Emo Oil, one of the largest distributors of fuel and lubricants to homes farms and businesses around the UK has conducted a survey into the ability of British adults and their knowledge of how to carry out necessary household tasks.

The survey asked 1,439 UK adults about their abilities when it comes to a range of household maintenance and discovered that 39% of the population can’t change a fuse. Of those involved in the survey, 41% said they were unsure of how to turn off their mains water, and 19% said that they weren’t able to safely change a lightbulb. Even for more menial tasks, Brits struggled, with 16% of those asked unsure of how to descale a kettle.

All’s not lost however, as the internet is here to help. 67% of the participants have said that they searched online to work out how to do a job. In the past, tasks like this were passed on from generation to generation. In some instances, this is still the case, as 38% have admitted to asking parents how to fulfill a household task. 23% also reported that friends are a good source of information when unsure of how to complete jobs in the home. Slightly less popular as a font of wisdom, at 12%, were neighbours. Although it is apparent that technology is the favourable source of information, going back to people; whether that is family, friends or neighbours, is still a part of how adults in Britain learn new things.

It is great that so much information is available online, but what if a problem arises and the internet is down? Google can’t help you then. Or what if you don’t have time to search for how to turn the mains water supply off? It is still vitally important for future generations to have some vital information passed down. Being able to pick up these skills and live independently, even from the internet.