Affordability
41% said they had been worried about affording food during the previous 12 months. This was similar to W20 (39%), but significantly higher than W19 (36%).
Men, 65+ year olds, higher SEG, those without children, and those in the least deprived SIMD quintiles were less likely than others to worry about affording food.
Groups that were more likely to be worried about affording food:
- Those with diagnosed physical or mental health problems
- Those susceptible to illness
- Those with food allergy/ intolerance
- Those who receive help with their shopping
- Those who find it hard to eat a healthy balanced diet
| Demographic | W21 | W20 | W19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 41% | 39% | 36% |
| Male | 38% | 32% | 30% |
| Female | 44% | 46% | 42% |
| 16-34 | 54% | 46% | 53% |
| 35-64 | 47% | 45% | 36% |
| 65+ | 16% | 20% | 16% |
| AB | 24% | 24% | 14% |
| C1 | 41% | 35% | 34% |
| C2 | 45% | 44% | 38% |
| DE | 52% | 50% | 52% |
| Central | 43% | 40% | 38% |
| North | 38% | 33% | 32% |
| South | 31% | 45% | 29% |
| Ethnic Minority | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| White | 42% | 39% | 36% |
| Urban | 43% | 39% | 36% |
| Rural | 35% | 29% | 30% |
| Has Children | 49% | 45% | 48% |
| No Children | 37% | 36% | 30% |
| Most Deprived | 47% | 44% | 44% |
| Least Deprived | 31% | 28% | 28% |
Energy saving activities
The overall pattern for energy-saving actions remains similar to W20, with no major shifts. Around 50% still rely on cheaper cooking methods, indicating ongoing cost-conscious behaviour. Other energy-saving actions remain less common, and the reduction in energy saving measures reported in W19 has persisted into W21, suggesting some stability in these behaviours.
| Action | W17 | W18 | W19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turned off a fridge and/or freezer that contains food | 12% | 10% | 8% |
| Eaten food cold because I could not afford to cook it | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Changed the settings so that food in a fridge and/or freezer is being kept at a warmer temperature | 17% | 14% | 12% |
| Reduced the length of time that food is cooked for | 29% | 16% | 13% |
| Lowered the cooking temperature for food | 23% | 18% | 14% |
| Used cheaper cooking methods instead of an oven to heat or cook food | 76% | 65% | 48% |
Respondents who were more likely than others to have done each of the listed actions to reduce energy bills were:
- Those worried about being able to afford food in the last year
- Those who received help with their shopping
- Those who know a little/a lot about FSS
- Those who had an allergy or intolerance
Riskier food preparation such as reducing cooking time or lowering cooking temperatures were more common in the youngest age group, ethnic minority respondents, those with children and those with an allergy/intolerance.
Other money saving actions
Similar to previous waves, the top two most often mentioned money saving activities were choosing cheaper alternatives and buying reduced/discounted food close to its use-by dates. The proportion who said they could not afford to eat a healthy balanced diet or cut the size of meals/skip meals has increased this wave compared to W20.
| Action | W17 | W18 | W19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chose cheaper alternatives rather than branded products to save money | 68% | 67% | 59% |
| Buy reduced/discounted food close to its use-by-date | 65% | 64% | 59% |
| Bought less fresh food and more long-life foods instead to save money | 44% | 38% | 35% |
| Cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there wasn't enough money for food | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| Could not afford to eat a healthy balanced diet | 29% | 28% | 26% |
| Could not afford my essential food shopping | 22% | 20% | 17% |
| Eat food that was past its use-by-date* | 23% | 28% | 15% |
Some sub-groups were more likely than their counterparts to be undertaking almost all money saving actions:
- Those who said they’d been worried about being able to afford food in the last year
- Those who received help with their shopping
- Those who said they found it hard to eat healthily
- Those who have a health condition
- Those susceptible to illness
- Those who have an allergy/ intolerance
Similar to W20, those in the most deprived SIMD quintile were more likely to experience these than the most deprived areas. This was also true for women, younger age groups, lower SEGs and those with children.