Making green choices isn’t tough thanks to new tech!

Bosses at Green Energy UK have analysed the energy usage of the average Brit and guess what, it’s going up! They say, however, thanks to new technologies and a better understanding of energy saving measures, consumers are now much better equipped to tackle the issue of wasted energy head on.

The electricity company, which buys and sells 100 per cent sustainable energy, has pulled all its thinking into one handy visual to show exactly where our household energy is going. CEO Doug Stewart, explains further and uses the car industry as an analogy of how consumers the nation over could better consider energy use.

Doug says: “The media tells us that petrol sales have decreased by 20 per cent over the past five years and it comes as no real surprise to us. Why? Increasing fuel prices and more fuel efficient cars; that’s why! Replace cars with homes and it is clear to see how this trend could be echoed in the utilities industry.”

Green Energy UK has released a visual of the modern home, illustrating how 21st Century energy use has peaked with the introduction of new electronics and luxuries. Innovations over the past 40 years such as immersion heating, Wi-Fi, computers, smartphones, tablets, and even tumble driers has meant energy usage has increased by 54 per cent since 1970. Today, an average 41 electrical devices are now in the home and over the same period (40 years), consumption for consumer electronics has risen by 369 per cent.

Doug adds: “We all know that there are things we can do to decrease our energy usage like putting a stop to charging devices overnight, running appliances that are more energy efficient and not leaving TVs on standby. Most valuably the way we think about using energy can be the greatest saver of all. If we come to view consumption in the home as we do with our motor vehicles, then thinking twice about ‘switching on or not’ can have major repercussions.

“In the short term that means lighter energy bills each month. Longer term, decreasing consumption will give us time to create new renewable technologies for harvesting green fuel which will help limit our dependence on fossil fuels, nuclear power and overseas imports.”

The modern day energy usage visual depicts the introduction of everyday commodities alongside trends in technology and comparisons from the past 40 years.