Kyle Walker's estimated £16,200-a-year energy bill is Three Lions' biggest due to fish tank and waterfall
Three Lions footballer Kyle Walker’s energy bills estimated to be £16,200 a year — the biggest in the squad thanks to his swimming pool, fish tank and waterfall[1]
His £3 million Cheshire mansion is nine times larger than the average UK home[2], and his energy bill is 15 times bigger than most households[3]
Team-mate John Stones has the next biggest bill among Premier League stars taking part in the summer of football, estimated at £15,900, followed by France ace Paul Pogba at £14,300[4]
Hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, floodlit pitches and home gyms add thousands to the energy bills of football’s biggest names
Football legend Harry Redknapp is taking steps to reduce his bill by going green and installing solar panels at his new home
Uswitch.com offers football fans tips on how to reduce their own energy costs.
England defender Kyle Walker has the highest energy bills of his fellow Three Lions team-mates — paying about £16,200 a year to heat his mansion, run his swimming pool, fish tank and personal waterfall[1], according to research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Walker’s £3 million Cheshire home has six bedrooms, a football-themed games room and a hot-tub, making his energy bills 15 times the average household’s £1,125-a-year costs[3]. Thankfully, his £110,000-a-week estimated salary means he can pay off his bill in little more than a day’s work!
The Manchester City star’s home measures about 860m2 — approximately nine times the size of the average 90.18m2 UK house[2]. Walker could save a staggering £3,245 if he moved from a standard variable tariff to one of the best fixed deals on the market[5].
England and Man City team-mate John Stones spends an estimated £15,900-a-year on energy bills for his £3 million pad, which has six bedrooms, five reception rooms, five bathrooms, a sauna, cinema and leisure complex, plus an indoor pool that costs £5,000 to heat annually[4].
France and Manchester United ace Paul Pogba has the next biggest bill, estimated at £14,300 in gas and electricity for his Cheshire home. Adding to his power costs are an indoor football pitch with electronic scoreboard and LED lighting[4].
His Old Trafford team-mate David de Gea — one of ten Premier League stars in the Spanish squad — spends an estimated £14,100 powering his home plus outdoor pool, home cinema and electric security gates[4].
Other notable footballers’ homes include Wales star Gareth Bale’s Vale of Glamorgan mansion with its six high-ceiling bedrooms, and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s Chesire pad, which includes a jacuzzi, a cinema with starlight ceiling, and a hi-spec multi audio room[4].
England boss Gareth Southgate’s 16th-century North Yorkshire mansion doesn’t have as many mod cons or gimmicks as his players’ homes. But older homes can be more expensive to heat, requiring 200kWh per m2 compared to 100kWh for a new build[2]. The Three Lions’ manager is estimated to spend approximately £11,200 on his gas and electricity[4].
Among Three Lions legends, Wayne Rooney clocks up an estimated £16,000 a year powering his six-bedroom home in Knutsford, Cheshire, with its two elevators, hot tub and electric vehicle charging point. David Beckham’s 770m2 £5 million Cotswolds home has estimated annual bills of £11,400[4].
Football pundit Harry Redknapp is leading the way when it comes to reducing his bills and encouraging renewable power. Mr Redknapp recently downsized from a seven bedroom residence in Sandbanks to a new-build five-bedroom solar-powered eco-home in Poole, Dorset. It’s estimated Harry’s solar panels are saving him about £240 a year[4] — although his bill is still estimated at £12,500 a year[4].
Uswitch.com is offering footballers — and people in more modest households — some tips to cut their energy bills, including recommending turning down your thermostat by 1oC (which can save regular households up to £80 a year), and unplugging appliances that you aren’t using, in its guide to reducing your power costs.
Sarah Broomfield, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “If you’ve ever opened your energy bill in horror then spare a thought for those who made this list.
“But famous footballer or not, there’s always a benefit to keeping down the amount of energy you use at home.
“Sometimes it can be as simple as closing windows, turning off lights when you leave the room, and turning down the thermostat.
“Switching tariffs is another great way to keep those utility bills down. If you’re on a standard variable tariff, you can save good money by switching to a fixed deal, so do a search online and compare what deals are out there.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Ross Stebbing
Phone: 07827 836 709
Email: ross.stebbing@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors:
1. Desk research. Kyle Walker calculation: 840m2 x 150kWh/m x 0.0417 = £5,254 (gas cost). Cost of running a swimming pool is estimated at £5,000. Total energy costs = £5,254 + £5,000 (pool) + £365 (hot tub) + £38 (fish tank) + gym (£33) + £282 (gas and electricity standing charges) + electricity £5,242 = £16,214.
2. ONS: House price per square metre and house price per room, England and Wales: 2004 to 2016
3. Ofgem: Bills, prices and profits, June 2020. ONS: Employee earnings in the UK. Median weekly earnings for full-time employees are £585.
4. See table in release.
5. Average SVT = £1,138 a year. Best priced fixed deal (correct as of 25/05/21 is £908.50 from Outfox the Market. £908.50/£1,138 = 80%. 80% of £16,225 = £12,980. £16,225 - £12,980 = £3,245.
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.