Families paying £774 a year to stay online

UK households are now spending an average of £64.52 a month, around £774 a year, just to stay connected, according to new research commissioned by Go Compare.

The study found that around four in ten (41%) households are paying for at least one subscription they are not fully using, highlighting how unused and forgotten services are quietly adding to monthly household costs.

These findings come as households continue to face pressure from rising living costs, with digital services now forming a regular and growing part of monthly spending. Over four in five households (84%) now pay for at least one subscription service, underlining how embedded these costs have become in everyday budgets. While the median monthly pay in April was £2,627 (equivalent to £31,524 a year before deductions).1 Once essential bills such as housing, energy, and food are accounted for, many households are left with limited disposable income, which helps explain why even relatively small recurring subscription costs can feel increasingly significant.

On average, homes now have 7.3 connected devices, including smartphones, TVs, tablets, consoles, wearable technology, and smart appliances. Households also pay for an average of 3.2 subscriptions.

TV and film streaming are the most common paid service, used by 81% of subscribers, followed by music streaming at 47%, cloud storage at 37%, gaming at 25%, smart home or device subscriptions at 22%, and AI or productivity tools at 18%.

Streaming is also viewed as the most essential digital activity, with 56% of people saying TV and film streaming is essential to daily internet use. This compares with 52% for online shopping and 28% for both remote or hybrid working and video calls.

When it comes to rising costs, 43% of households say broadband is the connected expense that has increased the most over the past five years. This is followed by mobile plans at 28%, electricity used by connected devices at 27%, and streaming subscriptions at 26%.

If household costs continue to rise, more than a third of people (35%) say TV and film streaming would be the first service they would cancel, ahead of music subscriptions at 20% and gaming at 17%.

Looking ahead, half of UK households (50%) say they are concerned about the future cost of staying connected at home by 2040, while one in five (21%) say they have not considered future connected-home costs at all.

The research also suggests subscription costs are likely to continue rising over the next 15 years. Based on historical pricing trends, inflation, and changing subscription models, premium streaming platforms could cost between £25 and £40 per month by 2040, while a typical bundle of digital household services could rise to £120 or more per month.1

Catherine Hiley, Broadband, Energy and Mobile Expert at Go Compare said “Most families treat broadband, mobile and streaming as separate costs. But when you add it all together, that’s nearly £800 a year just to stay connected.

“What’s shocking is how many people are throwing money at services they’ve forgotten they’re paying for. Each subscription feels small on its own, but together they can create a major monthly expense that quietly builds over time.

“As costs continue to rise, households need to take back control by regularly checking what they’re paying for and whether they’re actually using it.”