The hidden cost of being single: £9,769 per year
Single Brits pay on average £9,769 more per year than people living with a partner for everyday household bills, including broadband and energy[1]
Six in ten (64%) agree there is a ‘single person tax’[2] – with rent, car and energy as the top bills for singles to pay a premium on[3]
Those living alone pay £180 a year more for broadband compared to those living with a partner[4]
More than half (54%) of single people often feel stressed about their finances - compared to 39% of those in a couple[5]
One in five (19%) singles have had to cut down on streaming or entertainment subscriptions to manage the cost of living[6] – while one in ten (9%) have been forced to take up a second job[7]
Almost a quarter (23%) have even considered staying with a partner to avoid the ‘single person tax’[8]
78% of singles believe companies should offer single-person discounts, as with council tax, or more choice in deals on monthly household bills[9]
Uswitch shares advice for those living alone, including how to cut down bills and make the most of provider perks
Single Brits are being penalised for living alone, spending £9,769 more per year on everyday household bills compared to those living with a partner[1], according to new research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
The analysis compared a number of monthly living expenses by people living without a partner - whether that is in a single-person property or renting a room in a house/flat share - including rent and mortgages, water, council tax, broadband, energy, TV streaming and home insurance.
Six in ten (64%) Brits agree there is a ‘single person tax’[2] – the financial burden that comes with not being able to split everyday household bills with a partner – with singles paying the highest monthly premiums on rent, car leasing/usage and energy bills.[3]
There are 8.3 million single-person households in the UK - now the second most common type of household, accounting for almost one in three (30%) UK households in 2022, according to ONS data.
Those living without a partner are paying, on average, £180 more for broadband per year in comparison to those living with a partner or friends/family.[4] Additionally, spending on groceries mean that singles are a huge £696 worse off compared to their coupled counterparts.[10]
The research also revealed that women are more adversely affected by the single-person premium, paying almost half (48%) of their income on average in comparison to men (44%).
Full breakdown of bills: Average single (living alone or in shared accommodation) compared to average person living with a partner:
| Bill | UK average (pcm) | Single (alone or house share) (pcm) | Living with partner (pcm) | Annual difference (12 months) | % increase for singles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rent* | £200 (£468) | £325 (£565) | £105 (£396) | £2,641 | 210% |
| Car lease/usage | £129 | £211 | £67 | £1,718 | 215% |
| Energy bills | £216 | £287 | £164 | £1,474 | 75% |
| Council tax | £202 | £263 | £149 | £1,370 | 77% |
| Mortgage* | £215 (£538) | £253 (£577) | £195 (£486) | £691 | 30% |
| Groceries | £273 | £312 | £254 | £694 | 23% |
| Music streaming | £15 | £25 | £6 | £224 | 317% |
| Broadband | £33 | £42 | £27 | £178 | 56% |
| TV streaming | £20 | £28 | £13 | £172 | 115% |
| TV services | £25 | £33 | £20 | £161 | 65% |
| Mobile phone | £27 | £33 | £20 | £160 | 65% |
| Water bills | £33 | £40 | £28 | £134 | 43% |
| Home insurance | £29 | £34 | £26 | £100 | 31% |
| Car insurance | £37 | £40 | £35 | £52 | 14% |
It’s not only financially that single Brits are suffering. The hidden cost of being single also has an emotional impact, with more than half (54%) of single people saying they often feel stressed about their finances – compared to 39% of those in a couple who feel the same[5].
The difficulties faced by singles are recognised by 56% of Brits, who believe it’s simply too expensive to be living alone in 2023.[11]
Nuala Ginty is a self-employed PR professional from Dublin, now living in Penge, South East London. She has lived alone for the past 10 years. She commented: "2023 has been one of the toughest years for my outgoings. I had to ditch Netflix, Disney Plus and Audible. I also had to move mobile providers as I just couldn't afford my new Vodafone bills.
"As a single self-employed person, you feel like you are on the sharper end of things. There is a hidden 'single tax' that no one talks about enough. It's very unfair that in this day and age, single people's contribution to society is not given more respect and financial recognition."
