Don't Let Your House Become A Gadget Graveyard

By Ben Aulakh

Householders in Nottingham are being encouraged to get rid of their old and unwanted electrical appliances, to prevent their homes turning into ‘gadget graveyards’.

According to new research by energy company E.ON, 56 per cent of Nottingham residents are hoarding outdated electrical items, including mobile phones, video recorders and cameras.

Despite no longer using the gadgets, one quarter of adults in Nottingham still keep them plugged in and 31 per cent say they hold on to these often outdated and unusable gizmos, simply because they do not like to throw things away.

A further 14 per cent told researchers they had no idea what to do with them and 41 per cent kept hold of certain electricals as they might come in useful in the future.

Energy Fitness Expert at E.ON Emma Bradshaw said, “With gadgets playing a key role in our daily lives, it’s clear that people are confused about what to do with their unwanted technology and so end up hoarding it.

“In the first instance, we’d urge everyone to unplug any appliances that are no longer in use so at least they don’t continue to waste electricity and needlessly add to their energy bill.”

The video player was the most commonly hoarded unused gadget, with one quarter of Nottingham adults admitting to having at least one extra one lurking around the house, followed by the DVD player and the mobile phone.

And despite peaking in popularity in the 1980s, 8 per cent of those surveyed still have a Walkman stashed away somewhere at home.

Five out of ten adults in Nottingham also said they bought new electrical gadgets to replace older ones because they are necessary to help manage their life.

Around 6 per cent cited liking having a choice of gadgets to use as a reason for keeping them; the same number also admitted they were they were self-confessed gadget addicts.

However the increasing number of unwanted gadgets and electrical appliances is creating storage issues in homes in Nottingham.

Currently one third of local householders use their cupboards to store their cast-offs and 12 per cent are filling their lofts with discarded items.

E.ON’s Emma Bradshaw added, “We recommend that people have a good look through their unwanted gadgets and decide if they really want and need them.

“If people don’t want to keep their discarded technology, they can donate the items to a number of charities.”

E.ON also offer a service where they will dispose of any unwanted clutter when people have their loft insulated, with all gadgets being donated to the Cancer Research UK2 charity.

For a free loft assessment or to find out more, call 0800 508 8418 or visit eonenergy.com/eonloft.