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Monica Davidson
Senior Communications Manager for EMEA
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Survey confirms high level of homeowner concern across Europe over rising energy costs
- Spanish identified as nation most concerned about rising costs (99%)
- Spain and Germany twice as likely to turn to a heating engineer for advice
- One quarter of Spanish and UK homeowners would resort to turning heating off
Against a backdrop of spiralling energy prices, a survey commissioned by Resideo Technologies, Inc.1 has revealed that in Europe, Spanish homeowners are the most concerned about rising energy costs.
High level of concern across Europe
The majority of homeowners in all the countries surveyed - UK, Spain, France, Netherlands and Belgium2, Italy and Germany - were concerned or very concerned about the situation:
- Spain: 99% stated they were ‘very concerned’ or ‘concerned’ about rising energy costs.
- France: 96% stated they were ‘very concerned’ or ‘concerned’ about rising energy costs.
- Italy: 95% stated they were ‘very concerned’ or ‘concerned’ about rising energy costs.
- Germany: 94% stated they were ‘very concerned’ or ‘concerned’ about rising energy costs.
- Netherlands and Belgium: 91% stated they were ‘very concerned’ or ‘concerned’ about rising energy costs.
- UK: 89% of those surveyed ‘very concerned’ or ‘concerned’ about rising energy costs.
Reducing energy bills
When asked what they were currently doing to reduce energy bills, the survey found that homeowners in France (41%) and the Netherlands and Belgium (37%) were the most likely to reduce a room’s temperature as the main step to lowering energy costs. This was closely followed by those in Germany (33%) and Italy (28%).
In comparison, 21% of those living in Spain and just 9% of Brits would reduce the room temperature as a main step in mitigating energy bills. In fact, they were more likely to switch off the heating completely, with 25% of Spanish homeowners and 28% of Brits saying they have taken this action.
Looking for solutions
When asked where they would turn for advice on reducing energy bills, homeowners in Spain and Germany are more than twice as likely to turn to a professional heating installer, compared to those in the UK and France. Encouragingly for those working in the heating and cooling industry, the vast majority of homeowners in Spain (77%) Germany (76%), and Italy (76%) would also contact a professional to install a heating control too.
Getting a heating control
There was increased enthusiasm across the countries when it comes to proactively looking for ways to reduce energy bills. When asked if they would be willing to spend money on the latest heating controls if it meant they could save money in the long term, 71% of Spanish homeowners and 74% of Italians said they would. In the Netherlands and Belgium, 70% of those surveyed said they would consider the latest heating controls, as would 68% of Germans.
Homeowners in the UK and France were slightly more reluctant, however almost 50% of those surveyed answered yes to this question.
Realising savings
Heating controls have been proven to make your heating system run more efficiently and reduce gas usage to help save homeowners money. For example, in the UK, a 2021 study conducted by BEAMA found that installing a Directly Modulating Room Thermostat as a direct replacement for a standard room thermostat in a central heating system can reduce the gas used for heating by 12% over the heating season3.
Commenting on the findings, Mario Moura, Products & Solutions EMEA Managing Director at Resideo said: “Against the backdrop of increasing energy prices, this survey has revealed homeowners in Spain and Germany are more than twice as likely to turn to a professional heating installer for advice on reducing energy bills, compared to those in the UK and France."
“However, across Europe there is also a lot of trust in professional heating installers and that’s great to see. Professional heating engineers have the expertise and skills to give impartial advice to homeowners on the best heating control available, depending on the type of property and the heating system is currently in place. Therefore, in today's energy crisis the professional installer can play a critical role in helping homeowners do what they can to make their home more energy efficient."
The survey findings come as The European Union has announced plans to get 1.5 million energy saving smart thermostats into European homes this year4, and launches its Save Gas for a Safe Winter5 initiative by proposing a new legislative tool and a European Gas Demand Reduction Plan - to reduce gas use in Europe by 15% until next spring.
Read more about how you can make energy savings.
Sources
1 Research carried out on behalf of Resideo by OnePoll in June 2022, surveying 1,000 homeowners living in: UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
2 And surveying 919 in Belgium and Netherlands combined.
3 To note: Individual energy savings are dependent upon existing controls, environment and lifestyle. BEAMA source: download report
5. Save Gas for a Safe Winter: Commission proposes gas demand reduction plan to prepare EU for supply cuts
About Resideo
Resideo is a leading global provider of critical comfort, residential thermal solutions and security solutions primarily in residential environments. Building on a 130-year heritage, Resideo has a presence in more than 150 million homes, with 15 million systems installed in homes each year. We continue to serve more than 110,000 professionals through leading distributors, including our ADI Global Distribution business, which exports to more than 100 countries from more than 200 stocking locations around the world. For more information about Resideo, please visit www.resideo.com.