New polling by YouGov and National Energy Action has found that almost half of low-income parents (47.69%) said they could resort to washing items by hand because they are worried about the cost of energy or water.

This compares to 23% of the whole sample who said they would consider washing by hand.

With 28% of parents who have a school-aged child in uniform this academic year or last, saying they have two full sets of uniform, while 19% have one set, it could be difficult for some families to save up washing until there is enough for a full load. A fifth (19%) have just one full set.

Over one-third (38.37%) of low-income parents with a child going into school in the next academic year could send children into school in non-uniform items because they may not be able to afford the costs of washing dirty items in the future. Nearly four in ten (38.61%) low-income parents could resort to using a friend or family’s washing machine to wash school uniforms.

Almost one-third (30.38%) of low-income parents have previously sponge or spot cleaned uniforms rather than washing them, and over half of parents with school aged children (51.54%) say they could resort to doing this in the future. This compares to a quarter of the whole sample say they will consider spot cleaning while 27% say they would definitely do this.

In the past, almost one-third (31.66%) of low-income parents have purposely bought non-logoed items of uniform, allowing them to buy more items and wash them less often. Now, nearly two-thirds (59.21%) say they possibly would or definitely will do this in the future.

One-fifth (23.63%) of low-income parents have previously washed white items like shirts or polo shirts with dark items to avoid putting on a separate wash, to keep costs down. This academic year, low-income parents doing this could more than double (55.40%) as the impact of the cost-of-living crisis hits.

While energy bills are hitting the headlines, given the price cap is predicted to rise leading to an average bill of over £3,000 a year, water poverty is also a big issue for low-income households. The NEA is urging government:

• To expedite the process to introduce a single social water tariff, making support fairer for all
• To increase awareness of water affordability support, ensuring that household collections for non-payment are paused during this time
• To target water efficiency measures at homes struggling, or at risk of struggling, to pay their water bills, rather than at the highest users of water
• Top up/double cost of living support
• Reduce the impact of higher energy Standing Charges and policy costs on bills by funding Supplier of Last Resort out of taxation and removing legacy costs on bills.
• Mandate a Social Tariff for energy and new fuel debt support scheme

Jess Cook, Project Development Manager (Water Poverty), National Energy Action says:  “As children head back to school for a new term, it might be hard to escape the pictures flooding social media of them lined up in pristine uniforms.

“But for many low-income parents it’s an image that’s almost impossible to live up to. Amid the cost-of-living crisis, we at National Energy Action have found that parents are being forced into drastic coping tactics including buying cheaper non-uniform items, using a friend or family’s washing machine to save the water and energy costs or even washing them by hand.

“A clean school uniform may not seem remarkable, but a stained or dirty one, or one with the wrong items can see children getting singled out.”