Household bills jump 81% in a decade

Household bills have shot up by over double the rate of inflation in the past 10 years.

Household bills have increased by an average of 81% in the past decade, over double the rate of inflation over that time (37%).

That's according to new research from Santander, which revealed that gas prices have been the biggest driver of this increase, with bills jumping an astonishing 185% in the past 10 years. Electricity has more than doubled at 120% while water bills have shot up by 66%.

Bill type	Increase in prices 20014-2014
Gas	185%
Electricity	120%
Water	66%
Council Tax	27%
TV, phone and broadband	6%
Average increase	81%

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Lifelong spending

Santander also looked at how much these bills cost households across their entire lifetime, arriving at a final figure of an incredible £138,000. Here's how that breaks down:

Bill type	Estimated lifetime spend
Gas	£36,875
Electricity	£30,555
Water	£30,472
Council Tax	£21,819
TV, phone and broadband	£18,226
Total	£137,948

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Switch and save

One way to ensure you pay less than the rest is to regularly shop around for new deals. OK, so that's not an option with Council Tax and water bills, but there's no reason not to regularly check out new deals on your energy bills, phone and broadband packages, as well as other regular bills like your mortgage, car insurance and home insurance.

It's also really important to keep on top of just how where your money is going each month. Be sure to make use of loveMONEY's Track tool, which can help you categorise your spending and work out where you can easily save some cash.

It's also worth remembering that the Santander 123 Current Account actually pays you cashback on certain direct debits. You get 1% on water bills, Council Tax and Santander mortgage payments, 2% on electricity and gas payments and 3% on mobile phone, landline, broadband and paid-for TV packages.

The 123 account also pays interest of up to 3% on balances of up to £20,000, though there is a £2 monthly fee to bear in mind.

Keep tabs on your finances with the Track tool

More on household spending:

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