Rocketing costs of renting means millions of Brits have to put up with difficult housemates – new research by Smart Energy GB reveals the nation’s top energy flatmate fails
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· New research among by 1,844 people who have experienced the joys of house sharing reveals the nation's biggest energy-related bugbears when it comes to living with flatmates: putting the heating on full blast instead of wearing a jumper (50%), leaving the lights on all over the house (47%) and taking ridiculously long showers (39%)
· Commonly experienced energy guzzling behaviours also include: housemates letting their other halves shower and cook and flatmates overindulging in video games and wide screen TVs
· Broader sources of annoyance saw anti-social behaviour coming up trumps, alongside overall cleanliness? Bad kitchen etiquette and simply having partners over for too long
Ever had a sneaky flatmate who gradually moved her boyfriend or girlfriend in without asking? Or a housemate who would spend long hours in the bathroom showering? House sharing can be challenging but with the rocketing costs of renting in the UK, millions of Brits are having to grin and share it.
New research released today reveals the nation’s biggest energy-related bugbears, and the verdict is out: amongst the 1,844 people polled by Populus for Smart Energy GB, putting the heating on full blast instead of wearing a jumper tops the list of the most annoying experiences when it comes to energy use in a house share.
Also topping the list of most annoying flatmate energy fails is lights unnecessarily left on all over the house, followed by housemates taking ridiculously long showers. Adding to the woes, number four on the bugbears list is flatmates who let their boyfriend/girlfriend treat the house as their own, showering, cooking, and charging electronic equipment freely.
With a majority of those polled identifying unnecessary lights and heating as the most common flatmate energy-guzzling behaviours, and more than one in six saying they had lived with people who had racked up bills up by pampering their pets, using heated tanks or blow-drying their dogs, it’s no surprise people are looking for ways to take back control.
Smart meters show exactly how much energy you are using in pounds and pence and bring an end to estimated bills. If you are renting and you pay the energy bills (i.e. they are not included in your rent) you can get a smart meter from your energy supplier. They are great for renters as they can help you work out what (and who) is wasting energy and mean, if you move, you can easily sort out your final bill.
And every little helps, especially alongside a range of other annoying behaviours revealed by the poll, including anti-social behaviour, cleanliness, bad kitchen etiquette and simply having partners or guests over for too long.