Nation’s biggest flat sharing energy faux pas revealed

flatsharers

Ever had a sneaky flatmate who gradually moved her boyfriend or girlfriend in without asking? Or a housemate who would spend long hours in the bathroom showering? House sharing can be challenging but with the rocketing costs of renting in the UK, millions of Brits are having to grin and share it.

New research reveals the nation’s biggest energy-related bugbears, and the verdict is out: amongst the 1,844 people polled by Populous for Smart Energy GB, putting the heating on full blast instead of wearing a jumper tops the list of the most annoying experiences when it comes to energy use in a house share.

Also topping the list of most annoying flatmate energy fails is lights unnecessarily left on all over the house, followed by housemates taking ridiculously long showers. Adding to the woes, number four on the bugbears list is flatmates who let their boyfriend/girlfriend treat the house as their own, showering, cooking, and charging electronic equipment freely.

With a majority of those polled identifying unnecessary lights and heating as the most common flatmate energy-guzzling behaviours, and more than one in six saying they had lived with people who had racked up bills by pampering their pets, using heated tanks or blow drying their dogs, it’s no surprise people are looking for ways to take back control.

Smart meters show exactly how much energy you are using in pounds and pence and bring an end to estimated bills. If you are renting and you pay the energy bills (ie they are not included in your rent) you can get a smart meter from your energy supplier. They are great for renters as they can help you work out what (and who) is wasting energy and mean, if you move, you can easily sort out your final bill.

And every little helps, especially alongside a range of other annoying behaviours revealed by the poll, including anti-social behavior, cleanliness, bad kitchen etiquette and simply having partners or guests over for too long.

Top image: Katarzyna Białasiewicz/123rf.com

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