Mod cons save us 51 minutes a day on average

A new study which looked in to the everyday items which have most improved modern lives identified washing machines, contactless payments and microwaves among our most prized modern conveniences.

The Research which polled 2,000 UK adults also found banking, TV streaming services and tumble dryers were highly rated by Brits for making their lives easier.

They findings indicated that mod cons are saving the average Brit 51 minutes a day, a total of 13 days every year.

Many Brits have become so reliant on their devices that a third now say they ‘wouldn’t be able to cope’ without the likes of dishwashers, tablets and contactless payments.

The average person now also makes three contactless payments a day using their card or mobile device. Further to this, 39 per cent believed going contactless and no longer needing to get around using traditional paper tickets would make their life easier.

The study was Commissioned by Heathrow Express, which now accepts contactless payments on all services.

Their spokesperson added: “We all want things that make our lives easier and with contactless now being accepted on Heathrow Express, it’s a quick and easy way to pay for your journey to or from the airport.”

However the research did also find six in 10 look back fondly to a pre-internet age when tech wasn’t quite so advanced – because ‘life was simpler then’.

And three quarters believe many of the latest mod cons such as smartphones, smart fridges and smart TVs are overpriced.

Yet overall, four in 10 said tech has helped them when they’ve found themselves in a tricky situation – for instance being able to pay for goods using their phone when they’ve forgotten their wallet.

The spokesperson continued: “We are so used to having washing machines, fridges and so on that’s it easy to forget what a difference they make to day to day life.

“We commissioned this research to find out which ones we rely on most and to see if any newer tech is now seen as essential by Brits.

“Traditional white goods took the top spots but newer tech such as smartphones, online banking and contactless payments featured prominently suggesting they are integral to our daily routine.”

The research also found that even with our current technological strides forward the majority of Brits still believe the best is yet to come. With 86 per cent believing tech will make life even easier over the coming years.

Flying cars, being able to teleport and robots that can heal injuries are among the conveniences we would most like to see become part of everyday life.