- Couples argue about the temperature of the thermostat every two weeks on average, with women 32% more likely to win the battle[1]
- Two-fifths of households (42%) fall out over the cost of heating, with a total of nearly nine billion arguments each year[2]
- Smart meters help households keep a lid on energy-related arguments, with 23% using the display as evidence to prevent disputes[3]
- Families argue about leaving the lights on in empty rooms more than once a week[2], with the average parent turning off 297 lights in empty rooms each year[4]
- Lights being left on is the leading cause of energy arguments, even though four hours extra use only costs an extra £1.52 a year or 3p per week[5]
- Katharine Hazard, 38 from Derbyshire, says she has argued with her husband after catching him trying to turn up the heating without her noticing
- Households can avoid quarrels by tracking their energy consumption with Uswitch’s free mobile app, which offers ways to save money on energy.
Couples argue about the temperature of the thermostat fortnightly on average, with women 32% more likely to get their own way[1], according to new research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Four in ten households (42%) fall out over the cost of the heating, with one in six (17%) arguing on a weekly basis, resulting in nearly nine billion arguments across the UK each year[2].
Owning a smart meter has helped reduce the number of energy-related arguments for one in seven (15%) households, with 9% saying they argue “much less”. Nearly two-fifths of households with a smart meter (38%) say it’s made them more energy conscious, while 23% use the display as evidence to prevent arguments starting.
Nearly half (49%) of households say they quarrel about lights being left on in empty rooms, which makes it the number one energy argument. In homes with children under 18, it causes 68 arguments a year on average[2].
Although leaving the lights on causes the most arguments, it adds relatively little to bills. A 4.2W LED bulb left on for an extra four hours a day would add just £1.52 to bills over a year[5].
Parents turn off 297 lights in empty rooms every year[3], although one in five children (21%) is helping to save energy around the home[5].
Leaving doors open to the outside (41%) and having the TV on while no one’s watching (39%) are other common causes of arguments among households[2].
Table: Most common households arguments
| Issue | Arguments per year | % households that argue about this |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving lights on in empty rooms | 47 | 49% |
| Cost of heating | 31 | 42% |
| Leaving open doors to the outside | 33 | 41% |
| Leaving the TV on with no one watching | 38 | 39% |
| Energy bills | 24 | 38% |
| Temperature of the thermostat | 30 | 37% |
| Having the heating on when people aren’t wearing a jumper | 31 | 36% |
| Leaving windows open | 28 | 35% |
| Keeping appliances on standby | 27 | 32% |
| Leaving the fridge open | 25 | 32% |
| Too much time spent on games consoles | 38 | 30% |
| Cost of showers and baths | 24 | 30% |
| Using the tumble dryer | 31 | 28% |
| Running the washing machine when it isn’t full | 23 | 28% |
| Poorly stacking the dishwasher resulting in extra loads | 24 | 27% |
| Running the dishwasher when it isn’t full | 23 | 22% |
Source: Uswitch.com
Nearly one in six parents (15%) say their children are better at saving energy than they were last year, while one in ten (9%) say their kids are the most committed members of the household to saving energy[6].
Katharine Hazard, 38 from Derbyshire, comments: “In the past two years I have really noticed our energy bills go up. My husband used to not be as clued up on how much energy things use. I used to catch him trying to turn up the heating without me noticing, which caused some squabbling.
“But now we know how much it costs, we’re all trying to be more aware. Our kids have grown up with good energy-saving habits like turning off lights when they leave a room. Everyone in my house knows to put a jumper on and ask permission before turning the heating on.”
Households can avoid quarrels by tracking their energy consumption with the free Uswitch mobile app, which offers detailed insights into usage and ways to cut down energy bills.
Elise Melville, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “Households up and down the country are falling out over their energy habits, and rising gas and electricity prices are making matters worse.
“Leaving the odd light on or occasionally forgetting to turn off the TV isn’t going to make a big difference to your bills, but there are good habits that will save us a significant sum of money over the course of the year.
“Being more economical when it comes to showers, baths and use of white goods, such as tumble dryers and dishwashers, is one of the best ways to cut costs.
“You can’t always tell if changing your habits is making a difference until you see your bill – unless you track your usage. People using the free Uswitch app, which connects to their smart meter, can see the impact on their bills with hourly graphs, comparing gas and electricity use by day, week, month and year.”
Track your energy usage with the free Uswitch app.
For more information
Beverley Noble | Energy PR Manager
beverley.noble@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Research conducted online by Opinium, 17th to 20th December, among 2,000 UK adults, weighted to be nationally representative.
1. Respondents were asked ‘How often, if at all, does your household argue about each of the following?’ See table below.
Heading
| Issue | Arguments couples | % couples |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving lights on in empty rooms | 43 | 43% |
| Cost of heating | 27 | 39% |
| Leaving open doors to the outside | 31 | 38% |
| Leaving the TV on with no one watching | 33 | 35% |
| Energy bills | 20 | 34% |
| The temperature of the thermostat | 28 | 34% |
| Having the heating on when people aren’t wearing a jumper | 28 | 32% |
| Leaving windows open | 26 | 31% |
| Keeping appliances on standby | 23 | 28% |
| Leaving the fridge open | 22 | 28% |
| Too much time spent on games consoles | 35 | 27% |
| Cost of showers and baths | 21 | 26% |
| Using the tumble dryer | 28 | 25% |
| Poorly stacking the dishwasher resulting in more loads | 27 | 25% |
| Running the washing machine when it isn’t full | 20 | 24% |
| Running the dishwasher when it isn’t full | 22 | 20% |
Source: Uswitch.com
2. Respondents were asked ‘How often, if at all, does your household argue about each of the following?’ See ‘most common energy arguments’ table for breakdown of results. Average of 31.2 household arguments about the cost of heating each year. 31.2 x 28.4m (number of UK households) = 886,080,000.
3. Respondents who own a smart meter were asked ‘Do you argue about energy with people in your household more or less since getting a smart meter? 15% said less / 58% said about the same / 14% said more. Respondents who said ‘less’ were asked ‘Why do you argue less since getting your smart meter? 38% said it has made us all more energy conscious. 23% said the display is used as evidence so arguments don’t develop as often.
4. Respondents were asked ‘How many times a week do you do the following things?’ including ‘turn off lights in empty rooms’. Weekly figure multiplied to get an annual figure of 297.
5. 4.2W bulb x £0.2486/kW x 1,456 hours = £1.52
6. Respondents were asked ‘Which, if any, of the following statements do you agree with? Please select all that apply.’ 21% of parents said ‘My children help save energy around the house’. 15% said ‘My children are better at helping to save energy around the house than they were last year’. 9% said ‘My children are the most committed people in the household about saving energy’.
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to find their energy, broadband and mobile deals than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.