One in five (19%) singles claim that they have had to cut down on streaming or entertainment subscriptions to manage the cost of living[6] – while one in ten (9%) have been forced to take a second job to supplement their income[7].
Almost a quarter (23%) also admitted they have considered staying with a partner to avoid paying the ‘single person tax’ - as they didn’t think they could afford their bills on their own[8].
| Top actions taken by singles to manage the rising cost of living[12] | |
|---|---|
| Cutting down on energy usage | 45% |
| Cutting back on groceries | 38% |
| Cutting down on eating out or takeaways | 38% |
| Cutting down on water usage | 23% |
| Changing home or car insurance providers to find a cheaper deal | 19% |
| Cutting down on streaming or entertainment subscriptions (e.g. Netflix) | 20% |
| Selling belongings online | 20% |
| Changing broadband providers to find a cheaper deal | 13% |
| Switching to a cheaper energy deal | 12% |
| Stopping or delaying paying for some bills | 12% |
Most singles (78%) believe companies should offer single-person discounts – as with council tax – or provide more choice in deals on monthly household bills.[9]
Sabrina Hoque, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com commented: “The single person tax is real, and it’s not surprising that singles are feeling the rising cost of living even more strongly than other households.
“Singles often have to pay similar monthly costs as couples do on bills such as home broadband - so if there’s no one else to split bills with, those living alone may feel unfairly penalised.
“With single homes now accounting for one in three households, home services and utility providers should be taking notice of this group - which can span all ages and stages of life - and do more to understand their needs.
“Just as single households can get discounts on council tax, all home service providers could do more to ensure there are affordable products and deals on offer that suit a single person’s needs and income.
“In the meantime, for singles - it’s even more important to avoid overpaying on bills, and also look for savings beyond the bigger fixed costs such as rent and mortgages. Pounds saved each month on broadband, mobile phone and streaming services can all add up.”
Sabrina’s tips to avoid overpaying on your bills as a single person household:
Mobile: Make sure you’re not paying for a handset you’ve already paid off. If you’re more than two years into a handset contract, it’s likely time to switch. See what offers are available for you if you switch to a SIM only deal and you could save £360 over 12 months.
Broadband: If you live alone - you might not need the fastest speeds or biggest bundles available, but that doesn’t mean settling for rubbish speeds or an unreliable service, so make sure you’re on the best value plan for your needs. Also consider exploring regional provider options that are local to you. Uswitch data shows switching to a new broadband deal after your initial contract has ended could save you £179 a year.
TV subscriptions: If you live alone - you can only watch one thing at a time, so try and stick to a single TV subscription at a time based on what you’re watching - and remember to cancel as soon as you’ve made it through your series binge. Some providers such as Netflix and Disney Plus offer cheaper options if you can face sitting through a few adverts. There are also lots of free TV available to stream including BBC iPlayer (if you have a TV licence) as well as on-demand services for ITV and Channel 4.
TV licence: Remember, if you only stream on-demand TV shows and films on services such as Netflix and don’t watch any live TV or BBC iPlayer content - you don’t need a TV licence. This could save you £159 a year.
Entertainment: Some home services, including mobile and broadband providers, offer perks and discounts to their customers on everything from cinema tickets to streaming subscriptions. Make sure to check all offers that are available to you.
Music streaming: Getting all of your music in one place, such as Spotify, will help keep streaming costs under control. Free plans are available with ads - but if you live with a friend - you could split a Spotify Duo subscription for £14.99
Energy: Energy rates are still high, so it’s important to only pay for what you need. Make sure to submit regular meter readings to avoid incorrect billing, and track your usage with a free app such as Utrack to find simple ways to save by changing your habits.
Council tax: Single person households are entitled to a 25% discount on their council tax bill so make sure you claim this when you pay through your local council.
Home and car insurance: Insurance premiums usually rise every year - so even if your insurance was the best deal when you took it out, the renewal quote may not be as competitive. This means it’s important to shop around. Use a comparison website such as Uswitch to see what the best offers are when you come to renew.
