More than half households put off thinking about their energy usage once the temperature goes up, with four in ten admitting they pay more attention to their energy bills when winter arrives again.
But rising energy prices are changing all of that, with three quarters of Brits saying they’re now more interested in finding ways to save energy all year round, figures released to The Mirror by British Gas show.
A similar number (77%) admit that when they normally think about their energy usage, it’s mainly in the context of heating their home.
It comes after the energy price cap sent average prices soaring 54% on 1 April 2022, mainly due to a rise in the international costs suppliers pay for gas. Sources say further rises are on the way this October, as the Ukraine crisis continues to dent supplies.
Marc Robson, a smart energy expert at British Gas, said: “The warmer months are a great time to save energy around the home and to keep the bills down in the process. Just because the heating’s turned off, it can be easy to forget that even in summertime, we all still depend on energy-hungry appliances.
“Every time I visit a customer, they’re surprised when I tell them how much they can save by making a few easy adjustments around the home.
"And it doesn’t just help them reduce their bills – it’s good news for the environment, too..”
The survey, conducted by OnePoll, found that only a quarter of Brits can honestly say they never leave the lights on in an empty room, or put the washing machine on when it’s not full.
Even fewer say they never leave appliances on when not in use or boil more water than they need in the kettle.
It’s kicking habits like these that can add up and make all the difference.
This week Chancellor Rishi Sunak hinted there could be further help for families struggling with soaring energy bills - but not until the autumn.
In a wide-ranging interview with Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts, in which she put questions from the site's users to the Chancellor, Mr Sunak acknowledged people's concerns over the expected energy price cap rise in October.
"We'll see what happens with the price cap in the autumn, I know people are anxious about this and wondering if they're going to go up even more," he said.
"Depending on what happens to bills then, of course, if we need to act and provide support for people we will, I've always said that. But it would be silly to do that now."
The latest hike - which saw the cap on energy bills rise to £1,971 at the beginning of April - is just starting to take effect and is expected to push millions of households into fuel poverty.
Asked about measures to support families through the cost-of-living crisis, Mr Sunak said: "I know things are tough right now, of course they are."
He pointed to the raising of the national insurance contribution threshold, 5p cut to fuel duty and a £9 billion package to help people with energy bills.
However, "there's a limit to how much we should be borrowing as a country", he said, adding that more borrowing could drive up interest rates.
"Not borrowing huge amounts and just passing that tab onto our kids is the right thing to do."
For Labour, shaodow treasury minister Tulip Siddiq said Mr Sunak's claim that it would be "silly" to act now showed he did not understand the pressures families were under.
"How out of touch is this Chancellor?" she said
"Families are already feeling the cost-of-living crisis, hit by record rises in energy prices, record high petrol prices and staggeringly steep hikes in the cost of food and essentials.
"With the Chancellor heaping them with the biggest tax burden in 70 years on top of that, people are paying more and getting less. It's time to act."
Quizzed about how someone in his financial position can empathise with people struggling to make ends meet, Mr Sunak, whose wife is the daughter of an Indian billionaire, harked back to his grandparents who emigrated to the UK "with very little".
"Of course now I'm in a fortunate position but I didn't start like that, that's not how my family started."
He said he is "trying to help people manage through some of the challenges we're seeing with rising prices and I'll never forget where I came from and the values that I was raised with".
The Chancellor defended the Government's rejection of a windfall tax on oil and gas companies which have profited from the spike in global prices, saying it would risk putting off investment, though he did not completely rule it out.
"What I don't want to do is discourage investment in our own energy supplies, because we want to improve our energy security so we're not reliant on importing lots of things from abroad.
"If we don't see that type of investment coming forward and if the companies are not going to make those investments in our country and in our energy security, then of course that's something I would look at."
On the International Monetary Fund's prediction that the UK will have the slowest growth of any G7 nation next year, Mr Sunak argued the UK will be among the fastest-growing in 2024-25.
He said Britons should feel "confident" and "optimistic" about the economic situation.
8 ways to save on energy this summer
Below, British Gas tells The Mirror eight ways households can save money on energy this summer:
- Only heat the hot water you need : The way your boiler is set up can make a difference to how much you can save on your heating bills, especially if you have a combi boiler. A boiler's flow rate shows how much hot water it will be able to send to your taps in one minute. Set it between 50°C-60°C and you can ensure you only heat the hot water you need. When it’s not as cold outside and you don’t need the house to warm up as quickly, you could also reduce the flow rate for heating to this temperature.
- Ditch the dryer: Take advantage of the warmer weather by drying your laundry outside where you can, or use a clothes maiden instead of an energy-hungry tumble dryer. That can save you £60 a year.
- Wash on a colder cycle : Running your washing machine on a 30-degree cycle instead of using higher temperatures can save around £28 on your annual bill.
- Defrost your fridge and freezer : Try to defrost your fridge and freezer regularly to keep ice build-up under control and make sure everything is working efficiently. Otherwise, they’ll start using more energy than they actually need.
- Unplug your devices : Your electronic devices, such as your phone, tablet, TV, dishwasher or washing machine still use energy while on standby whatever the weather. You can save around £60 a year just by remembering to unplug them.
- Be fan smart: Most homes aren’t built to deal with the summer heat and the use of electric fans tends to increase during the warmer months. If you do need to switch one on in a heat wave, position the fan at floor level so it circulates cool air instead of the warmer air higher up.
- Switch off the lights : As the days start to stay lighter for longer, keep the curtains open and let daylight brighten your room. When you need to switch on the lights, get into the habit of only lighting rooms that are being used, and you can save £20 on your annual energy bills.
- Change your showerhead : An eco-showerhead uses less water with no loss of pressure. It can save a family of four about £19 off their gas bills – and an extra £30 for those with a water meter. Also, limiting your shower time to just four minutes can save a typical household £70 a year.
