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NEARLY HALF OF HOUSEHOLDS ARE CHECKING THEIR FINANCES MORE REGULARLY DURING LOCKDOWN, AS 45% FEAR RUNNING OUT OF MONEY

Published: 28/04/2021

comparethemarket.com runs the Meerkat your Bills event to help people spring clean finances and save money on household bills as lockdown lifts

  • Many households are reviewing their finances more often in lockdown as 45% of these fear running out of money.

  • More than half of households have witnessed their bills increase over the last 12 months.

  • But four in ten fail to regularly check for cheaper deals when their contract periods have ended.

  • And 21% are still paying for subscriptions they no longer use, spending £265 per year on these services.

28 April 2021: Money worries are increasing for British households despite the economy beginning to open up again. Since the pandemic began, 45% of households have started scrutinising their finances more regularly, compared to just 4% who said they paid less attention to their spending, according to new research from comparethemarket.com. Of those paying closer attention to their outgoings, 45% are concerned about running out of money.

Households are more worried about their finances after 51% said they had seen the cost of their monthly bills rise over the past 12 months. The wider economic impact of the pandemic means that many are now struggling. comparethemarket.com’s Household Financial Confidence Tracker found two in five families with children at home would fall into debt if the cost of their energy were to increase.

Despite seeing their bills increase, four in 10 households (42%) admit they don’t regularly compare other providers for cheaper or more suitable deals once their contract periods end. For some regular bills, such as mobile phones and energy, this could mean these households are paying far more than they need to for these services. Previous research from comparethemarket.com found households could typically save £494 if they switch to the cheapest suppliers for all their bills. As a result, one in three (33%) households believes providers should be doing more to tell them when their contract comes to an end.

In addition, most households don’t go into detail when reviewing their finances. While 86% check their bank balances at least once a month when reviewing their finances, just 30% look at their energy bills, and only 28% check how much they are spending on subscriptions at least once a month. As a result, unused or unneeded subscriptions are putting further pressure on household finances. One in five households (21%) are paying for subscriptions they forgot about or no longer use. These households are typically spending a huge £265 each year on the services which they don’t need.

However, spending on unused subscriptions varies significantly by age. Nearly half of bill payers under the age of 25 (47%) have subscriptions that they don’t use, and these young people are squandering an average of £344 on these services each year. Only 9% of people aged over 55 have unused subscriptions, but these people are still wasting an average of £164 on them each year.

To help people spring clean their finances, comparethemarket.com is running Meerkat Your Bills – an event designed to help households bolster their budgets and save money on their bills. Households can access exclusive offers across a range of products – including broadband and energy – when they switch provider. You can find out more about Meerkat Your Bills at https://www.comparethemarket.com/utilities/meerkat-your-bills-event/

Ursula Gibbs, director at comparethemarket.com, said: “Households have seen their monthly bills increase over the last year as many have been forced to use more broadband and electricity while working from home. It is concerning that so many people are barely managing to make ends meet. Our research shows just how important it is for these people to be aware that they should check for cheaper deals when their contracts expire. Our latest Meerkat Your Bills event gives households the chance to clean up their finances after a tough year and benefit from exclusive deals to save them money. Shopping around is one of the most effective ways to cut the cost of monthly bills and relieve some of the financial pressure, potentially saving hundreds of pounds each year.”

ENDS

Censuswide survey on behalf of comparethemarket.com of 2,028 bill decision makers.

About comparethemarket.com

comparethemarket.com was launched in 2006 and has grown rapidly over the past fifteen years to become one of the UK’s leading price comparison websites.

comparethemarket.com provides customers with an easy way to make the right choice for them on a wide range of products including motor, home, life, travel and pet insurance as well as utilities and money products such as credit cards and loans.

comparethemarket.com actively works with its brand partners to help provide great services to customers.

comparethemarket.com is a trading name of Compare The Market Limited. Compare The Market Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for insurance distribution (FRN: 778488) and is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (FRN: 911617) for the provision of payment services.