A survey has revealed that consumers are not taking their good energy habits at home into the office with them.
The study by OnePoll and Rexel showed that most of the British public had a “split personality” when it came to their energy efficiency habits.
While half of those surveyed described themselves as energy conscious at home, only 20% were prepared to say the same about their behaviour at work.
Similarly, 70% said they were concerned about wasting energy at home with just 43% taking that concern into the office.
“Despite this heightened awareness there is a noticeable ‘split personality’ in energy usage behaviour,” said Brian Smithers, strategic development director, Rexel Northern European Zone. “Our research shows that people are wasting energy and in some cases actively adapting their energy behaviour to avoid the rising costs of energy at home.”
The study found that 60% of employees actively charge electronic devices in the office in order to save money on their energy bills.
“What’s worrying about this apparent trend is that the average office worker spends at least 40 hours a week at work, so a huge percentage of the country’s energy consumption is taking place in the nation’s offices,” said Smithers. “To reach the UK’s carbon reduction target of 80% by 2050, long-term and mass behavioural change is required not just in the home but across all aspects of people’s lives.”