The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Money
The pet surging in popularity that adds £400 to heating bills
Fish tanks are adding almost £400 a year to household energy bills following a boom in ownership, research has found.
More than half of British people now own pets after the pandemic with some seven million fish tanks across the country, according to recent figures. But the cost of keeping the seemingly low-maintenance pet could be far higher than many would expect, thanks to consistent energy price rises over the past two years.
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a government advisory body, warned in May that bills are unlikely to fall below £1,700 for the rest of the decade.
Owners of pet fish can expect to pay an extra £385 every year to run an indoor aquarium tank, which can include pumps, heating and lighting systems, according to research conducted by comparison site Uswitch.
Those installing new outdoor fish ponds, meanwhile, could have bills increase by £ 241 a year, the same research found. It also said that the cost of electricity to run a heater for a pet tarantula was £145 a year and £136 a year for reptiles. Indoor birds, whose owners are known to leave radios and televisions playing when they are away as avian entertainment, were said to cost £206 every year.
Seven million households have indoor tanks, while six million have outdoor ponds for pet fish, according to pet health advocate UK Pet Food.
Outdoor ponds, used to house cold-water fish such as Koi, need to constantly run 95W pumps to artificially recreate fresh water. Indoor tanks for tropical fish, such as blue tang, often need to simulate hotter ocean temperatures, with some salt- water tanks requiring a 200W heater to maintain the right heat.
Heaters and 90W lights are usually only on for half the day, while a 7W pump must keep water moving at all times.
Pet fish boomed in popularity during the pandemic. The number of tanks nationally rose from five million in 2021 to seven million last year – up 40pc.
The number of ponds rose 50pc in that time from four million in 2021 to six million in 2023.