British households lose £6.2billion "into thin air"

New TV series, "HOW TO...Reduce Energy Consumption & Save Money!" can tell average British household how to save as much as £1,500 per year

Rising wholesale energy costs, burst pipes and a long cold winter can only mean one thing for Briton’s 26.5 million households – a hike in bills, not to mention CO2 emissions.

But incredibly, only six out of ten British households made any effort to reduce its energy and water consumption in 2010 – which means that 10.6 million households saw £6.2billion of their hard-earned cash evaporate into thin air – or £592 per household on gas, electricity and water bills.

Energy and water consumption now cost the average British household £1,200 and £350 respectively per annum, but hidden taxes, the rising cost of wholesale gas, and repairs to water pipes following the Christmas freeze could cause bills to rise by as much as a as 20% over the next 12 months.

What’s more, it is expected that the average household will spend £650 on its winter fuel bills (gas and electricity) over the next three months, a rise of £100 (18%) compared to this time last year.

- Of the 10.6 million households which did nothing to reduce their energy or water consumption during 2010, seven out of ten blamed busy schedules, lack of time and the small financial return.
- Four out of ten households said they had no spare cash to make alterations to their home in order to reduce their bills.
- Nearly a third (31%) said that, as tenants, it wasn’t their responsibility to reduce CO2 emissions, claiming it was their landlord’s problem.
- A further third said they didn’t believe in global warming and therefore saw little point in cutting back on CO2 emission.

- Amazingly, one in ten said they didn’t know you could cut back on water and fuel consumption and ultimately save money.

Seven in ten homes still admitted to regularly leaving appliances on standby. TV’s, DVD’s and games consoles were the worst culprits, clocking up on average 17.5 hours a day, followed by dishwashers (9 hours), washing machines (6 hours) and tumble dryers (2 hours).

The survey was commissioned by How To TV to mark the launch of a new TV Documentary series HOW TO... Reduce Energy Consumption & Save Money! Set to air, next Tuesday 18th January on Showcase TV, Sky Channel 201, 7.30pm. Alastair Clayton, spokesperson for HOW TO...TV said

“Around 45% of the UK’s CO2 emmissions (or carbon dioxide) - the greenhouse gases that are damaging our environment and bringing about climate change – come from the energy we use everyday. And although vehicle emissions are a huge problem, the majority of CO2 comes from the energy we use in the home.”

“This survey shows, amazingly, that one in six household still don’t think their efforts to cut energy and water consumption will have any impact on the environment -- not to mention their pocket.”

“By joining forces on this programme with The Energy Saving Trust, Waterwise and Britain’s manufacturers we hope to demonstrate how every household in Britain can, for little or no outlay, save money and hopefully the planet too.”