Lakeland Trends Report 2023: how British households are saving money but what are they sacrificing

As the cost of living crisis still ravages the UK, and the urgency of the climate crisis is as prominent as ever people are looking to save as much energy and money as possible. 

The Lakeland Trends 2023 report reveals how people are making the effort to save money and energy through their household appliances. According to their survey, 91% of people have been hit by the cost of living crisis in some way. Well over half – 57% – say they have had to make some form of sacrifice.

For people under 55, according to the survey, one-fifth of the population are cancelling streaming subscription services to save money, one-third are driving less, and over half saying they are buying fewer treats for themselves.

The report also reveals that in 2023, we have turned down our thermostat. They say last year, 56% of people turned down their thermostats, this year this figure climbed to 62%. Wearing more layers rather than turning up the heating? Last year, 49% of people said they had donned an extra jumper, this year 57% said they had done this. In the kitchen, the way we have cooked has changed. 

People have embraced batch cooking (61%), Using cheaper-to-run cooking appliances (17%), and replacing cooking devices to cook cheaper cuts (15%). The air fryer has taken dominance, as over the last year, 30% of households said they had invested in energy-saving gadgets, such as the air fryer, nearly doubling the 16% who said they’d done this in 2022. Sales of the family-sized dual basket air fryer grew by 163% in the first 6 months of 2023, compared to the 6 months it was available in 2022. Now, 45% of UK households now own an air fryer, compared with 87% who own an oven or hob and 88% who own a microwave.

Other ways people have cut down energy use since January 2023 are:

• 82% Turned off my lights
• 62% Dried my clothes outside
• 62% Turned down my heating thermostat
• 61% Turned off my devices on standby
• 58% Filled the kettle with the exact amount of water
• 57% Washed my clothes at a lower temperature
• 57% Worn more layers instead of turning my heating on/up
• 51% Taken shorter showers/shallower baths
• 44% Ensured all my lightbulbs are LED
• 38% Avoided using my tumble dryer
• 35% Cooked more than one dish when using the oven
• 31% Used my microwave for cooking more
• 30% Invested in lower energy products, like an air fryer