind of cash but the good news is that we can easily do something about it. Just by turning appliances off properly when they are not in use and avoiding standby, householders in the UK could collectively save over £900 million a year."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "We want everyone to have a warm, well- insulated home, wherever they live. That's why I am encouraging everyone to take advantage of the help and advice from the Energy Saving Trust this Energy Saving Week. Every measure makes a difference, from switching to energy saving light bulbs to installing proper wall and loft insulation, and we've guaranteed discounts of up to 50 per cent when you have this work done in your home. For many people, including everyone over 70, insulation is now free. These measures, part of the extra £1 billion we've made available this year for 'green' home improvements, will help people save money by saving energy."
The Green/Life Balance research was commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust – the UK's leading organisation set up to help people fight climate change – and undertaken by ICM Research. Two thousand people throughout the UK and 1,000 each across France, Spain, Sweden, and Germany took part in the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken into different European countries' attitudes towards finding time to be green and how they are incorporating it into their lifestyles.
Do something green
Energy Saving Trust chief executive Philip Sellwood is calling for Brits to take just 10 minutes during Energy Saving Week to do something green. He said: "It's clear from our research that people in the UK and across Europe want to be green if only they had time...work and family responsibilities just keep getting in the way.
"This week is the perfect opportunity to discover your green/life balance – however much time you do or don't have. We're urging people to take just ten minutes during Energy Saving Week to make time to change their households' habits to help fight climate change.
"It doesn't take long to get things started – there are lots of things you can do in just 10 minutes. For instance, if everyone in the UK turned their TV off standby before they went to bed we could save as much carbon dioxide as is produced by the average UK car driving 330 million miles. As this study shows, we can even save energy in our sleep!"
One of the UK's leading financial psychology saving experts Benjamin Fry is working with the Energy Saving Trust to show consumers how saving energy can save money too. He commented: "This research shows that householders across the UK can save money while catching up on rest and banishing nocturnal energy nightmares, as well helping to prevent climate change by taking simple everyday energy-saving measures...there are lots of things you can do in just 10 minutes.
"According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average household can save around £340 a year by being more energy-efficient and with the credit crunch unlikely to ease any time soon, there has never been a better time to start living a greener life."
To find out more about what can be done – whether in 10 minutes or a whole weekend – during Energy Saving Week, householders should call their local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512012 for free impartial advice or click on the link above.
