Adult children’s hidden energy costs adding $1000 to bills – realestate.com.au

The costs associated with keeping adult children at home longer have been revealed, with parents in a surprising state having to spend more than $1,000 extra a year.

And there are some surprising devices to blame.

Energy comparison site iSelect combines data on appliance energy consumption, usage habits of Australians aged 18 to 29 and state electricity prices to find out the real energy costs if you live with an additional adult in each state.

South Australian parents with an adult child still at home pay the most, with an average of $1008.70 extra on their energy bills.

But that rises to $1,463.07 in high-use households.

It was followed by Queensland (average $753.89), NSW ($747.09), Western Australia ($739.45), the Northern Territory ($689.27), the ACT ($679.19), Tasmania ($650.08) and Victoria ($585.69).

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“As many young adults continue to live at home longer due to rising costs of living or move in with friends, it is important that households understand the hidden impact on their energy bills,” said Julia Paszka, general manager of utilities at iSelect.

“Even everyday habits, such as taking long showers and using a clothes dryer, can add hundreds of dollars per year to your energy bill.”

The report said: “With high rents, unaffordable housing and the rising cost of living, a recent report shows that 72 percent of 19-year-olds are still living with their parents.”

“While living with others can help younger adults save on rent, it can also increase utility bills for parents or live-in landlords,” the report said.

According to the report, even a low-consumption young adult uses about 1,800 kWh per year, costing households about $436 extra annually.

With moderate use this increases to almost 3000 kWh per year, which equates to approximately $698 in additional energy costs.

A high-usage young adult can add 4,648 kWh per year, costing parents or live-in landlords about $1,061 annually.

“The increase is steep, with costs more than doubling from low to high usage, demonstrating how lifestyle habits like streaming, gaming and long showers can quickly drive up bills,” the report said.

Nationally, the largest annual costs come from showers ($349.64), followed by air fryers ($56.51), gaming PCs/laptops ($56.43), fans ($40.79), gaming consoles ($39.22), lamps ($29.42), coffee machines ($26.94), desktop PC ($24.76), electric kettles ($20.40) and clothes dryers ($18.56).

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Long showers add up. (Photo: iStock)

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“The data shows how often 18-29 year olds living at home use different appliances and appliances, as well as the energy costs associated with them,” the report said.

“The essentials, such as showers, lighting and kettles, are universally used and form the basic energy demand for every household with an adult child.

“These essentials alone can cost parents or live-in landlords approximately $559.42 annually at high usage.

“Electronics, while widely used, have low additional costs; on average, laptops, headphones and smartphones cost less than $7 per year each.

“Although gaming devices, which are used by about half of home-dwelling young adults (desk consoles 48%, gaming PCs 52%), are very energy intensive; they can cost bill payers up to $85 per year with heavy use, depending on the console.

“Home appliances are widely used, with washing machines (83%), microwaves (77%) and vacuum cleaners (75%) contributing significantly to household energy costs. “Discretionary items such as tumble dryers (49%) and air fryers (55%) are not found in every home.

“However, when used, the high energy consumption can cost an average of €18.56 per appliance annually for using a dryer and €56.51 for an air fryer.”

Using the Airfryer increases your energy bill

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Paszka said that by being aware of these costs, parents and household members can make small changes that add up, helping everyone save energy without compromising their lifestyle.