According to a new survey from the Energy Saving Trust, the UK is the worst energy waster in Europe, thanks to bad habits such as leaving lights switched on and leaving appliances on standby.
<p>The Energy Saving Trust (EST) survey analyzed the energy efficiency of around 5,000 Europeans. It found that Britons lagged behind French, German, Italian and Spanish citizens in terms of energy efficiency, with Britons admitting to the most energy-wasting actions per week.<br /><br />These actions include leaving appliances on standby – which 71% of Britons admitted to doing at least once a week, and leaving chargers plugged in – which 65% of respondents confessed to doing. Forgetting to switch off lights when leaving a room was also high on the list of bad habits, with 63% of survey respondents admitting to doing this at least once a week, while using a car for short journeys that could be made on foot or via public transport was something 48% of Britons confessed to doing.<br /><br />The report warns that, unless UK citizens curb such bad habits, the UK is likely to waste GBP11 billion worth of energy by 2010, which equates to an extra 43 million tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the environment.</p>