Consumers save on energy bills by charging up at work instead

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. Almost half (49%) charge up phones or gadgets at work, with two in ten (20%) 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."