by Michael Smith
Never mind going green to save the planet. According to new research from Legal & General, two in five Brits, 41%, admit to telling their friends they are being environmentally friendly, but in secret and truth they are doing so to save money.
Despite previous encouraging research findings which showed that 98% of Brits are now taking steps to make their home more environmentally friendly, it would appear that financial pressures may be higher on the agenda than environmental ones for some.
For example, probably secretly due to the increasing fuel costs and wanting to save money, 26% of Brits said that they are turning off their heating, but this measure is also helping to save the planet.
Often, or so it would appear that it takes a bit of money problems and the need, or wish, to save money, for people to realize that they actually can do it, such as using less heating by turning down the thermostat, for example; or shopping secondhand or in thrift stores. This all helps the environment.
But does it really matter whether it is done primarily to save the planet or to save money; as long as it is beneficial for the environment?
The findings are from Legal & General’s Changing Face of British Homes research, which asked over 2,000 adults whether any measures they are taking are to secretly save money, rather than the environment.
Women most guilty in this matter:
While 27% of women said they were taking green measures solely to be environmentally friendly, which is higher than the number of men at 17%, it would appear that more women are actually guilty of misleading their friends about their motives. Over two in five, 45%, women are taking green measures in order to appear environmentally friendly when secretly they are doing it to save money, compared to just 36% of men.
North most likely to be secretly saving:
Those living in the North of England are also most likely to appear to be saving the planet to their friends, but actually being green to save the pennies – 43% compared to 36% of those who live in Scotland.
Top three environmentally friendly measures Brits take to secretly save money:
- Turning off the heating at home... 26%
- Recycling/ reusing my plastic bags... 22%
- Cutting down on ready-made meals... 15%
For example, checking that the loft insulation is at the recommended thickness of 250mm; that pipes that may freeze in cold weather are lagged and repairing any leaks or drafts. These are all measures that can help the environment but also help Brits to save money during the autumn and winter months.
Keeping the heating off with the cold weather approaching may not always be the best advice, and that not only with regards that people may hurt themselves here. Pipes and such are also to be considered, as mentioned above.
Keeping up general maintenance on a home can also give people some peace of mind that their homes are in good condition for any possibly bad weather, as well as meeting a condition of their household insurance cover. Most household insurance policies require their customers to ensure that their property is maintained in a sound condition and kept in good repair.”
In addition to that I would like to suggest, and I have tried and tested this, to actually just turning down the thermostat in the night when going to be to something like 12-15 degrees Celsius so the heating will, occasionally, kick in during the night to “keep the chill off”. It is far cheaper, so I have found, to doing it that way than to using a timer, say, and having the heating kick in sometime in the early morning and then needing hours before the house is warm enough.
Many people think that in doing that they will save money (and the environment) but neither is the case, for it takes a lot of energy to fully reheat a house or apartment in the morning when you use a timer over tick over. Just a little suggestion.
© M Smith (Veshengro)
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