American consumers more concerned with energy than holidays, says poll

Driving energy bills are still a major concern for many British householders, particularly in light of recent findings published this week by price comparison website uSwitch.com - it predicted fuel bills will become "unaffordable" for 59 per cent of Brits by 2015 if costs continue to escalate at their current rate, which will be a familiar worry for many.

And it seems the price of energy is a concern across the pond as well, with the latest Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finding that reducing the cost of energy bills was now a higher priority for US consumers than traditional essentials such as taking a holiday or buying a new smartphone.

The poll of over 1,000 US adults found that fewer than one in five Americans put a vacation or technology upgrade ahead of driving down fuel bills, with 80 per cent admitting energy was a deeply important subject for them and one that could be set to decide votes in the upcoming election.

And with the ailing economy on so many people's minds, it seems that homeowners either side of the Atlantic could benefit from implementing a few energy efficiency strategies about the home.

"It has certainly become more ingrained in people as we go back to our common-sense roots," said Doug Stingle, development director at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.

"We used to perceive that there was an endless supply of energy. But there isn't, and the cost is increasing. It's not just for environmental reasons that people are concerned, but for financial reasons," he continued. 

Participants in the study also noted it was of increasing importance for them to cut energy consumption around the home, and highlighted the variety of ways - from installing insulation to switching off lights when not in use - that they are attempting to do so.

But if you're looking to step up your energy efficiency efforts, there are some technologies you can bring into the home that will not only pay off their initial investment within a short time period - such as LED lighting, which on average becomes profitable after 15 months - but can help your home run more smoothly, too, such as an update to your fuse board.