A new survey has today revealed the top reasons why people in the North West of England leave the lights on in empty rooms – with 15 per cent saying they leave it on as a nightlight while they sleep.
Taken together, this means that the North West of England could be racking up a potential total energy bill of over £2.8 million a year to keep the lights on overnight - with many households in the dark about how much this extra energy is costing.
The research was conducted by Smart Energy GB as part of its Campaign for a Smarter Britain to highlight how getting a smart meter installed by your energy supplier will mean that you can clearly see how much it costs to leave on the lights, helping you cut back on energy waste and save money.
The top 7 reasons why people in the North West of England leave lights on in unused rooms were:
- I plan to go back in – 33 per cent
• I forget to turn it off – 29 per cent
• For security – 29 per cent
• As a ‘nightlight’ – 15 per cent
• For a pet – 10 per cent
• It’s in a communal area (shared house/hallway) – 10 per cent
• As lighting for another room – 6 per cent
Robert Cheesewright, Director of Policy and Communications, Smart Energy GB, said:
“Thankfully there’s an easy way for everyone in the North West of England, including the thousands of pet owners, to take the lead on reducing their energy use – and it doesn’t involve leaving Fido sitting in the dark.
“By getting a smart meter from your energy supplier, you’ll be able to see in pounds and pence how much gas and electricity you’re using, helping you to identify where you’re wasting energy.
“This means that you can save your energy and money for the things that light up your life, like your children or pets, instead of wasting money leaving appliances on standby or forgetting to turn the lights off.”