Cost of running a home up to £11,035 a year

The cost of running a home has risen 12 per cent in the last year to £11,035 a year, but it can be made cheaper.

Figures from Sainsbury's Bank show the cost of heating, maintaining, and paying for a home has risen £1,199 since 2005, equivalent to a rise of £3.28 a day.

But shopping around for cheaper mortgages, insurance, and switching gas and electricity supplier can cut this cost considerably.

"It's becoming more expensive to run a home, which makes it all the more important for homeowners to shop around to make sure they are getting the very best deals available," said Robert O'May, home insurance manager at Sainsbury's Bank.

"This is not only for their mortgages and utility suppliers but also their home insurance."

"We've produced a free guide available at www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/homeguide which looks at how homeowners may be able to reduce the cost of running their home."

The biggest rise in the cost of running a home has come through mortgage payments - which have risen more than £600 since the financial year 2004/5.

The largest rise in percentage terms was for gas and electricity bills. Gas bills now average £595 (up 27 per cent) while electricity bills have risen 19 per cent to £383 a year.

Other big increases in expense come from council tax (up 14 per cent to £1,101), water and sewerage bills (up 14 per cent to £312), and the amount spent on alterations and improvements (up ten per cent to £1,358).

There were smaller rises in the cost of maintenance and repairs (up seven per cent) and the average cost of home insurance has fallen two per cent to £255 a year.