Top ten energy wasting habits cost householders £263 a year.
The recent “Habits of a lifetime” report by the Energy Savings Trust highlighted the most prolific energy wasting habits. We have estimated that these habits cost householders up to £263 a year. The typical householder can save £112 per year merely by changing their behaviour.
To realise these savings householders do not need to purchase any energy efficient appliances, light bulbs, or install insulation or update the central heating system. (Although these types of investment would only increase the amount householders could save.)
The top ten wasteful habits as identified by the Energy Savings Trust and how much they cost us each year, are:
| Over-rev the car engine | £64 |
| Use the car for short journeys |
£60 |
| Leave appliances on standby | £38 |
| Use the tumble dryer when the washing line could be used | £32 |
| Leave the engine running while the car is stationary | £27 |
| Wash clothes at 60 degrees instead of 40 degrees | £14 |
| Leave the heating on while the house is unoccupied | £13 |
| Boil more water than needed in the kettle | £ 9 |
| Forget to turn lights off in unoccupied rooms | £ 4 |
| Leave electrical chargers plugged in | £ 2 |
Changing our behaviour saves money and reduces the amount of CO2 we are responsible for. These wasteful habits are responsible for 16% of our total household and motoring CO2 emissions.