Wasteful Aussies are to blame for high energy bills: Study
Author: Starts at 60 news Date Posted:30 May 2018
Energy bills are on the rise in Australia with costs continuing to soar, but a new study has claimed that wasteful bad habits could be the reason Aussies are paying so much.
The survey revealed that spending longer than necessary in the shower is Australia’s costliest habit, with just three extra minutes under the running water setting the nation back a whopping $365 million over winter.
The research, conducted by comparison website Mozo.com.au, claims that one in five Aussies are guilty of at least three wasteful, bill-boosting practices such as cranking up the heating when they could just wrap up a bit warmer or cosy up under a blanket.
And, according to the survey of 1,000 adults, these careless habits could cost the country as much as $1.09 billion over winter.
Other costly customs that are contributing towards sky-high winter energy bills include leaving the heating on for hours every day for pets, which 11 per cent of Aussies admitted to doing, and spending longer in the shower to warm up.
Mozo director Kirsty Lamont said: “The wasteful energy habits we indulge in over the cooler months like using a tumble dryer on sunny days and leaving the heating on while you’re out to warm up the home is expected to add over one billion dollars to the nation’s winter energy bill.
“Our survey found Australians have a penchant for longer showers in winter with 54 per cent of the population guilty of this habit.
“We estimated an extra three minutes under the showerhead each day could come at a total national cost of $365 million over the cooler months.”
The study found that if Aussie families were more frugal with their energy during winter and ditched these bad habits once and for all, they could save around $691 a year per household.
More than a quarter of the population admitted to using a tumble dryer rather than hanging out wet clothes on sunny days. This habit ranked as the third most expensive, with a national cost of $144 million over winter.
And the research shows that women are guilty of more bad heating habits than males, with a staggering 61 per cent of women admitting to taking longer showers during winter compared to 48 per cent of men.
Females also scored higher for drying clothes in the tumble dryer and using an electric blanket. While blokes were more likely to leave the heating on when out, so they could return to a warm home and for pet could enjoy the cosiness of a well heated home.
And 18-24-year olds were found to be the biggest culprits when it came to bill-boosting habits with one in five admitting to leaving the heating on to keep their pet warm, compared to just 7 per cent of those aged between 55 and 64.
Lamont added: “Simple strategies like setting your thermostat at a comfortable temperature and rugging up, using door snakes and draught excluders as well as caulking any gaps around window frames, can slash the size of your heating bill this winter.
“If you need to turn on the heating, be savvy about it and only heat the rooms you are currently using.”
