Busting the energy drain myth – half of North West revealed to be energy efficiency champions
Busting the energy drain myth – half of North West revealed to be energy efficiency champions
Ahead of Big Energy Saving Week, Electricity North West reveals that many of the region’s households are ‘switched on’ to energy efficiencies.
Electricity North West, the region’s network operator, is celebrating the results of its recent Switched On Energy Test as findings reveal the North West is a region of energy champions.
Over 50 per cent of the 1,506 respondents were revealed to be ‘Energy Busting Beths’ – those that are really setting the benchmark when it comes to energy consumption by implementing lots of energy saving measures at home. An additional 40 per cent identified as ‘Energy Steady Eddies’ – those who are doing plenty to conserve energy, but know there’s much more they can do. And just nine per cent, ‘Energy Drain Janes’ – as the name suggests, these people are using more than their fair share of the earth’s resources, without really thinking about the impact this will have for future generations. Discover all the findings in the infographic below.
This is positive news as the nation prepares itself for Big Energy Saving Week next week 22nd-26th January.
The energy industry is rapidly changing and the demand on power networks is increasing which is why Electricity North West launched the survey to highlight the importance of energy efficiency and people’s behaviour in the way they use electricity in their homes and businesses.
The test asked participants a series of multiple choice questions linked to their energy usage to uncover the North West’s attitudes to energy efficiency, now and in the future. The results then establish which character they are – an Energy Drain Jane, Energy Steady Eddie or Energy Busting Beth, and offer simple tips to help them become more energy savvy.
In addition to the main findings above:
- Blackpool and Preston were shown to be the most energy efficient, with 56 per cent categorised as Energy Busting Beths in each postcode area.
- Stockport was the only town which didn’t have Energy Busting Beths as their majority persona, instead 47 per cent were categorised as Energy Steady Eddies.
- Lancaster and Stockport had the least amount of Energy Busting Beths, with 46 per cent each.
- Lancaster had the highest percentage of Energy Drain Janes, at 12 per cent.
While overall the results were encouraging, there is still more consumers could do. With the energy landscape facing the biggest change in its history it’s vital we all change our behaviour towards energy consumption. Getting ‘switched on’ means together, we can really transform our future and our communities by reducing the need for costly new infrastructure and ensuring future capacity and affordability.
With energy efficiency front of mind, Big Energy Saving Week focuses on raising public awareness of how to save money by making homes and businesses more energy efficient. Big Energy Saving Week is organised by Citizens Advice and is supported by regional Citizen’s advice bureaus, including Manchester and Lancashire West for the North West. They also have support of numerous organisations, charities and companies including the Energy Saving Trust, Ofgem and the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
“We commissioned the survey to delve into people’s attitudes towards energy saving and really get them thinking about ways they can improve their efficiency. Big Energy Saving Week shares this sentiment so it is the perfect opportunity to reveal the results of our research.
“It’s essential that we work together with the British public to ensure that they are more efficient with their electricity usage around the home. This is not only to ensure that everyone has the power they need, when they want it, but to ensure that they can afford the energy they need,” adds Paul, Electricity North West.
