Episode 3: The gas (non-electrical power) challenge

In addition to taking on each new challenge, the families are expected to maintain the targets that they were set for the previous challenges. The Quinlans target is to reduce the amount of gas they use by 40%. The Moriartys target is just 25% as they don’t use a lot of oil or LPG.

This challenge is primarily about how the families heat their homes and their hot water.

Again, the challenge monitors are appointed. For the Quinlans, it’s 14 year-old Pippa. For the Moriartys its Eoghan who quickly gets a taste for power by designating himself as ‘The Commander’ and banning the rest of his family from using the shower. Of course, he’s allowed to use the shower because he’s in charge.

At the Quinlans, once again, it’s long suffering mum Sarah who shoulders the burden of making sure the family passes the challenge as Pippa seems uninterested. She changes the timer settings on the central heating and hot water but will this be enough?

At the expert’s mid-point visit, the scale of the children’s lack of interest in being green is apparent when Pippa goes shopping rather than find out how she’s doing. Its left to the rest of the family to discover that they’re failing. The reason for this is because that even though they’ve changed the timer settings for the heating and hot water, 23 year-old daughter Emma’s nocturnal lifestyle has meant that she used the hot water when she wasn’t supposed to. In addition, because the family don’t close doors behind them, their radiators are working harder to keep the house at a constant temperature.

But the ever keen Moriartys are sailing through their challenge under the iron-grip of the Commander. His rule is prompting rebellious mutterings from the rest of the family however.

Both families are passing the electricity challenge set the week before. Sarah Quinlan has decided to turn down the temperature of the hot-tub which saves a massive amount of electricity. And since the challenge started, the family have not used either the pool OR the hot-tub. She’s also decided to send out the washing to be done by a launderette. This is a slight cheat as they’re supposed to be streamlining their routines rather than spending their way out of trouble.

But because the Quinlans are failing on the gas challenge, Aodhan tells them they’ve nearly used up all of their gas allowance for the week. For the remaining two days of the challenge, they’re allowed just 90 minutes of EITHER heating or hot water. Upset and angry, they opt for the heating.

Again, will the restrictions get them back on track to pass the challenge and collect their eco-reward?