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The cost of owning and running a home in the UK has risen to its highest level since 2008, as the impact of rising energy costs and goods and services start to bite, new figures show.
According to research from Halifax, the average yearly cost associated with the upkeep of a home rose by £127 from £8,956 in March 2010 to £9,083 in March 2011.
Halifax said the increase in housing costs was driven by rises in the cost of nine out of 11 housing expenditure categories.
The biggest contributors are electricity and gas charges, accounting for a rise of £68, and maintenance costs, accounting for a £45 hike.
Utility bills have risen by 19 per cent (£237) since 2008, the biggest increase of any housing expenditure.
Suren Thiru, housing economist at Halifax, said household finances remain under pressure.
"Rising utility bills have been a clear driver behind this, along with increases in maintenance costs and council tax charges.
Recent research from Carbane Insolvency revealed that 21 per cent of Britons cannot focus on their finances as much as they would like.
One in five said this was because they had too much debt to feel financially secure.
Along side this more people are taking on another job to secure there home and children's futures.
More people are taking on two part-time jobs because they are struggling to secure full-time roles, it has been claimed.
Denise Taylor, of career coaching firm Amazing People, also said that this sometimes meant the "more marketable" member of a household taking on two positions while another did not work at all.
"The problem is that people just aren't getting full-time, 40-hour week jobs anymore; they are getting jobs that are less than full-time and so they are looking for another job to fill in," she said.
"Also, it is down to household incomes. If one in a partnership is more marketable they might well be running two jobs, whereas their partner is unable to work."
Recent research by the Daily Mirror found 87,823 part-time positions in the UK jobs market.
Ms Taylor added that while for some people, taking on two jobs can be rewarding, for many it can be a jading experience.
"If you are a professional and you're doing two highly paid jobs then that's brilliant," she said.
"But if you haven't got the background or experience and you're having to work some shifts at McDonald's and some shifts at Wetherspoons, it's not really great for you at all."
