As the Isle of Wight recovers from the recent cold snap, and prepares for another, new research shows energy saving life hacks are among the most popular ways for people to be thrifty at home.
Barratt Homes, which is bringing new homes to Newport and East Cowes, joined forces with a leading research company to find out the lengths people go to to be thrifty at home. Interestingly, the study found that energy-saving life hacks, like turning off the lights and opting for a shower over a bath, were among the most popular ways of saving money.
Around 68% of the 2,000 questioned said they turn the lights off and more than 54% say they shower rather than bath to save money. Another 51% always make sure to turn off the telly and other appliances – rather than relying on ‘stand by’ buttons.
Michelle Storer, Barratt Homes’ sales director, has said:
“It’s great to see that the steps people are taking to save money are also good for the environment. Cutting down our energy use can be good for our pockets as well as the world we live in.”
Other energy saving tricks respondents said they used to be thrifty at home included wearing more clothes rather than putting the heating on (46%), only boiling a cup’s worth of water when they’re making a cup of tea (35%) and only heating the rooms they’re in (20%).
Using draft excluders and setting washing machines or dishwashers to run in eco mode at night also featured in responses. More than a quarter (28%) said they eat out of date food to be thrifty and 19% are happy to upcycle old furniture or clothes.
Michelle added:
“There are some who do absolutely nothing to reduce their spending (7%) but they are very much in the minority. None of us likes to deliberately waste money, and we are seeing many homebuyers who specifically choose new-build properties for the money-saving benefits they bring.
“There are significant savings to be had on heating bills alone. In fact the advanced technology we install during the construction process can help people put aside around £1,300 each year if they live in one of our four bedroom houses – compared with an improved Victorian property – also with four bedrooms.
“Very few of us have the luxury of being able to throw our hard-earned money away so, at Barratt, we do all we can to build homes that are designed to help people make the most of their finances, whilst enjoying all the modern comforts of living in a new-build property.”
