Meet the Brit LEAVING UK to Save £500 On Energy Bills
- Tom Church has discovered his energy bill will be over £600 for January 2023 alone
- He is packing his bags and preparing to LEAVE the UK to live abroad while prices skyrocket
- The consumer expert has found all-inclusive rental deals in France, Spain and more
- Prices as low as £521 per month including energy, which could save Brits £100s
Rising energy bills are making it much harder for Brits to make ends meet, and new research reveals you could save £100s by packing your bags and jetting off to France or Spain for a few months instead.
Tom Church, Co-Founder of money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘My forecasted energy bills from Octopus Energy indicate that in January 2023 alone I will pay over £600 for electricity and gas! My forecasted bills are:
- October - £300
- November - £410
- December - £503
- January - £625
- February - £563
- March - £517
- April - £408
‘At present, I pay £180 a month for electricity and gas and I am £300 in credit. Despite paying more than I need to in the Summer months to save up for the Winter, Octopus suggests that unless I increase my direct debits I'll end up in over £1,600 of debt by next June.
‘What’s more, considering the average rent in the UK is £995, many of us could be facing total bills of over £1600 in January - and that doesn’t even cover other bills, such as groceries.
‘That got me thinking - is there any way to pay less? There’s a drastic option available, if you’re able to work remotely. If you pack up your bags, shut off your electricity at home and stay abroad for a few months, you can save £100s on your bills as they skyrocket here in the UK.
‘I began researching options to rent an apartment in Europe. I found that the cheapest rentals were in France - what’s more, I spoke with some hosts on Airbnb and found that the energy bills were included in these great deals.
‘A chalet near Bordeaux is available for an average price of £744 per month, as the host offers a 60% discount for monthly stays. Similarly, a studio by the beach in the south of France was priced at £814 after a 15% monthly discount, and the best deal I found was an apartment close to the Spanish border which offers an all-inclusive price of £521.
‘What’s more, flying to France wouldn’t break the bank - I looked at a few deals and easyJet is regularly offering flights from Gatwick to Paris for between £50 and £60. So if a couple decided to escape soaring utility bills by jetting off to France, they’d pay around £120 max for flights, then under £550 for accommodation per month if they shop around. Even factoring in transport to the Airbnb, you’re still saving at least £500 a month.
‘Similarly, I found some interesting options a little further afield. In Montenegro, I spotted a two-bedroom apartment which the host was willing to rent out to me for a month for £421, plus just £84 for electricity and water bills. The utility costs alone are over £500 cheaper than the forecasted price in January!
‘Over in Spain, I found an apartment near a ski resort and a little north of Madrid available for £413, and in Romania I found an apartment immersed in nature for £750 per month, all bills included.
'If you’re planning a getaway with a few couples to escape the higher bills, you can stay in prime real estate for skiing by booking an apartment with a panoramic view in Busteni, Romania which will comfortably fit 6 guests. By speaking with the host, I was able to secure a price of £2100 a month; that’s £700 per couple - which is over £900 cheaper than the prices we face in January here in the UK!
'Flights to these places are all doable if you look out for deals on Google Flights with easyJet, Ryanair and other budget airlines.
‘According to Moneyhelper, just last year, the average monthly cost for electricity and gas was £112, so if you want to avoid paying over £500 more in the coming months, I recommend packing your bags like me. Why not go on an extended holiday and save money while you’re at it?’
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