ENDS
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Yolanda Etrata
Phone: 07702 534 837
Email: yolanda.etrata@uswitch.com
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors:
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from the 27th to the 31st October 2023. Results have been weighted to be nationally representative.
Respondents were asked ‘How much as an individual do you pay/contribute per month, on average, for the following expenses?’ Expenses people asked about included TV streaming (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Now TV, etc), TV services (Sky Go, Freeview, Britbox), Music streaming, Broadband, Water bills, Home insurance, Car insurance, Mobile phone, Rent, Mortgage, Council tax, Car lease / usage Energy bills, Groceries, Rent, Mortgage, Council tax, Car lease / usage Energy bills, Groceries. The mean average was £814 per month when looking at average of net single people living alone in a property plus net single people renting a room in a multiple occupancy home (house/flatshares) versus the net living with partner, which multiplied by 12 makes £9,769.
Respondents were asked ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?’. 64% of respondents answered ‘strongly agree’ or ‘slightly agree’ to ‘I believe it’s more difficult to be single than in a couple when it comes to paying for everyday household bills’.
Respondents were asked ‘How much as an individual do you pay/contribute per month, on average, for the following expenses?’ When looking at the difference between average of net single people living alone in a property plus net single people renting a room in a multiple occupancy home (house/flatshares) versus the net living with partner, the highest average difference was in rent (£220), car lease / usage (£143) and energy bills (£123).
Respondents were asked ‘How much as an individual do you pay/contribute per month, on average, for the following expenses?’ When looking at the difference between average of net single people living alone in a property plus net single people renting a room in a multiple occupancy home (house/flatshares) versus net those living with partner, the difference in broadband cost is £15 which multiplied by 12 makes £180.
Respondents were asked ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?’ 54% of average single people living alone in a property plus single people renting a room in a multiple occupancy home (house/flatshares) selected ‘strongly agree’ or ‘slightly agree’ to ‘I often feel stressed about my finances’ while 39% of net living with partner selected ‘strongly agree’ or ‘slightly agree’.
Respondents were asked ‘Have you taken any of the following actions to help manage the rising cost of living?’ 19% average of net single people living alone in a property plus net single people renting a room in a multiple occupancy home (house/flatshares) selected ‘cut down on streaming or entertainment subscriptions (e.g. Netflix)’.
Respondents were asked ‘Have you taken any of the following actions to help manage the rising cost of living?’ 9% average of net single people in property plus net single people living alone in a property plus net single people renting a room in a multiple occupancy home (house/flatshares) selected ‘Taken a second job (including paid pet-sitting, babysitting, retail work, online work, etc)’.
Respondents were asked ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?’ 23% of respondents selected ‘strongly agree’ or ‘slightly agree’ to ‘I have considered staying with a partner to avoid paying the ‘single person tax’ / because I couldn’t afford to pay the additional cost of paying monthly bills on my own’.
Respondents were asked ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?’ 73% average of net single people living alone in a property plus net single people renting a room in a multiple occupancy home (house/flatshares) selected ‘strongly agree’ or ‘slightly agree’ to ‘I believe companies (such as utilities, broadband, TV and home insurance) should offer single-person discounts or more choice in deals on monthly household bills’.
Respondents were asked ‘How much as an individual do you pay/contribute per month, on average, for the following expenses?’ When looking at the difference between average of net single people living alone in a property plus net single people renting a room in a multiple occupancy home (house/flatshares) versus the net living with partner, the difference in groceries cost is £58 which multiplied by 12 makes £696.
Respondents were asked ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?’ 58% of respondents selected ‘strongly agree’ or ‘slightly agree’ to ‘I believe that it’s too expensive to be living alone in 2023’.
Respondents were asked ‘Have you taken any of the following actions to help manage the rising cost of living?’ Table shows actions taken by average of net single people living alone in a property plus net single people renting a room in a multiple occupancy home (house/flatshares).
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.