The Energy Habits Report

In 2025, the average Australian household saw electricity costs rise above inflation,¹https://isu-cf-page-enterprise-wordpress.pages.dev/energy/insights/household-electricity-prices-rise-over-inflation/ and families and individuals alike are feeling the pinch. In a time of financial uncertainty and rising prices, energy bills are often one of the biggest stressors we face. 

A new survey of the Australian and British public from the energy comparison experts at iSelect discovered how Aussies and Brits are using and reducing their energy. We look at how they feel about their energy use, what habits they have changed to save energy and what they aren’t willing to give up. 

Who’s in charge of at-home energy management? 

Energy use is definitely on our collective minds, with just 3% of Australian respondents and 2% of UK respondents saying that they don’t think about energy use at all in their household.  

In both Australia and the UK, more men say that they are responsible for taking the lead on managing energy use in their household – 83% in Australia and 85% in the UK – compared with 71% of women in both countries.  

How do we perceive our energy use?

Overall, it looks like we feel pretty good about our energy use – albeit with some room to improve. The majority of respondents in both countries said they felt ‘somewhat positive’ about their energy use (44% Australia and 45% UK), and just 1% and 2% respectively felt extremely negative.  

Men are slightly more positive about their household energy usage than women, with 65% responding net positive in both the UK and Australia, compared to 61% of British women and 60% of Aussie women.  

In terms of age, Gen Z and Gen X feel the most net positive about their energy usage in both the UK and Australia. 18-24s in Australia gave 73% net positive responses, as did 69% of those aged 65+. Meanwhile, younger generations in the UK (18-24s and 25-34s) feel most net positive about their energy usage (74%), alongside 70% of those aged 65+. 

Are our bills increasing or decreasing? 

The majority of our survey respondents – 32% of Australians and 37% of Britons – reported an increase in their bills of up to 10% over the year before, with 3% and 2% respectively reporting an increase of over 50%. In contrast, 9% of respondents in both countries saw a decrease in their energy bills, and around a quarter – 25% of Australians and 29% of Britons – said their bills had stayed the same.

By being picky with your energy provider and making energy-conscious choices at home, it is very possible to see price decreases in your energy bills and save yourself a little extra cash.

How are we reducing our energy use?

We asked those surveyed to share what habits they have changed to reduce their energy use. Let’s look at some highlights.

In the UK: 

• 43% of women are also washing clothes in cold or lower temperature cycles compared to 35% of men. 
• 45% of women are taking shorter showers or reducing hot water usage, compared to 37% of men. 
• 42% of men have switched to LED or energy-efficient light bulbs, compared to 34% of women.

In Australia: 

• 46% of women are taking shorter showers or reducing hot water usage, compared to 43% of men.  
• 42% of women are unplugging devices or using smart plugs/power boards to reduce standby power, compared to just 30% of men.  
• 38% of men have switched to LED or energy-efficient light bulbs, compared to 30% of women.

These results could reflect a discrepancy in the division of certain labour tasks; in both countries, women were more likely to say they had reduced temperatures for washing clothes, taken shorter showers, unplugged devices and reduced tumble dryer use, while men were more likely to say they had swapped lightbulbs, installed solar panels, switched energy providers, used energy-saving settings or timers on heating/cooling systems and improved home insulation. 

There are also geographical differences – for example, more Aussies have installed solar panels or a home battery system, at 23% to the UK’s 9%, which is perhaps not surprising given the difference in sunlight each country receives. Additionally, the UK reports a higher percentage of smart thermostats/energy monitoring tech, at 16% to Australia’s 4%, but take-up on these remains relatively low. 

The most common energy habit changes by age group 

Let’s take a look at the most common changes made by each age group to reduce their energy consumption. 

In the UK: 

• 18-24 – switching to LED or energy-efficient light bulbs (30%) 
• 25-34 – switching to LED or energy-efficient light bulbs (33%) 
• 35-44 – unplugging devices or using smart plugs/power boards to reduce standby power (38%) 
• 45-54 – taking shorter showers or reducing hot water usage (47%) 
• 55-64 – washing clothes in cold or lower-temperature cycles and unplugged devices or used smart plugs/power boards to reduce standby power (55% each) 
• 65+ – washing clothes in cold or lower-temperature cycles (59%) 

In Australia: 

• 18-24 – washing clothes on cold or lower temperature cycles, unplugging devices and installing solar panels or a home battery system (27% each)  
• 25-34 – washing clothes on cold or lower temperature cycles and unplugging devices (36% each) 
• 35-44 – washing clothes in cold or lower temperature cycles (33%) 
• 45-54 – taking shorter showers or reducing hot water usage (51%) 
• 55-64 – washing clothes in cold or lower-temperature cycles (59%) 
• 65+ – washing clothes in cold or lower-temperature cycles (61%) 

Top energy-hungry habits we won’t give up  

Aside from the changes they have already made, we also wanted to know what Aussies and Brits might change in future. We asked what habits our respondents would not be willing to give up, even if bills increase or household tensions arise. 

