NEIGHBOURS TO OFFER UP THEIR WASHING LINES IN WORLD’S FIRST #SHAREMYAIR CAMPAIGN

2.7m households forced to spend up to £77m a year drying laundry indoors in summer

1.3m households have no outdoor space at all to dry clothes

1.4m tenants are forbidden from drying clothes in communal areas

Affected households are paying an extra £26 during summer to dry their laundry indoors

Utilita Energy and NextDoor have teamed up to give 2.7 million households without outdoor space to dry their laundry, a welcome place to hang out their washing as part of the new #sharemyair campaign.

Across England and Wales, 1.3 million properties have no outdoor space for drying laundry, and a further 1.4 million (13%) of private renters are forbidden from doing so as part of their tenancy agreement, a new study by Utilita Energy has revealed.

To help save money, save the planet, and create healthier homes, the innovative new sharing economy campaign has the power to help households avoid spending £77.6 million on tumble dryer use each summer.

Utilita – the UK’s only energy supplier created to help households use less energy – conducted a study of 2,000 households’ drying habits across a cross-section of living situations. The research revealed that each household unable to dry laundry outside is forced to spend an extra £26.40 each summer if they tumble dry the average of three loads of washing per week.

For the 1 in 10 people who rent and are forbidden from drying their laundry despite having communal outside areas (13%), this is costing £39m during summer, and for the 1 in 8 households that have no outside living space at all, a cost of £38m. The campaign has the power to save affected households up to £77 million in energy costs during summer.

SOLAR & WIND-POWERED SAVINGS

The pro-planet sharing economy campaign also has the power to help the 2.7 million affected households cut their carbon emissions by almost 42 tonnes of Co2 – the same generated by travelling 11.5 million miles in a standard car, through avoiding tumble dryers during summertime.

The campaign success will rely on the generosity of households with outdoor space to share. Encouragingly, 40 percent of regular Nextdoor users said they would happily share their air with others.

Laura Roche, Managing Director of Nextdoor UK, comments:

“Since the start of the cost-of-living crisis, we’ve seen neighbours go out of their way to help others. Whether that’s by batch cooking, offering free repair services or simply hosting a book club, Nextdoor is centred on cultivating kindness between neighbours and is the easiest way to meet and connect with people in your local area.

“We welcome everyone to join the #sharemyair conversation on Nextdoor. With 1 in 4 households in the UK using the platform and 1 in 3 households in London, there’s so much potential for neighbours to support neighbours. Be the first to tell your area about the great new initiative, and if you can help others, let them know by posting the hashtag on your status.”

George Walters, Utilita’s Chief Home Services Officer comments on the importance of the sharing campaign:

“Tumble dryers are one of the most energy-hungry appliances and ideally, no one would use one during warmer weather when the sun is shining.

“Using Utilita’s rich smart meter data insights, we have been able to work out exactly what it costs tenants and homeowners without outside space, simply to dry their clothes.

“We believe that everyone should have somewhere to dry laundry outside, and we hope the #sharemyair campaign will provide a solution. Meanwhile, Utilita will lobby for improved drying rights for tenants, to help their pockets and the planet.”

AIRING GRIEVANCES

Utilita’s study revealed that almost half (45%) of all tenants feel the no outdoor drying rules are outdated and ridiculous, while two in five (41 percent) said it’s the most stressful aspect of renting. With the number of households privately renting more than doubling over the past two decades, the issue is only set to grow.

Most households (85%) said they wouldn’t be bothered if they saw people’s washing drying outside, and 79 percent supported a call for renting rules to be changed. When asked why, they said:

1. In the interest of health – to avoid damp / mould issues -79%
2. May not have space to hang clothes inside – 70%
3. Tumble dryer running costs – 68%
4. Takes longer to dry inside – 66%
5. Environmental damage of being forced to use a tumble dryer – 57%

ANTI-LAUNDRY LANDLORDS

Utilita’s study revealed that out of those tenants affected, not even half (46%) would feel confident asking their landlord if they could fit a washing line. Of those who weren’t confident to ask, they gave the following reasons:

1. The landlord would say no – 26%
2. Too scared to ask – 17%
3. The landlord made it clear at the start – 16%
4. Landlord has already said no to me – 10%
5. Landlord has already said no to other tenants – 9%

GET INVOLVED

Anyone looking to get involved can use the hashtag #sharemyair on social media platforms.

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