7 out of 10 Hybrid Workers Worried About Cost of Working from Home

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18 October 2022 | Updated 19 October 2022

New research reveals the impact the energy crisis is having on the UK workforce, as 70 per cent of hybrid workers admit they’re concerned about the cost of working from home as energy bills soar.

The survey of 2,000 UK workers by OnePoll, on behalf of UK smart building technology firm Infogrid, found that nearly one in four hybrid workers plan to increase the frequency they head into their workplaces this winter to keep personal costs low, rising to 30 per cent amongst 18-34-year-olds. 

Latest occupancy data from The Freespace Index also suggest that workers are heading back to their office buildings to save on utility bills. 

Younger Workers Concerned About Workplace Sustainability

OnePoll’s data also demonstrates employees' concerns about how their bosses are managing energy during this crisis. More than half (55 per cent) of the UK’s hybrid workers are concerned about how energy efficient their workplace is, so much so that they want to take measures into their own hands to cap usage.

Over a quarter said they would take personal action including turning off lights and monitor screens to reduce the amount of energy wasted in their buildings.

Those aged 18-34 feel the most passionate about how much energy their workplace is using, with these figures rising five points to 62 per cent and 32 per cent, respectively. 

When asked about whose job it is to address environmental concerns, 25 per cent of UK workers believe those who manage or run a building are primarily responsible for helping to cut greenhouse gas emissions generated by them, ranking above others such as governments (20 per cent), building landlords (20 per cent) and building occupants (15 per cent).

Ross Sheil, Senior Vice President at Infogrid, said: “The current energy crisis should be a catalyst for businesses to strive towards a more sustainable future and protect the planet, because employees expect it, and also, for their own financial performance to prevent money being poured down the drain from poor energy efficiency. We can’t tear down and rebuild - the greenest building is an existing building. Instead, we need to retrofit our workplaces with smart technology, such as IoT, AI and insights drawn from real-time data to revolutionise the way we manage energy. Now is the time for building managers to drive long-lasting change through all that digital has to offer.”

Commenting on the findings, Justine Bornstein, Research Director for Smart Building Technologies at analyst house Verdantix added, “Investment into energy efficiency has already been gaining momentum thanks to the EU’s Clean Energy for all Europeans Package in 2018. The current energy crisis has certainly catapulted it back into mainstream conversation, and we expect this to continue well into the future, with digital technologies a key enabler.

"These are growing by more than 33 per cent per year, according to the IEA, and soon the stock of connected appliances, devices and sensors will overtake the number of people on the planet. The energy efficiency sector is experiencing a major growth period that shows little signs of slowing down.”

You can read this full report from Infogrid here.

Picture: a photograph of a person sitting on a sofa, working at a laptop and wearing in-ear headphones. A desk and chair can. be seen in the background. Image Credit: Pexels

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 18 October 2022

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