Energy savings for 22 million households

22 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS WASTING MONEY EVERY TIME THE HOT WATER TAP IS TURNED ON

HUNDREDS WASTED EVERY YEAR 

As many as 22 million British households say they are not in full control of their heating and water system at home, which is hitting pockets, and the planet (78%) 

​Three in five households are unsure if their hot water is at the optimum temperature of 50 degrees Celsius (62%)

Half of UK households are not aware that their hot water tap temperature can be set differently to their radiators (50%)

Eight in 10 households are concerned about affording energy (81%)

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As the nation begins its ‘120-day countdown to cold’*, and in anticipation of October’s rise in the energy price cap, Utilita Energy has today launched a new awareness campaign to help every household in the UK save as much as £332 on the annual energy bill. 

New research from Utilita Energy – the UK’s only energy supplier created to help households use LESS energy – has revealed that as many as 22 million households are seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds going down the plughole each year as a result of not having a handle on their heating and hot water systems at home. To combat the issue, Utilita has launched a new awareness campaign as part of its award-winning Energy High 5 movement to help every household take control before the cold weather kicks in. 

The research has revealed the biggest disconnect Brits have with their home energy is the temperature of the water that comes out of the hot water tap. More than three in five households (62%) are unsure if their hot water is set at the optimum temperature (50 degrees Celsius), despite every degree over 50 costing them an extra £4 per year, on average. Also costing households dearly is the revelation that half of those taking part in the study said they didn’t realise their hot tap water temperature can be set differently to the water in the radiators (50%), which could be adding hundreds to their bills. 

When asked why households lack control of their hot water and heating systems, three in ten said they have no boiler manual, while almost half (46%) said they wouldn’t feel confident checking their hot water temperature without the help of someone else. When asked who they would appeal to for support, they said: 

1. A plumber / tradesperson – 37%
2. A video tutorial – 31%
3. A friend or family member – 27%
4. Someone else in the household – 18%
5. Council / housing association – 10%
6. Borrow a book from the library / buy a guide book – 9%
7. A neighbour or a community member – 8%​

Utilita has created a free guide on how to check the hot water settings at home, for all types of boiler set-up: https://utilita.co.uk/blog/tech/2022/03/is-your-hot-water-costing-you-the-earth 

Darren Stubbs, Head of Heating at Utilita Energy comments: 

“As a nation our knowledge on the subject is substandard, despite heating water accounting for the largest part of our energy bills. Every time our engineers visit a customer’s property we run a basic check on their hot water and heating system. Invariably we find the hot water higher than the optimum of 50 degrees Celsius. 

“We wanted to understand why households aren’t making these important tweaks to their settings, which have the potential to save them a lot of money. The three biggest barriers, in order of size, are: lack of knowledge, confidence to make changes and an underestimation of the savings to be made. We hope this awareness campaign and simple-to-follow advice will help millions of UK households save on their energy spend.”

Savings under control  

By reducing the hot water tap temperature from 70 to 50 degrees Celsius there’s a £79 saving to be made – it’s generally a £4 saving for every 1 degree reduction. This is one of Utilita’s five free and simple tips given to all households as part of its Energy High 5 campaign, enabling £332 of annual energy savings by changing our behaviours.

Pro-planet plumbing 

Archie Lasseter, Utilita Energy’s Sustainbility Lead, comments on the small changes that will make a big difference to the planet: 

“The environmental cost of households’ lack of understanding associated with hot water is costing the planet. The carbon emissions generated by overheating hot tap water to 20 degrees higher than the optimum of 50 degrees Celsius is the same as driving 713 miles in a standard car. That, multiplied by as many as 22 million households is devestating for the planet.”

Every household can join the Utilita Energy High 5 movement 

Save up to £332 on your annual energy spend and cut your carbon emissions by as much as the amount generated by driving 2,392 in a standard car. 

Free and simple action	£ saving per year	Carbon savings (equivalent miles in a standard car)
Turn down the heating by 1 degree (optimum is 18-21 degrees)	£158	1,420 miles
Choose 50 degrees for your hot water temperature	£79	713 miles
Avoid using standby, and unplug unused gadgets	£54	147 miles
Turn the lights off when not being used	£25	68 miles
Wash clothes at 30 degrees	£16	44 miles

Utilita’s award-winning Energy High 5 campaign has already reached an estimated 4 million households via its national community engagement and free energy efficiency workshops. For more information visit www.utilita.co.uk/energyhigh5