Long showers, leaving lights most likely to lead to flatmate fights over electricity bill

CanStar Blue's survey found that 13 per cent of Kiwis argued about people leaving the lights on. Photo / iStock

Taking long showers and leaving the lights on are among the big reasons flatmates argue when it comes to electricity usage.

Almost 2000 New Zealanders were quizzed about their electricity habits in a survey carried out by research company Canstar Blue.

The survey looked at a number of things, including whether people altered their habits to conserve power, what pushed them to change electricity companies and even what they argued about when the electric bill arrived.

At the top of the arguments list was excessive energy use; with 15 per cent admitting that was what caused a lot of disagreements within their household.

Up to 13 per cent of Kiwis argued about people leaving the lights on, while 11 per cent blamed long showers for arguments. Not paying the bills was another issue, with 4 per cent saying this had sparked an argument.

Mangere Budgeting Services Trust head Darryl Evans said many households struggled during the winter months, as the bills - particularly the power bill - went up.

And it also led to tempers flaring up at times.

"From what we hear, there are definitely arguments over household bills, especially around this time," he said.

"For some people, saving power is something they've grown up with. So when you walk in and all the lights are on, the TV, the Xbox, the laptop ... It's about saving money."

For others, however, it was a much more serious issue, Mr Evans said.

"For some families, it's more frightening ... They simply can't afford to have the heater on for a long time because then part of the groceries bill will go to the power bill - and then it's a choice between having food on the table or being warm."

The survey also looked at how prepared Kiwis were if there were a power outage.

The majority of Kiwis - 54 per cent - had emergency supplies ready if the power went off for a long period of time; while those in Canterbury (66 per cent) were more prepared for an outage compared to 47 per cent of Aucklanders.