"Things look set to get worse before they get any better and so it’s likely that these cost-saving trends are set to remain a part of our daily lives for some time to come"
Eye-watering price rises in fuel, energy, and food are continuing to have a dramatic financial impact on homes across the UK, causing significant concern and stress for UK homeowners who are also contending with increased mortgage costs, as the cost of running their home goes through the roof.
GetAgent analysed the Google search trends for a number of cost-saving household options to reveal how homeowners are attempting to tackle the higher cost of living this winter.
‘Electric heater’
As the price of gas and electricity soars, central heating has become a rationed luxury in many homes. Little wonder then that ‘electric heater’ has, since the start of 2023, been one of the hottest search trends for homeowners.
Since the start of the year, searches for ‘electric heater’ have increased by 76.2%. This is despite the fact that, on an hourly basis, electric heaters are far more expensive to operate than the central heating. A heater costs around £1.02 per hour while central heating via a gas boiler costs just 12p per hour. However, the popularity of electric heaters is down to the fact that they enable targeted heating of, for example, one room rather than the whole home. Used this way, their efficiency and affordability improve greatly.
‘Log burner’
Since the start of the year, ‘log burner’ has been another popular search term, with its search frequency among UK homeowners increasing by 34.8%.
Log burners are estimated to be 71.4% cheaper to run than electric heating, and 12.5% cheaper than gas. All in all, a log burner can reduce heating bills by around 10%, or £250 per year.
One must, of course, account for the cost of installing a log burner in the home and then be absolutely sure to use only dry logs as fuel for the fire. Wet logs release far more harmful emissions to the atmosphere, and are far less efficient, thus increasing the overall operating cost.
‘Radiator thermostat’
Since the start of 2023, the number of homeowner searches for ‘radiator thermostat’ has increased by 18.4%.
A thermostat helps save money by providing much greater control over a home’s radiators. You are able to choose which radiators to use and which remain off, as well as exactly how long they stay on. By reducing wasted energy in this way, it is estimated that a radiator thermostat can reduce heating bills by up to 30%.
‘Solar panels’
The frequency of ‘solar panels’ searches has increased by 15.6% since the start of 2023, despite the fact that the winter months provide much less sunlight than the summer. This might suggest that homeowners are looking for long-term cost-cutting solutions rather than immediate short-term help, which says a lot about peoples’ opinions on how long this cost-of-living crisis is going to last.
Solar panels generate clean and affordable energy for the home, while additional value also comes from being able to sell any unused energy back to the grid. All in all, it’s estimated that solar panels can reduce heating bills by 15%-25%. This works out at approximately £300-£500 per year.
‘Smart thermostat’
Homeowner searches for ‘smart thermostats’ have risen by 13% in 2023.
Their main benefit is the way they encourage homeowners to be more energy efficient and better manage the temperature in the home. By reducing the temperature by just 1°C, you can save £100 on heating bills.
‘Air fryer’
Air fryers have become incredibly popular due to their money-saving and health benefits. Since the start of 2023, Google searches from homeowners have fallen by -25.8%, likely due to a pre-Christmas boost, but in the past 12 months searches have increased by 331.3%.
Air fryers help save money because, compared to a conventional oven, they use very little energy and reduce cooking times. For example, to cook two portions of chips in an air fryer costs around 10p. In a conventional; oven, it costs 29p. All in all, the estimated saving is £280.
Colby Short, Co-founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, commented: “We’re a resilient bunch and in times of hardship the UK public tends to march on as best we can to overcome the obstacles that face us.
"In the current landscape, that means looking at increasingly inventive ways to save money at home, whether it be through cost-saving measures when heating our properties, growing our own food, or recycling and upcycling household items to give them a new lease of life.
"Unfortunately, things look set to get worse before they get any better and so it’s likely that these cost-saving trends are set to remain a part of our daily lives for some time to come.”
