New research shows that cash-strapped consumers are saving energy by charging up their phones and gadgets at work. But by saving an average of over £110 a year each on their bills, they are collectively adding over £1.5 billion onto their employers’ energy bills instead. And when you add in the amount of energy workers waste, in total this is costing Britain’s businesses almost £3 billion a year.
Workers cost businesses over £1.5 billion a year just by charging gadgets at work instead of at home – a fifth (20%) deliberately do so to save on household bills
Consumers are less worried about wasting energy or resources at work than at home, but their relaxed attitude is costing employers a further £1.4 billion a year
People are more likely to leave lights on at work than at home, and while more than four in ten people (41%) leave devices plugged in when they’re not in use at work, just over a quarter (28%) do the same at home
But despite the huge cost employers are reluctant to crack down – 26% turn a blind eye while just 37% prioritise cutting back on waste.
With energy prices having risen by £224 or 21% in the last year, consumers looking to save on their household energy bills are doing so at the expense of their employers according to new research from uSwitch.com, the independent price comparison and switching service. Almost half charge up phones or gadgets at work, with two in ten doing so deliberately to save money on their household bills. On average these "cheeky chargers" are saving themselves £120 a year, but are collectively costing their employers just over £1.5 billion a year.
But it's not just deliberate energy usage that is costing employers. While consumers may be becoming more energy efficient at home, their "green" attitudes don't extend to the workplace. However, this relaxed attitude towards wasting energy and resources at work is costing British
businesses almost £1.4 billion a year. When added to the cost of "cheeky charging", businesses are potentially paying out almost £3 billion a year more than they have to.
Workers are racking up bills by not taking simple energy saving steps at work, even though they may do so at home. Three times as many leave lights on at work (35%) more than they do at home (10%) and more than four in ten (41%) leave devices plugged in when they're not in use at work, compared to just over a quarter (28%) at home. Workers are also less concerned about wasting energy on heating or air conditioning. Just 4% would leave it on when it‟s not needed at home, but almost a quarter (23%) would do so when they're at work.
Almost two in ten people (19%) admit that they aren't worried about wasting energy or resources at work because it's not their pocket that is affected. However, a third of workers (34%) willingly monitor energy and wastage because they are aware of the impact on the company's bottom line. Interestingly, those who do try to avoid wasting energy and resources at work tend not to do so for financial reasons – four in ten (41%) are doing it because it's better for the environment.
This suggests that bosses worried about spiralling costs should perhaps try a different tact with wasteful employees. However, at the moment employers seem to be reluctant to crack down on wastage, despite the huge costs to their businesses. A quarter (26%) turn a blind eye to wasting energy and resources, while less than four in ten (37%) prioritise cutting waste.
Kevin Sears, energy efficiency expert at uSwitch.com, says: “With energy bills rising consumers are becoming more energy efficient at home. However, when it‟s the boss' pocket and not our own, it seems that even simple energy efficiency measures go out of the window.
“Being efficient doesn't have to be hard work, but with the high cost of energy hitting households and businesses alike, it does have to be a full time job. Even small measures such as turning off lights when you're not in the room and not leaving devices on standby can all help cut energy bills, whether you are at work or at home. And not only will it cut costs, but it will help the environment too, making it a win-win for everyone.”
