- Brits could spend nearly £15 million a week this summer powering popular garden devices including hot tubs, electric barbecues and lawn mowers[1]
- Barbecue fans may spend £610,760 a week cooking outside on electric appliances this summer — but it is still cheaper than traditional charcoal[2]
- More than 1.4 million households have a hot tub[1], with even the most efficient models adding £1.19 per day to energy bills[3]
- Uswitch.com offers tips on how to cut your energy consumption in the garden during the summer months
The summer is already off to a scorching start, and Brits could spend almost £15 million a week powering garden appliances over the warmer months[1], according to new analysis by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
The UK has been baking in a heatwave at the start of July, and many households will be looking forward to enjoying time in their garden as schools start to wind down for the summer holidays.
Hot tubs are the biggest contributors to garden energy bills, but the cost of running lawn mowers, and electric barbecues and plug-in water features can also add up.
More than 700,000 households own electric barbecues, which cost about 85p to run for 90 minutes of cooking. Using traditional charcoal is more expensive, however, with 4.5kg of supermarket charcoal costing around £5[2].
As temperatures increase, the 1.4 million households that own a hot tub are likely to take a dip[1], but they should be conscious of the associated energy costs. The most efficient models can add £1.19 a day to energy bills, as the heater works constantly to keep the water warm enough to be used whenever people want[3].
The UK’s hot tub owners could be building up energy bills of almost £12 million a week over the summer months, even if they all have very efficient models. However, less efficient models can be even pricier to run — potentially running up bills of around £5.95 a day[3].
Electric lawn mowers are the most popular garden appliance, owned by more than a quarter (29%) of UK households. Using one for around 36 minutes a week will cost the nation’s gardeners £2 million[4].
Plug-in water features are a way to improve the appearance of a garden, and only add 2p per week to energy bills[5]. Over 3.6 million households also have electric lights. Although they only cost 7p to run per home, it adds up to £271,000 across the whole country[6].
Weekly cost of garden appliances
| Appliance | Owned by | Hours used per week | Weekly cost per household | UK weekly cost |
| Hot tub | 5% | 1.6 | £8.33 | £11,747,722 |
| Electric BBQ | 3% | 1.5 | 85p | £610,759 |
| Electric lawn mower | 29% | 0.6 | 25p | £2,020,031 |
| Garden electric lights | 13% | 2.3 | 7p | £271,188 |
| Plug-in water feature | 7% | 2.2 | 2p | £49,166 |
Source: Uswitch.com
Uswitch’s five tips for making savings in the garden
- Hot tub running costs can add up: If you are thinking about buying a hot tub, make sure you check its energy efficiency. Pricier hot tubs are likely to be better insulated and could cost less to run long term. Make sure you get a well-fitted cover to avoid losing heat and using more energy.
- Let the grass grow: At only 25p a time on average, mowing the lawn is not a big contributor to energy bills[4], but households looking to make savings could reduce the number of times they cut the grass — which can also be beneficial for insects, hedgehogs and wild flowers.
- Ditch the patio heater: When the garden gets chilly in the evening, patio heaters may seem like an easy way to warm up, but they can be costly to run. Electric patio heaters can vary a lot in power consumption, and commonly use between 1.5kW and 3kW. A 2.4kW unit would cost 62p per hour to run[7].
- Use the sun’s power: Solar-powered lights can make a great alternative to electric garden lighting. They’re much more versatile as you can position them wherever you want as they don’t need to be near a power source, and will save you money in the long run as they are powered by the sun.
- Use your garden to cut your laundry bill: If you have a garden or balcony, you can make use of the warmer weather by hanging clothes outside to dry. The average tumble dryer costs households 77p per cycle[8].
Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “A scorching start to the summer has sent millions of us flocking to our gardens to make use of lawnmowers, barbecues and hot tubs.
“Running outdoor appliances during the summer is always cheaper than using the heating in the winter, but there are many ways people could use their gadgets more efficiently.
“Hot tubs are the biggest garden energy guzzlers, as they need to be kept at an ambient temperature so they are ready to be used.
“When buying any new gadget or appliance for the garden, remember to weigh up not just purchase price, but how much they will cost to run. Sometimes the most energy-efficient devices are more expensive — but they will save you money in the long run.”
Check out the latest energy deals by running a comparison at Uswitch.com.
Notes to editors
Research conducted online by Opinium, 8th to 11th October 2024, among 2,000 UK residents, weighted to be nationally representative.
1. Respondents were asked, ‘Which of the following do you have?’ 29% said electric lawn mower, 13% garden electric lights, 7% said plug-in water feature, 5% said hot tub, 3% said electric barbecue. 29% of 28.2 million UK households = 8.2 million households, 13% of 28.2 million = 3.7 million, 7% of 28.2 million UK households = 2 million households, 5% of 28.2 million UK households = 1.4 million households, 3% of 28.2 million UK households = 719,310.
Respondents were asked, ‘For how long per week do you use each of these appliances?’
Lawn mower users said 0.6 hours, electric light owners said 2.3 hours, plug-in water feature owners said 2.2 hours, hot tub users said 1.6 hours, electric barbecue users said 1.5 hours.
2. Electric barbecue: 1.5 hours x 2.2 kW x 25.73p/kWh = £0.85 per house. £0.85 x 719,310 = £610,759 a week.
Charcoal BBQ: 1 kg meat needs 1 kg charcoal. 4.5 kg charcoal = £5. 5/4.5 = £1.11 for 1.5 hours of cooking.
3. WhatSpa?: How much does it cost to run a hot tub?
4. Electric mower: 0.6 hours x 1.6 kW x 25.73p/kWh = £0.25 a week per house. £0.25 x 8.2million = £2,020,031 a week.
5. Plug-in water feature: 2.2 hours x 0.044 kW x 25.73p/kWh = £0.02 per house. £0.02 x 2 million = £49,166 a week.
6. Garden electric lights: 2.3 hours x 0.125 kW x 25.73p/kWh = £0.07 per house. £0.07 x 3.7 million = £271,000 a week
7. Patio heater: 1 hour x 2.4 kW x 25.73p/kWh = 62p an hour.
8. The average tumble dryer cycle used 3kWh of energy. 3kWh x 25.73p/kWh = 77p.
For more information
Beverley Noble | Energy PR Manager
beverley.noble@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
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 find their energy, broadband and mobile deals 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.