Take just 10 minutes to think about going green in energy saving week

Nov 18 2008 by Francesca Craggs, The Journal

R ESIDENTS in the North East are more likely than our European counterparts to use leftover food or share a bath in an effort to save energy and money, according to new research.

A survey of 6,000 adults across five European countries has found that 37% of people in the region would now share a bath or shower to save money on their electricity or gas bill, compared to just 8% of Swedes.

And while 63% of people in the North East would re-use their leftovers to make romantic meals, for example, only around 47% of Germans and 50% of Spaniards would do the same.

The Green/Life Balance research was commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust – the UK’s leading organisation set up to help people fight climate change – and undertaken by ICM Research. Two thousand people throughout the UK and 1,000 each across France, Spain, Sweden, and Germany took part in the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken into different European countries’ attitudes towards finding time to be green and how they are incorporating it into their lifestyles.

According to the research, while Brits’ desire to save money is motivating them to take energy-saving measures, pressure on their time is stopping them going further to save energy and find a ‘green/life balance:’

Two-fifths of those quizzed from the North East said that they are more concerned with reducing their carbon dioxide emissions than they were 12 months ago.

41% said that they would take more steps to cut their carbon dioxide emissions if only they had more time.

Collectively, people living in the region are spending over seven million hours each year waiting on hold on the telephone, and more than nine million hours stuck in traffic.

Nearly seven out of ten residents in the North East spend more than 10 minutes a week standing in queues.

Around half of those living in the region waste more than 10 minutes’ a week waiting for the kettle to boil.

And in Europe:

Almost half (46%) of Spaniards spend 10 minutes a week or more taking siestas.

21% of Frenchmen and women spend more than 10 minutes a week waiting for their food to arrive in a restaurant.

Eight in 10 (80%) Germans spend at least 10 minutes every week organising their desks.

Energy Saving Trust chief executive Philip Sellwood is calling for Brits to take just 10 minutes during Energy Saving Week to do something green. He said: “It’s clear from our research that people in the UK and across Europe want to be green if only they had time...work and family responsibilities just keep getting in the way.

“Energy Saving Week is the perfect opportunity to discover your green/life balance – however much time you do or don’t have. We’re urging people to take just 10 minutes to make time to change their households’ habits to help fight climate change. It doesn’t take long to get things started – there are lots of things you can do in just 10 minutes.”

One of the UK’s leading financial psychology experts, Benjamin Fry, is working with the Energy Saving Trust to show consumers how saving energy can save money too.

He said: “This research shows that saving energy and money at the same time needn’t be dull.

“Judging by how it is turning the temperature up on Britons’ love lives, with so many of us taking romantic energy saving measures to beat the credit crunch, doing your bit to help climate change has suddenly become a lot more attractive.

“According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average household can save around £340 a year by being more energy efficient and with the credit crunch unlikely to ease any time soon, there has never been a better time to start finding positive motivations for living a greener life.”

Other survey findings include:

63% of people living in the North East are willing to use leftover food in a bid to save money, compared to an average of 55% across Europe.

Residents in the North East believe that out of the four UK nations, England is the most successful at cutting their carbon dioxide emissions, but voted Sweden as the most successful European country from a list of 11, with the UK receiving only 2% of the vote. In Europe, Germany placed themselves at the top of the list, with 35% of Germans believing they are the most successful at reducing carbon dioxide emissions, 19% voting for the Swedes and only 2% of Germans voting for France.

Seven in ten people living in the North East would be encouraged to live a greener lifestyle if the Government offered green tax credits.

Around a quarter of residents in the region are in favour of a green bank holiday for people to take specific steps to be green.

88% of people living in the North East would be encouraged to go green if community initiatives such as grants were provided to help implement energy saving measures in the home.

22% of working adults from the North East of England would like to see their employers help them to achieve a “greener lifestyle” by offering ‘green benefits’ such as loans for energy efficient products or free visits from an energy doctor and 13% would like to see their employers giving them time off to reduce their CO2 emissions.

47% of people living in the North East still leave the TV on standby before they go to bed – this collectively wastes around £1.3m a year and generates as much carbon dioxide as driving 14 million miles in the average UK car.

To find out more about what can be done – whether in 10 minutes or a whole weekend – during Energy Saving Week, householders should call their local Energy Saving Trust advice centre on 0800 512012 for free impartial advice.