Episode 4: The transport challenge

On top of maintaining their electricity and gas targets, each family now has to reduce the amount of petrol they use. Each family is audited on the amount of necessary journeys they take and the amount of petrol that requires. Both families like their cars and both families have three. But the Moriartys are more eco-conscious in that they have a hybrid car.

For the Moriartys, their target is a massive 75% reduction in their 5 day petrol usage. This is largely because mum Sharon has a habit of driving the one mile journey in and out of Listowel about ten times a day! This target means she has to get on her bike! She’s also the challenge monitor so she has to be hard on herself!

For the Quinlans, they have to reduce their petrol usage by 38% (a total allowance of 52 litres). They’re really going to struggle as they’re addicted to their cars. They have three gas guzzlers – two Mercedes and a Land rover. In addition to this, they drive everywhere, despite being in Dublin. During the challenge, the target set has to allow each of the drivers to be able to get to work but is designed to prevent them from using the cars for single purpose, single person journeys.

Dad Michael Quinlan is a solicitor and needs his car to get him to clients and court at short notice. Mum Sarah could cycle to work though on a couple of the challenge days but its daughter Emma who’s both the problem and the challenge monitor.

Emma’s a model and podium dancer at nightclubs. But with a twist. She dances with one of her collection of reptiles – a 10 foot python. As this needs to be transported and because of her late working hours, she drives the hugely inefficient jeep. Of course the Quinlans should be trying to drive more eco-friendly cars but they don’t seem to understand that being green and having a fancy collection of cars is difficult to achieve. Emma’s warned by Aodhan that she really needs to plan this challenge. And true to form, within 24 hours, Emma’s almost failed the challenge for the Quinlans by herself as she takes herself on a shopping trip to Blanchardstown shopping centre. A journey she describes as absolutely necessary. Michael also blows their chances by driving into town by himself to pick up some dry-cleaning.

The Moriartys are also struggling. Sharon is now having to walk further than she’s ever walked in her life and walking in the rain is not making her a happy bunny. Eugene decides to take a day off work in an effort to save some of the family’s petrol usage but Dr Kirk spots his attempt to cheat and reduces the family’s allowance further.

At the half-way stage, the Moriartys are again on track for all three challenges but the Quinlans have used up nearly all of their allowance. The only way they can pass is if Michael and Sarah both take the bus to work on the last day. Emma and Aodhan have a row about why the family can’t take the bus even though a bus into town stops at the top of their road. They never ever take the bus and even though the jeep is clamped, will they stick to the target?