VANCOUVER: A new BC Hydro survey shows spring may be the season of renewal, but for many B.C. couples it also marks the return of one of the year’s biggest battlegrounds: spring cleaning.
The survey1, conducted on behalf of BC Hydro, finds while couples may be aligned on their love for a fresh, organized home, they are less united on how to get there. From cleaning and laundry to dishes, and temperature control, both sides are convinced they are the best at chores.
Laundry tops the list of flashpoints. Nearly 60 per cent of British Columbians believe they are better at tackling the wash than their partner. Of those, 82 per cent are women and just 35 per cent men – a gap likely tied to the fact that women are three times as likely to do the laundry in their relationship.
Temperature battles also make their way into the spring-cleaning routine. One in five couples admit to daily temperature disputes. Men are about ten per cent more likely to take control, and a confident 77 per cent of them insist they are better at setting it correctly than their partner.
Domestic confidence extends into the kitchen as well, where 55 per cent think they are the better cook, led by 67 per cent of women and 45 per cent of men. Cleanup is a similar story as 54 per cent believe they outperform their partner, with women (77 per cent) far more likely than men (34 per cent) to say they are the true cleaning expert at home.
Even dishwashing comes with drama. Six per cent of couples say they have strong, clashing opinions about the “right” way to load the dishwasher. Notably, 19 per cent say they are the household dishwasher perfectionist, and men are more likely to claim that title. Meanwhile, nearly 20 per cent insist on running the dishwasher only when it is full, a rule women tend to enforce more often.
And the disagreements don’t stop at the front door. Driving often feels like a chore, especially when the seasons and the weather change. Men are more than twice as likely as women to say they handle most of the driving, and they are far more confident in their skills behind the wheel: 58 per cent of men believe they are the better driver in the relationship, compared with just 28 per cent of women.
BC Hydro suggests the following tips to help keep your electricity bill off the list of things to argue about this winter:
- Team up together: Join the thousands of British Columbians who have successfully completed a Team Power Smart Reduction Challenge and sign up today at bchydro.com/jointheteam.
- Follow temperature guidelines: From an energy efficiency perspective, BC Hydro recommends setting the thermostat at 21 degrees Celsius when relaxing or watching TV, 18 degrees Celsius when cooking or doing housework, and 16 degrees Celsius when away from home or sleeping.
- Skip the heat dry: Running a full load is the most efficient way to use the dishwasher, but skipping the heat dry function can cut its electricity use in half.
- Cook smarter: Choose to cook meals with smaller appliances, such as a crock-pot or air fryer - these use up to 75 per cent less energy than an electric oven.
- Clothes it down: Around 80 per cent of a clothes washer's energy use goes towards heating the water. Washing clothes in cold water is a simple way to reduce a washing machine's energy use. Using a clothesline or drying rack for wet laundry when you can, is another simple way to reduce energy use as dryers up to 12 per cent of a household’s total energy.
- Drive smoother: No matter who is driving, rapid starts and hard braking waste a lot of energy. If you look ahead, ease into acceleration, and let your vehicle coast gradually toward stops, you reduce the energy lost as heat during braking, especially in EVs, where smoother driving maximizes regenerative braking efficiency.
For more energy saving tips, visit bchydro.com.
Contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
e. media@bchydro.com
p. 604 928 6468
[1] These are the findings of a survey conducted by BC Hydro from January 22nd - 26th, 2026 among a representative sample of 811 online British Columbians aged 18+ are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.