Gaming is adding to power costs.
The cost of adult children staying home for longer has been revealed, with parents in one surprise state forking out over $1000 extra a year.
And there are some surprising appliances to blame.
Energy comparison site iSelect combined appliance energy use data, usage habits of Australians aged 18 to 29, and state electricity prices to uncover the true cost of energy when living with an additional adult in each state.
South Australian parents with an adult child still at home are paying the most, with an average of $1008.70 extra added to their power bill.
But that climbs to $1463.07 in high usage 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).
Electric bill. iStock
“With many young adults staying at home longer due to rising living costs or moving in with friends, it’s important for households to understand the hidden impact on their energy bills,” iSelect general manager utilities Julia Paszka said.
“Even everyday habits, such as long showers and using a tumble dryer, can add hundreds of dollars a year to your utility bills.”
The report said: “With high rent, unaffordable housing, and the rising cost of living, a recent report revealed that 72 per cent 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 energy bills for parents or live-in landlords,” the report said.
The report said that even a low-usage young adult uses around 1800 kWh per year, costing households approximately an extra $436 annually.
At moderate usage, this rises to almost 3000 kWh per year, which equates to around $698 in extra energy costs.
A high-usage young adult can add 4648 kWh per year, costing parents or live-in landlords around $1061 annually.
“The increase is steep, with costs over doubling from low to high usage, showing how lifestyle habits like streaming, gaming, and long showers can quickly drive-up bills,” the report said.
Nationally, the biggest annual cost comes from showers ($349.64), followed by airfryers ($56.51), PCs/laptops for gaming ($56.43), fans ($40.79), gaming consoles ($39.22), lights ($29.42), coffee machines ($26.94), desktop PC ($24.76), kettles ($20.40) and clothes dryers ($18.56).
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Long showers add up. (Pic: iStock)
“The data shows how frequently 18–29-year-olds living at home use different devices and appliances, as well as the energy costs involved,” the report said.
“The essentials, such as showers, lights, and kettles, are universally used, forming the baseline energy demand for every household with an adult child.
“Alone, these essentials can cost parents or live-in landlords roughly $559.42 annually at high usage.
“Electronics, while widely used, have a low additional cost; on average laptops, headphones, and smartphones, cost less than $7 per year each.
“While gaming devices, used by roughly half of young adults living at home (stationary consoles 48%, gaming PCs 52%), are very energy-intensive; they can cost bill payers up to $85 per year at high usage, depending on the console.
“Household appliances are widely adopted, with washing machines (83%), microwaves (77%), and vacuum cleaners (75%) representing significant contributors to household energy costs. “Discretionary items like clothes dryers (49%), and air fryers (55%) aren’t found in every home.
“However, when used, their high energy use can cost an average of $18.56 for use of a dryer and $56.51 for an air fryer annually per device.”
Air fryer use put the heat on power bills
Paszka said that by being aware of these costs, parents and housemates can make small changes that add up, helping everyone save on energy without compromising their lifestyle.
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