Only 76% of Brits believe everyone should be able to afford their utility bills, survey finds
October 2023 - Utilities
Only 76% of Brits believe everyone should be able to afford their utility bills: A recent survey by YouGov has found that only 76% of Brits believe that everyone, no matter the circumstances, should be able to afford their utility bills. Additionally, only 73% of the country believes that all parents should be able to afford school uniforms for their children, with 6% believing it is acceptable to expect for people on an average salary or above.
The survey was conducted by YouGov, who put together 35 expenses and asked the public what income level these expenses should be attainable at. The UK public had four options: ‘people on out-of-work benefits’ (everyone), ‘minimum wage’, ‘average salary and above’ and ‘only the wealthiest in society’.
Another noticeable insight highlighted by the survey was that around three-quarters believe everyone should be able to access a balanced and healthy diet (74%). When asked about non-essential items, there was more of a split. Only 6 in 10 people (60%) believe everyone in the country should be able to afford seasonal celebrations, like Christmas Dinner and Diwali. Just over half of Britons (51%) think everyone should be able to afford to rent a house or flat, with 9% of people believing that it is okay if it is only accessible to people on an average salary or above.
Divided Outcomes
Many expenses were divided across the four categories, with ‘being able to afford private mental health help’ one of them. More than a third (35%) agreed that everyone should be able to afford this, whilst a quarter said they think just people on minimum wage and above should be able to afford it.
The other main divide was whether people should be able to afford to have a pet, with just 28% saying they believe everyone should be able to afford to own a pet.
The one expense that got the highest number of votes for ‘only the wealthiest in society’ was designer clothes, with 40% of people agreeing that it is okay if only the richest people can afford these items.
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