Having found that the majority of British households would fail an energy efficiency test, Centrica's British Gas division has launched a campaign to help UK households reduce their energy waste by GBP1 billion.
The launch comes as British Gas reveals the results of its Energy Savers Report, an energy survey of one million UK households, which has revealed that two thirds of British households would ‘fail’ an energy efficiency test.
Interestingly, the report also shows a real North/South divide. Of the top 10 most energy-efficient local authority areas, only two are in the South of the UK (Portsmouth and Gosport) and all 10 of the least efficient are based in or around London, with Camden being the least energy efficient borough.
British Gas pointed out that if UK citizens continue to waste energy at current rates, UK households will be wasting GBP11billion worth of energy every year by 2020. Offsetting this level of carbon emissions would take over 29 million acres of rainforest, which is the equivalent of taking 49% of UK cars off the road.
The company’s ‘Save a Billion’ campaign has two core aims: firstly to raise awareness of the scale of UK energy waste and, secondly, to highlight simple steps consumers can take to reduce the amount of energy they waste.
Among the suggestions are turning the thermostat down, switching off unused lights and switching off cable or satellite boxes at the wall.
One in every three pounds spent on energy in the UK is wasted through poor energy efficiency, explained Amanda Mackenzie, brand director for British Gas. Our aim is to reduce GBP1 billion worth of energy waste but if everyone made a few small changes then we could save a lot more. A few simple steps can make a big difference.
Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing us today, noted UK environment secretary David Miliband. I welcome British Gas’s Energy Savers Report initiative for the tailored advice it will give to consumers on the energy consumption of their homes.