LONDON – April 21, 2009 – The credit crunch is making Brits brainier, with 40% of adults convinced they have come up with a great idea or invention that they hope could make them rich.
The study, commissioned by leading energy company npower to launch Britain’s Bright Ideas, a nationwide search for new energy saving inventions and ideas, also reveals that over one in four men (26%) now regularly devise new creations. A further 40% of all adults asked are spurred on to try inventing by the current economic climate.
npower has linked up with Wallace & Gromit in its new adverts, and it seems the British public shares the animated duo’s have-a-go approach to innovation. But while Wallace is caught out by his inefficient boiler in the latest ad, 36% of the British public is intent on concocting contraptions that reduce household bills, saving both energy and money.
However the findings also suggest pillow talk is a thing of the past, as almost half (46%) of budding British inventors generally devise their ideas in bed, while 16% of men have their light bulb moment on the loo.
Adults are more aware than ever of the importance of energy efficiency in protecting our planet and our pockets, with 82% agreeing that new energy saving ideas should receive more support. In response to the research, npower is urging enterprising adults to act on their inspiration by entering top energy saving gizmos, gadgets and clever thoughts into the Britain’s Bright Ideas competition.
To put forward your own new fun and simple ways to be energy efficient at home and work, check out www.npower.com/brightideas.
Invention Inspiration – Top Ten Most Admired Inventors
1. Michael Faraday (electrical genius)
2. Tim Berners-Lee (invented the world wide web)
3. Leonardo da Vinci (designed the first hang glider)
4. Albert Einstein (the original mad scientist)
5. The Wright Brothers (invented the aeroplane)
6. James Dyson (vacuum cleaner entrepreneur)
7. Trevor Baylis (invented the wind-up radio)
8. Wallace & Gromit (hare-brained garden shed inventors)
9. Clive Sinclair (invented first slimline pocket calculator)
10. Jonathan Ives (Apple designer)
For more information, please contact
Nick McHugh: 07795 354 628 / Nicholas.McHugh@npower.com
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2224 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 9th - 14th April 2009. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
About npower
