Britain is a tech-obsessed country, but it turns out that we’re hoarding a lot of our gadgets instead of actually using them.
According to a new study from insurance company Aviva, there is a staggering £37 billion worth of redundant electrical devices lying around unloved in households across the country.
Their research concludes that based on the 2,000 consumers that participated in the study, the average home has a stash worth £1,414, which includes everything from toastie makers and drills, to shavers and old phones.
Home entertainment gadgets (games consoles, speakers, DVD players etc) top the hoarding table, with the typical British household having around £230 worth of unused equipment. Gardening tech like lawnmowers, leaf blowers and hedge trimmers are also prone to fading into obscurity.
Stephen Pond, MD of Prevention and Services at Aviva, said: “Digital innovations mean we’re changing the way we do certain things, such as listening to music or watching TV.
“This often means we don’t use particular devices any more, so we put them to one side and replace them with different models.”
The study also found that around a quarter of the survey’s participants had either re-homed or sold gadgets they had received as presents.
Maybe it’s time to fish out that old Nokia 3310 from your dreaded draw of obsolescence and show it some much-needed affection.