In the UK: 

• As a nation of tea-lovers, it’s not surprising that 49% of women wouldn’t be willing to give up their daily kettle use, compared to 41% of men. 
• 29% of men wouldn’t give up gaming or watching TV late into the night, compared to 20% of women. 
• 34% of women would not give up blow drying their hair, compared to just 6% of men – this was seen as more important than other habits, including taking long, hot showers or baths, and turning up AC/heating to a personal comfort level. 

In Australia: 

• 47% of women wouldn’t be willing to give up their daily kettle use, even if bills increase or household tensions arise, compared to 37% of men. 
• 25% of men wouldn’t give up gaming or watching TV late into the night, compared to 19% of women. 
• 25% of women would not give up turning up AC/heating to their comfort level, compared to 18% of men. Similarly to British women’s attachments to their hairdryer, control over the home climate is more of a sticking point for Aussie women than other habits. 

Across both nations, 20% of Australian respondents were unwilling to give up any habits at all, compared to 14% of Britons. However, across both nations, the top habit that nobody was willing to give up was the daily kettle use – no one wants to start the day without that morning cuppa! 

Changes in energy habits by age group 

Let’s take a look at the main habits that each age group are unwilling to give up. 

In the UK: 

• Across all generations, barring millennials, the main habit people would be unwilling to switch is their daily kettle use. For millennials, gaming/watching TV late into the night is marginally more significant. 
• Gen Z (18-24) value blowdrying their hair, with one third unwilling to give it up. 

In Australia: 

• Across all generations, barring Gen Z, the main habit people would be unwilling to switch is their daily kettle use. For Gen Z, gaming or watching TV late into the night, taking long, hot showers or baths and turning up the AC/heating to their comfort level are the habits they’re least willing to give up (33% for each). 
• Oddly, the only generation that cares about leaving lights on in rooms that no one is in is Gen Z, with 1 in 5 unwilling to give up the habit (20%). 

Across both countries, older generations appear to be more stuck in their ways, with the percentage of people unwilling to give up any habits increasing steadily with age. 

Interestingly, although Gen Z were often the least likely to give up most of the habits on our list across both countries, they are seemingly also the most open-minded – just 13% of Aussies aged 18-24 said they wouldn’t be willing to change any habits to reduce energy consumption, while 24% each of Aussies aged 55-64 and 65+ said the same. In the UK, the numbers are even more stark – 26% of UK respondents aged 65+ said they wouldn’t give up any habits compared to just 2% of 18-24s.  

How to decrease your energy usage 

If you’re looking to save some money on your energy bills, there are plenty of ways you can cut back your energy consumption, such as: 

• Making little lifestyle changes – instead of gaming or watching TV every night, read a book, go for a stroll or play a board game. Doing something different a few times a week can create a more sustainable energy habit, and switching out your appliances for energy-efficient alternatives can help in the long term, too!²https://isu-cf-page-enterprise-wordpress.pages.dev/energy/insights/energy-efficiency-return-on-investment/ 
• Tracking your energy usage³https://isu-cf-page-enterprise-wordpress.pages.dev/energy/track-energy-usage/ – most of the time, it’s not turning off one big thing that will make the difference but cutting back lots of smaller things like vampire energy drainers (power used by appliances in standby mode).⁴https://isu-cf-page-enterprise-wordpress.pages.dev/media-centre/vampire-energy-drainers/ Make a note of everything you have plugged in and consider which appliances could be unplugged when they’re not in use.   
• Doing as much of your energy consumption as possible outside of peak hours – in the UK, there is a known phenomenon called ‘TV pickup’, where the National Grid experiences a significant surge in power demand during television ad breaks. Depending on your tariff, using energy outside of peak hours can make a big difference. 
• If you’re a homeowner, it’s worth looking into local or national schemes that will reward you for making energy-conscious choices, such as low-interest loans, grants or rebates for improving your home’s insulation, investing in renewable energy sources like solar or geothermal power or upgrading appliances to more eco-friendly options.