Families could save £13 million a week in energy costs as kids return to school
Families could save more than £13 million a week on energy costs as children go back to school this week[1]
Cooking, television watching and dishwasher use are set to fall by the biggest amount, potentially saving each household around £125 a year[2]
With energy prices set to rise from October, Uswitch.com encourages households to take advantage of cheaper fixed deals to reduce their bills.
The start of a new school year can be an expensive time for families across the county, but new research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service, reveals that households could save a staggering £13 million a week on their energy bills as children return to classrooms[1].
The September savings come from a significant reduction in television and game console use, fewer oven-cooked meals, and a fall in the amount of washing up required as children spend up to eight hours a day less at home.
Using the oven to cook one fewer meal each school day would save the average household £1.09[3], while the amount of television watched by children could fall by more than three hours a day, reducing the average weekly energy cost by 71p[4].
Reducing weekly dishwasher use from 11 to nine loads would save 64p[5], and even turning off a 15W bulb for six hours every school day could reduce bills by 10p a week[6].
Families are likely to use the washing machine more frequently as children wear school uniforms in addition to their evening clothes, adding an extra 12p a week to their energy use[7].
In total, the changes add up to a weekly saving of £2.42 a household — equivalent to £125 a year. With the average school uniform clocking in at £92.35 per child[8], the potential savings could go a long way towards helping cash-strapped families.
Household energy bills are set to increase by 10% from October, so Uswitch is encouraging families to think about switching to a fixed deal to protect against upcoming price rises.
Elise Melville, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “The return to school is a good opportunity for families to cut back on their energy and potentially save significant sums.
“Using your oven, TV and dishwasher less can make a big difference to your energy bills, while there are plenty of other small savings to be had such as keeping the lights switched off.
“Although there may be more washing to be done when school starts again, this extra cost is likely to be cancelled out by using other home appliances and gadgets less.
“Maximising these opportunities to save is a good idea as energy bills will be on the rise from October, putting more pressure on households’ budgets.
“If families are on their supplier’s default tariff, now is a good time to look for a fixed deal, as there are potential savings to be had.”
Compare fixed energy deals at Uswitch.com.
1. There are 10,320,811 schoolchildren in the UK according to the Department for Education, and 5,522,715 households with at least one school-aged child, according to the Office for National Statistics. 5.5 million x £2.42 total weekly saving = £13.3 million. £1.09 + £0.71 + £0.64 + £0.10 - £0.12 = £2.42. See below for individual calculations.
2. £2.42 weekly saving x 52 weeks = £125.84.
3. Using an oven for half an hour uses 0.975kWh electricity. 0.975kWh x five weekly lunches = 4.875kWh. 4.875kWh x £0.2236 (cost per kWh) = £1.09 a week.
4. Ofcom estimates that people watch 4 hours and 31 minutes of TV a day. Assuming that children sleep for ten hours a night, this is 0.32 hours of television per waking hour. If they leave home for eight hours to attend school, they will watch 8 x 0.32 = 2.56 fewer hours of television per school day. 2.56 x 5 = 12.8 hours a week. Assuming a 250W television and £0.2236 per kWh, this adds up to 12.8 x 0.25 x 0.2236 = £0.71 a week.
5. Estimated dishwasher use for families is 11 loads a week, and reduction in children’s use during school hours is estimated to reduce usage by 2 loads a week. Dishwashers use 1.44kWh energy per load. 1.44kWh x 2 x 0.2236 = £0.64 a week.
6. Running a 15W bulb for six hours, five days a week: 0.015 x 6 x 5 x 0.2236 = £0.10
7. Washing machines use 0.56kWh energy per load. 0.56 x 0.2236 = £0.12
8. https://schoolwearassociation. co.uk/school-uniform-costs- drop-by-4/
Rianna York
Energy PR Manager
rianna.york@uswitch.com
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.