Electrical Obsession Grows As Brits Hoard 527m Appliances

There is always going to be a strong demand for electricians in the UK, as Brits cannot seem to get enough of electrical appliances. 

So much so that we hoard a huge 527 million unwanted electrical items, on top of the ones that are used every day. 

Anyone considering a career change should, therefore, be confident about enrolling on an electrical training course, as there is always going to be a need for a qualified electrician to sort out faults in the house as the excessive use of appliances is not likely to end anytime soon. 

 

Unwanted electrical goods

According to government figures, Brits replace their favourite electrical items so frequently that many are left with ones they do not need anymore. 

For instance, 500 tonnes of Christmas lights are thrown away every year in the UK, likely to be replaced with more twinkling fairy lights. 

In addition to this, 155,000 tonnes of small appliances, such as kettles, power tools and cables, are not only gotten rid of every year, but thrown directly into the bin. Instead, these goods could be recycled, avoiding huge amounts of unnecessary electrical waste. 

 

Recycle stations

This is why the government recently revealed new plans to collect waste electricals directly from homes.

The collections would be paid for by the manufacturers of electrical goods, so the taxpayer does not incur extra costs, and they would save households having to take their items to particular disposal points. 

Large stores will also have collection drop-off zones, so people can discard their unwanted items when they are out shopping. 

Recycling minister Robbie Moore said chucking away unwanted electrical goods is a “sheer waste of our natural resources”. 

He added: “We all have a drawer of old tech somewhere that we don’t know what to do with.”

 

Household energy consumption

Although households throw away lots of electrical items every year, they are still using a considerable amount of electricity in the home. 

In fact, the typical household in England, Scotland and Wales consumes 2,700 kWh of electricity every year, according to Ofgem. This is for a two to three-bedroom house with two to three inhabitants. Households with more residents and a larger residence will, most likely, be using considerably more than this. 

However, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) reports that the mean domestic electricity consumption was 3,509 kWH in 2021, which is much higher than Ofgem’s estimation.  

Despite energy-efficient appliances, households trying to be smarter about energy usage to save on steep bills, and the rising awareness of climate change, the demand for electricity in the UK remains exceptionally high. 

As technology continues to develop, with artificial intelligence and virtual assistants increasingly becoming the norm, the need for a house that has a fully functioning electrical system is only set to keep growing.