The OnePoll survey commissioned by UK’s leading supplier of energy saving radiator panels Heatkeeper, reveals:

1. A quarter of the 3,000 adults surveyed had changed energy suppliers in the last 12 months looking for a better deal.
2. 65% have started turning off the lights when leaving a room.
3. 40% have or will turn down their heating thermostat to save energy and reduce bills, however only 5% had fitted radiator panels, despite their ability to reduce up to 20% of heating bills (see Note 1 below).
4. Only 12% had made no energy saving changes at all.

Heatkeeper, a leading supplier of energy saving radiator panels and eco friendly products has today revealed the results of its recently commissioned independent survey into the effect of the recession and energy usage in the home. The results reveal a high proportion of recession-fuelled energy saving tactics amongst all age groups across the UK. With energy bills due to hit almost £5k a year in the next 10 years (see note 2) the importance of reducing the cost of energy has never been more critical.

The company, which aims to play a role in promoting energy efficiency commissioned the research by OnePoll to find out what impact the current economic climate is having on energy awareness across the UK. The survey focused on what type of improvements people have made during the last 12 months to be more energy efficient. Based on a nationwide sample of 3,000 adults, the research demonstrated that across the UK and all age groups, energy efficiency is at the top of people’s minds, with increased awareness fuelled by the current recession.

Bob Shire, Director of Heatkeeper said: “The survey has shown just how willing people are to be more energy efficient, especially during difficult times, but even in more prosperous times energy costs are predicted to increase well ahead of inflation and earnings and we will need to come up with new ways to save energy which are practical and affordable. Fitting radiator insulation panels is a good example of this, they can save households up to 20% of heating costs and be fitted in a weekend. But there are lots of other simple and cost effective ways to save energy, without having to shell out huge sums for solar heating or wind turbines.”

Highlights include:

1) When our parents berated us for not turning the lights off when we’d left a room we moaned, but an astonishing 65% have started making the effort to do exactly that, with this being the biggest energy saving change made within the last 12 months. The 41-55 age
group are far more likely to be in the habit of turning the lights off with under 21’s seeing it as less of a priority. Women were also more likely to switch off then men, with 70% of women switching off and only 55% of men making the effort.

2) In a highly competitive energy market the opportunity to reduce energy bills is immense. However, despite the media storm on the subject only a quarter of respondents had changed energy suppliers in the last 12 months to save money. If you live in the South East you were slightly more likely to have changed energy suppliers than those in the North.

3) As a nation we’re far more likely to make small inexpensive changes to our energy saving habits-what seem like more expensive solutions were less popular. Less than 1% had installed a wind turbine and only 2% solar water heating. Only 10% had fitted double glazing in the last year.

4) The Energy Saving Trust website was the most popular website people turned to when looking for practical advice to save energy in their home, with 25% looking there to gain insights into ways to save energy and cut costs. Only 15% looked to the government website, 7% to the Citizens Advice Bureau and the lowest of 5% to their local housing association. Surprisingly, given the poor reputation of utility companies not passing reductions in wholesale price cuts to its customers, 15% still looked to them for advice on reducing energy.

5) Nearly a quarter of those surveyed have held back on making energy saving changes to their home because of the cost involved. The expense of becoming more energy efficient and sustainable often holds people back from making more energy efficient choices, which points to the need for Government to provide incentives and subsidise more environmentally friendly solutions. Northern Ireland had the most respondents who had put their energy saving plans on hold because of the recession (37%), with the South West the least affected (18%).

6) The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced in May this year that it would fit every home in Britain with a smart meter by 2020, enabling households to measure their energy usage. A resounding 61% said they would welcome the opportunity to see at a glance how much energy they were using and consequently help them to change their behaviour towards reducing consumption.

7) Nearly three quarters said they would like to have a wider choice of energy saving devices available to install themselves, which points to the lack of available products on the market today. In fact one of the cheapest, DIY products available to install are radiator panels, and despite their ability to reduce up to 20% in energy bills only 5% of those surveyed had fitted them.

8) Attitudes towards saving energy does not vary if you own your own home or rent it. It seems everyone wants to save energy regardless.

Small print from the survey:

• Savings from the use of HEATKEEPER radiator panels have been ratified by Ofgem and endorsed in independent studies carried out by the Scottish Energy Centre, UK Atomic Energy Authority, Building Services Research and Industry Association (BSRIA) and Queen’s University, Belfast.
• Based on a medium user consuming 3,300kWh electricity and 20,500 kWh gas, on a standard plan, paying on receipt of bill with bill sizes averaged across all regions. The £4,733 figure takes into account pricing trends over the last 5 years and investment costs required by the energy industry.
• According to Ernst & Young, reported in The Times on Monday 25th May, 2009 in an article written by Robin Pagnamenta, these investment costs total £233.5 billion and imply a total bill of £8,977 or £598 a year for the next 15 years for every household. However, Ernst & Young factored in £112.5 billion for renewable generation and £15.7 billion of CERT investment. Consumers are already contributing for these items on their bills: according to Ofgem, in 2006/07, the Renewable Obligation cost each domestic consumer about £10 a year plus, under the Carbon Emission Reduction Targets (CERT) scheme we are all paying an extra £19 a year on gas and £18 on electricity to provide funding to support energy efficiency measures. Therefore, to reflect these costs across all domestic energy accounts we have added £548 a year onto household energy bills instead of the £598 a year predicted by Ernst & Young.

About the Author

Ritin Kumar

Staff Writer

RK is a staff writer for Fsh Media, the publishers of Home and Decorating Magazine. Working across all the titles, including the wedding magazine and family and parenting magazine, he spends his time working on his house or spending time with his family.