With the holidays approaching, many parents faced with the rising cost of living will be struggling to entertain the kids at home. But even the ‘cost saving’ option of staying at home will hit parents where it hurts financially.
Loop energy saving app calculates a family of four can expect to add nearly £80 to energy bills with the kids at home over the Easter holidays. Steve Buckley, head of data at energy saving app, Loop said: “The Easter holidays will hit just after the energy price cap increase on April 1, so many families are looking for ways to cut back on their spending.
“The school holidays can take a toll on parent’s purse strings as they look for ways to keep the kids entertained whilst they’re off school. But this year, costly family outings, holidays and treats may be off the cards for many families due to the cost-of-living crisis.
“But simply staying at home doesn’t come for free. We explored some typical costs of staying at home this Easter and found that parents can expect to add nearly £80 to energy bills with the kids at home over the Easter holidays.
“That’s £40 extra per week added onto a family’s energy bill by just having the kids in the house for two weeks ‘doing nothing’. We looked at basic costs such as extra heating and lighting as well as the cost of running gaming devices, computers and the TV to keep the kids entertained. These costs are just for energy and before parents fork out for trips out and treats.
"By the time October half term comes along, having the kids home for the school holidays could add even more because of the second energy price cap rise. But it doesn’t have to. You can turn your kids in to energy-saving heroes and encourage them to turn off lights and devices when they are not using them.
“We know from speaking to customers that many families feel helpless since the energy crisis hit, but there is still a way to stay in control. You can avoid the dreaded ‘energy bill shock’ by minimising wasted energy and keeping track of your energy usage as you go.
“Using a free smart meter app like Loop makes this a lot easier. Loop links to your smart meter, analyses your energy data and shows easy ways to make savings. On average Loop users cut their usage by 10% but many save significantly more. There’s never been a better time to stop wasting energy.”
Cost of the Easter holidays
Activity |
Cost of energy used * |
Desktop computers |
£3.03 |
Laptop computers |
£0.77 |
Charging 4 mobile phones each day of the holidays |
£0.90 |
Playing Xbox or PlayStation for 5 hrs per day |
£2.97 |
Watching Netflix or Amazon on TV for 3 hrs per day |
£1.09 |
Lights on in 2 extra rooms (Two 60w lights left on 5hrs) |
£5.68 |
Heating on for extra 2hrs per day |
£49.84 |
Electric underfloor heating 1 hr extra per day |
£11.85 |
TOTAL for 2 weeks of Easter holidays |
£76.13 |
*after price cap increase on 1st April (@28.3p per unit) / based on 14 days
