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Dad's nagging saves us £220 a year - and could save us more

Dad and pretty little daughter in the park
Dad and pretty little daughter in the park



Brace yourself, because it turns out that dads do know what they are talking about after-all. Apparently 'dad nags' like "Turn the light off", "Shut the door, were you born in a barn?" and "Get out of the shower, you've been in there for hours", aren't just designed to drive older children nuts - they also save the average household £220 a year.

The research, from British Gas, showed that a combination of measures that dads spend their lives nagging the household about, are actually energy-saving secrets. Some 93% of dads admit to spending an inordinate amount of time going on about light switches and open windows, but that's because it's sensible advice that will pay off.

Apparently, without constant reminders, we would leave lights on for an extra four hours a week, spend over 30 minutes longer in the shower, use eight extra hours of heating, and leave the TV on standby for an additional 15 hours.

And if kids listened to the 'dad nags' more, they could cut down on another 37.4 hours of energy that are being wasted every week.

Cut costs further

British Gas suggests getting a smart meter, so that every member of the household can see the energy they are wasting, take responsibility, and save dad from sounding like a broken record. It seems like a good idea - albeit possibly an overly-optimistic one.

Sushil Umrao, Smart Energy Expert at British Gas, has also issued his top tips for energy saving around the home. Given that dads are such enthusiastic energy-savers, perhaps they could adopt a few of these too:

1. Unplug everything.
When electronics aren't on, but are plugged in, they still use a small amount of energy which can add up. Be sure to unplug your TV, kettle and toaster if leaving the house for extended periods of time, particularly before a long summer holiday!

2. Turn the oven off early
Turn the oven off a couple of minutes earlier, while your food is still in there, as some dishes will cook while the oven's cooling.

3. Embrace microwave cookery
Microwaving food for 10 minutes instead of oven cooking it for an hour can save around £3.00 per week, or £156.00 over the year

4. Put a shelf up
If you have high ceilings, placing a shelf just above the radiator helps to deflect the heat into the centre of the room rather than it drifting straight up to the ceiling.

5. Move the furniture
Keep your radiators clear: for example, don't put a sofa in front of your radiator, because it will absorb a lot of the heat.

6. Dry clothes outside or on free-standing dryers
The tumble dryer is naturally expensive, but did you know that drying on the radiator will put the boiler under pressure too?

7. Take a cold shower
About 21% of a typical gas-heated household's heating bill is from heating the water for showers, baths and hot water from the tap. This is on average about £140 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust. You can limit showers to ten minutes, drop the shower pressure, and lower the temperature to cut costs dramatically - although not everyone in the household is likely to be keen on this.

Financial Advice from Our Dads
Financial Advice from Our Dads