10 things Brits do to avoid turning on the heating

The annual ‘to heat or not to heat’ debate has been sparked once again in households across the country, with over a fifth (22%) of Brits admitting that when to turn the heating on causes arguments in their home. A further 23% admit that deciding on which times to have the heating on throughout the day is also a source of debate.

While just under a third tend to turn their heating on at the start of October (30%), over half of Brits (54%) believe that turning the heating on is the biggest drain of energy in the home throughout the autumn and winter months, and try to wait as long as they can before turning it on.

The survey by Samsung reveals the lengths that Brits go to save on costs and delay switching on the heating, from simple solutions such as wearing extra layers around the house (65%), drinking hot drinks (40%) and wearing socks to bed (40%). Some, however, admit to heating up the bed with a hair dryer before climbing in (8%) or leaving the oven on longer than needed (8%) to generate more heat!

However, what they may not realise is that some of the measures taken (e.g. using an electric blanket or leaving the oven on) actually result in even more energy being consumed. Samsung SmartThings Energy Control (STEC) is a free to use service which helps users take control of your home’s energy via the SmartThings App. It shows detailed, down to the minute information so you can view your home’s energy usage and cost by the hour, day, or month.

“At Samsung, our customers are at the heart of every decision we make. From the devices and services we create, to the partnerships we foster, everything is done with them in mind,” comments Teg Dosanjh, Director of Connected Services and Technology at Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland.

“Our SmartThings Energy Control platform in partnership with Bulb is a perfect example of this. By enabling customers to see their household energy information in one easy-to-use app, we are giving them control and empowering them to make informed decisions about how best to reduce their energy usage.”

With 15% of people in the UK admitting that they don’t understand the most cost-efficient ways to reduce heating bills in their household to save energy, SmartThings Energy Control is a simple way of monitoring spend and ensuring cost-efficiency. While heating is one form of energy that the service can help to monitor and control through connecting to a thermostat, the wider SmartThings platform is compatible with thousands of smart products – including lighting and washing machines, which means you can have full visibility of energy usage via STEC and the power to control those devices remotely, all through the SmartThings app.

Despite heating being a constant concern over rising energy bills, three quarters of the UK (75%) are not currently using an energy control app or meter. This is even though those who are have reported an average saving of up to £2.86 per week.

For over a quarter of Brits (26%), it isn’t just the rising costs that are a concern – environmental impacts of using heating also delays the switch on as it adds to the rise of energy usage in the home. This is even higher (33%) among the Gen Z age group (18-24). SmartThings Energy Control offers greater visibility of energy usage within the home, educating households by providing them the tools to use less energy, save on bills and lower carbon emissions.

www.samsung.com/uk/smartenergy