LONDON — Are you handy enough that if a lightbulb went out in your home you’d be able to change it? Believe it or not, one in five people aren’t so skilled. In fact, a new survey of people in the United Kingdom finds not only do about 20 percent of people not know how to change a bulb — the same number aren’t sure how to boil an egg, either.
The British insurance company Aviva recently released their annual Home Report which detailed, among numerous findings about how people do work around the house, relatively common tasks that people encounter. The company surveyed 2004 people across the UK in February and March about their habits and roles at home.
In addition to just one in five not being able to change a lightbulb or boil an egg, the survey found that nearly a third of the participants couldn’t cook any meal on the fly. And if someone were to spill a portion of their meal on their clothes or on the floor, only 59 percent would know how to get rid of the resulting stain.
Only 37 percent could change a flat tire.
The findings were even surprising to the folks behind the study.
“As a nation we tend to take pride in our ability to do things ourselves in and around the home, so it’s a surprise to see there could be a skills gap in places,” says Aviva Propositions Director Adam Beckett in a press release. “That said, we also know that people lead busy lives, so while we enjoy doing things ourselves, we also appreciate the opportunity to leave things to a professional from time to time, particularly with some of the more challenging jobs.”
Interestingly, while 50 percent of those surveyed said they learned how to do a home task on their by trial and error, plenty of people are turning to the internet for help, especially millennials. The study found four in 10 people aged 25 and under prefer learning do-it-yourself chores online. That’s more than twice the number in the age group who turn to an actual book for help.
Here’s a look at the polled tasks and the number of people who indicated they could successfully complete them:
| Task | Percentage who feel confident doing this task |
| Boil an egg | 81% |
| Change a light bulb | 79% |
| Cook a complete meal without using a recipe | 69% |
| Read a map | 66% |
| Sew on a button | 65% |
| Unblock a sink | 62% |
| Remove a stain from a carpet or clothing | 59% |
| Change a baby’s nappy | 57% |
| Wire a plug | 57% |
| ‘Bleed’ a radiator | 53% |
| Check oil levels in a car | 53% |
| Put up a shelf | 47% |
| Put up wallpaper | 39% |
| Change a flat tire | 37% |
| Change a washer on a tap | 30% |
| Fit tiles | 22% |
Click here to read the entire report, which broke down the findings by age groups and revealed many other interesting results.
Must be a bunch of gimmie dat liberals. Too stupid to feed themselves or change a light bulb with out help. So pathetic it’s funny.
I once knew a conservative who could do both – change a light bulb and boil an egg. But, of course, he was taught by a Liberal ….who took pity on him …when he saw the man’s family starving in the dark. Luckily, the kind Liberal just happened to be carrying a flashlight or he would have walked right by them…and there would be less conservatives in the world …which proves even Liberals sometimes make mistakes.
Well i’m betting that the woeful lack of ability in British adults is because i think about 20% of Brits are muslim and things like electricity are a new and alien concept for them. Killing innocent people, they are very adept and capable. Boiling an egg, not so much.
When they hear Allah SnackBar they run for tea and scones.
Let’s NOT jump to conclus…AANNNDDD it’s from London.
Hmm, seems teaching of basic “life saving” skill sets, such as cooking your own meals, changing a light bulb (so you can cook your meals), etc. are learned – typically from your parents/guardians (or by trial and error so you don’t die from starvation!). I’m not surprised with these numbers. Explains why quite a few people get married early since mommy (or daddy) won’t cook their dinners, wash their cloths, wipe their butts, etc.
Yes, I expect this comment will hurt some individual’s feelings……
Lord forgive them because they are completely stupid.
Well, based on various comments from other folks, depending on where their political leanings are, attack the polar opposites. This is nothing new – that is why homo sapiens (humans) are a social “herd” type species, a certain percentage would either be eaten by predators (re: feeding the polar bears marshmellows with their teeth), die of consuming “unknown” veggies/fungus (castor beans (ricin) cause they look pretty, rmushrooms vs toadstools, etc.), or taking 100% fatal endeavors (mooning baboons in their zoo enclosures, “lets use an 80 ft. bungee cord when jumping off an 80 ft. high bridge over a railway pass”) so that we won’t perish as a complete group (chalk it up to Darwism).
Damn the English are as stupid as the Germans now ?
Thank the NEA!
Are these all millennials where mommy did everything?
Apparently, my comment was deleted “by mistake” so I’m posting it again for your reading pleasure:
I once knew a conservative who could do both – change a light bulb and boil an egg. But, of course, he was taught by a Liberal ….who took pity on him …when he saw the man’s family starving in the dark. Luckily, the kind Liberal just happened to be carrying a flashlight or he would have walked right by them…and there would be less conservatives in the world …which proves even Liberals sometimes make mistakes.
How come your Fuhrer Trump and Vice-Fuhrer Pence both call their wives “Mother” in public and “MOMMIE!!!” during sex? Or, is that simply a conservative tradition?
I think it is time to get off yours.
I’m not sure what that has to do with the article or how leftist regressives are dumbing down America? It sounds like your a typical leftist regressive who like to change the subject to avoid discussion on serious issues.
That same one in five hold far Left ideology. Coincidence? In a pig’s eye!
Must be about Millennials.
Ladies (even true blue,..er..red conservatives) please stop doing the nasty with conservative males. What the world needs now is Liberals, lots and lots of Liberals who will save the USA, not destroy it. Besides, that missionary position must be getting pretty boring for you. Try a Liberal MAN who will never pray or cry during sex (although you may) and you will always come/cum first.
And in your case, it ends with a dead girl buried in a shallow grave.
They be demokrats.
How many teamsters does it take to screw in a light bulb?
20.
You gotta problem wit dat?
Where is John Galt?
So Brits are more likely to be able to bleed a radiator than be able to change a tire and check the oil?
I knew how to do all of that since I was 11 or 12 years old.
1 in 5 are betas
Who needs to know how to do those thing, that is what the Government is for. They take care of us. People have more important things to do – smoke pot and figure out what sex they are today.