So you even know what it means? Well, have you ever left the house and had to return as you were worried that you had left the iron on or some other appliance? New Research by British Gas found that 30 million Britons suffer from ‘appliance anxiety’ and can worry for up to 80 minutes each week about leaving appliances – such as boilers, irons and hair strengtheners – switched on when they’ve left the house.
Now I am going to admit that I have been known to do this occasionally with the iron, in fact I have ruined a pretty new iron by leaving it on all day. But the average hosehold wastes £150 a year by leaving the boiler on and annually £740 million a year is lost due to applications being left on standby.
British Gas has introduced the Smart Meter in order to try and reduce the energy and money wasted by people leaving appliances on. The next generation smart meter from British Gas has a traffic light system that indicates when appliances are switched on.
So a quick check of the smart meter as you’re running out of the door in the morning is all it takes to see if everything is switched off, giving you back time spent worrying on the journey into work and saving you money to spend elsewhere.
So British Gas have offered an auto shut off iron for one of my readers to win (worth over £80).
We arrived home yesterday from a day out and husband had left Iron on – there was that lovely hot smell in the house!
Luckily nothing got burned this time!
BNM
I was driving to my sisters wedding when I realised I had left the iron on. I was going to be 250 miles away from home for 3 days, and was convinced my house would burn down. I had to courier my front door key to my friend, and when he got to my house, I hadn’t even left it on!
I’m usually quite relaxed and know that I always switch any dangerous appliances off. My other half is horrible though and I always have to tripple-check that he has switched things off after using them
@caro_mad x
I always double check my straighteners even though they have an auto-shut off
@littleboo_21
I have to be honest and say I do nto get this anxiety but I do need a new iron. LOl Cheers MIch x
Hair straighteners are my appliance worry – have to double check they are not turned on every time even when I haven’t used them?!! I do have a Smart Meter but never thought to use it to check for appliances being left on but will do now! @Bobbity666
My worst trick is getting caught on the phone when I am ironing and starting to have a good girly gossip…I’ve burnt holes in clothes that way…
Yep! I get serious appliance anxiety!! Even if I’ve turned my hair straighteners off they have to be unplugged and wrapped up in their heat proof matt and I always worry that I’ve forgotten to do that. I have to check the hob is off about 3 times before I go to bed… and last night I lay awake worrying because I heard something fall down the back of the fridge… my OH eventually reassured me this would not start a fire! He thinks I’m a nightmare as I always wait till we are 10 minutes from home and then say… did you unplug the iron?? Sometimes he’ll turn back and we’ll soon discover, yep. We did!
It strikes at the most inopportune times like when I’ve walked 20 minutes towards the station and must make my train. Luckily I’ve never come home to a charred residence so I think it’s just me.
Used to run an ironing business in Scotland, now I’m stuck ironing my man’s Ben Shermans with a rubbish smart price type iron… :/
Eldest son decided to “help” me by ironing his favourite shirt for school. He did a great job, came upstairs to show me. Lovely, we chatted, I showered, I dried my hair, whats that smell ? “mummy” shouted the twins upstairs “the ironing board is burning” well done no 1 son. He left the iron switched on face down on the board.
The other week I called my sister in law from town to make her go over to my house and check the George Foreman because I was sure I’d left it on (I hadn’t.) Luckily she only lives a few streets over.
Bet I could still manage to burn a hole through a silk shirt!
Last week I went out and had to phone home to make sure I had turned it off after using it that morning.
The other half does the ironing as I always burn things and leave creases where there should be none he says!
Well I can’t say ive rushed home thinking I’ve left anything on. I’m one of those super annoying people who reminds others about turning appliances off. But I did spend five years with someone who had it – was not a factor in our separation I hasten to add 😉 the iron sounds good though 🙂 xx