Almost half of British freelancers are unable to work from home due to rising costs

As Brits tackle the rising cost of living, new data released from Sky Connect – Sky’s B2B telecoms business – reveals that the majority (87%) of freelancers and remote workers are concerned about the impact working from home is having on their energy bills.

In fact, more than three quarters (78%) said that January’s arctic blast made working conditions uncomfortable.

The Sky Connect study of 1,000 freelancers and remote workers in the UK found that nearly half (48%) have felt forced to work from an alternate location – including their local cafe, pub, or library – at least once due to the cost-of-living crisis.

When asked, remote workers cited saving money on heating costs (57%), saving money on energy bills (70%), avoiding commuter costs (27%) and not having to pay for expensive co-working spaces (27%) as the main reasons for turning to these alternate hospitality locations.

With the rising cost of living continuing to put a strain on the UK, remote and freelance workers are seemingly turning to small businesses for a warm and cost-effective place to work. But 72% said that in spite of relying on these alternate venues, unreliable connectivity has been a big concern when choosing where to work from.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. 70% said that they’d be more likely to work from alternate locations like their local cafe more regularly at least once a week, if they offered reliable guest WiFi.

Stacey Hill, Director of Sales and Operations at Sky Connect said, “The cost-of-living crisis is a huge concern for consumers and small businesses alike. But for those spending the most time at home, increasing energy bills are understandably putting a strain on personal finances.

“Whilst it’s great to see these workers supporting their local small businesses during an increasingly challenging time for hospitality, it’ll be important that SMEs create a working environment that keeps these more regular customers coming back. This means offering a reliable and secure guest WiFi service that improves customers overall experience.”