Millions of Brits waste money and energy when they go on holiday

Up to 3 million Brits could leave their heating and hot water switched on when they go on holiday this summer, wasting money and energy in the process, according to research released today by smart home firm PassivSystems. A further 9 million could leave electrical items turned on.

With more than half of British holiday-makers securing bargain breaks by booking holidays up to three months in advance, the online survey by YouGov on behalf of PassivSystems highlights the unnecessarily wasted energy and money in homes across the UK.

One in ten (8 per cent) Brits admitted to having left the heating and hot water on when they go on holiday with 25 per cent confessing to having left electrical items on. With 37.4 millions British adults (76 per cent) planning a summer holiday this year, the impact on household energy bills and carbon emissions could be significant.

Most people (52 per cent) who left things on when they went on holiday did so because they forgot, but one in five said they did so because they felt the impact on their energy bill and the environment was minimal.

“When you are getting ready for your holiday there are a thousand and one things to remember,” said Colin Calder, CEO, PassivSystems. “The problem is that leaving the heating and hot water on can be expensive and the sheer volume of energy wasted across the millions of households all adds up.

“After looking hard for a bargain break people really don’t want to come back from holiday to a nasty surprise on their next energy bill. But leading such busy lives and with a lot of boiler and heating controls difficult to work, many people avoid adjusting them when they are getting ready for their holiday.”

People’s forgetfulness may also be explained by the general lack of awareness on the impact that the energy they use at home has on overall UK carbon emissions - just nine per cent thought emissions from private property were one of the three most significant contributors. UK households are in fact responsible for 29 per cent of all UK carbon emissions.

“One household in isolation might not make much difference but millions combined certainly does,” continued Colin Calder. “If the UK is to meet its carbon emission targets then effective energy management has to begin at home. But if people can’t remember or are just too busy, there is internet-connected technology available today that can automatically manage household energy for them. They can even control and monitor their home ‘s energy use from their smart phone, so things can be turned off whilst in the taxi to the airport.”

PassivEnergy is PassivSystems’ home energy management product, a system which can reduce energy use in homes by up to 18 per cent by managing a household’s energy more effectively. It also allows consumers to notify their system about holidays up to 12 months in advance, ensuring that the house runs at a low energy state for the duration of their holiday and powers up to be at optimal comfort levels on their return.

Related categories:  Energy saving technologies   Environmental technologies for Residential and Green homes 

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