You could be wasting £115 a year on energy when leaving home according to new research

As lockdown eases and people begin to spend more time away from home, smart home expert Hive is reminding Brits to turn off their heating when no-one is at home – to help save money on their heating bill and lower their carbon footprint.

This follows new research from the brand that found over a quarter of Brits (26%) admit to leaving their heating on when they leave the house.

The research found that over two fifths (43%) of Brits don’t feel in control of their heating and are looking for ways to not only reduce their bill but also their carbon footprint (42%).

Remembering to turn the heating off when no-one is at home is a good place to start. In fact, heating an empty home for just two hours a day could add up to £115 to an annual heating bill and result in 0.7 tonnes of CO2e being emitted – that’s the same as that’s the same as two economy return flights to Venice.

Additionally, Brits are also falling victim to common pitfalls when it comes to heating their home efficiently with 27% admitting leaving a window open when the heating is on – releasing heat and impacting how quickly a home heats up, and almost a fifth (19%) admit to leaving the heating on during the summer when temperatures in the UK are on average a balmy 18 degrees Celsius.

Helping to take out the guesswork when it comes to heating, Hive has launched Hive Heating Plus, an innovative new subscription service that helps customers to easily track their heating spend, reduce bills and lower their carbon footprint all via the Hive app.

Working alongside Hive Active Heating, the new service has an integrated budget tracker and heating efficiency monitor, to provide customers with personalised money-saving recommendations based on their usage, as well as alerting them when their home is not heating up as efficiently as it should. Hive Heating Plus also provides energy saving tips and advice – ideal for those looking to lower their carbon footprint.

Americo Lenza, Portfolio Director – Services & Solutions, British Gas said: “We all have a desire to have greater control over our heating, but it can be difficult to track this. Hive’s new smart subscription service Hive Heating Plus makes it easier than ever before to track our heating usage – enabling you to set monthly targets as well as providing hints and tricks to help you stay on track.

“With lockdown easing and the weather getting warmer, there are a number of ways that we can ensure we’re heating our homes efficiently which is kinder to your wallet and the planet. With our award-winning Hive Active Heating thermostat you can save up to £120 per year. Combine this with Hive Heating Plus and this could go up by an extra £40.”