New Aviva Study Shows Millions of UK Households Struggle with Basic Household Tasks

Aviva research finds home skills gap amongst UK householders
One in five UK adults aren’t confident changing a light bulb
Almost half of UK adults under 35 can’t cook a meal without using a recipe
Four out of 10 under-25s turn to the internet to learn DIY skills

LONDON, 19-Apr-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — Millions of householders admit to struggling with even some of the most basic household tasks, according to a new study from insurer Aviva. Research carried out as part of Aviva’s latest ‘Home’ report discovered one in five people aren’t confident changing a light bulb (21%) while a similar number (19%) admit they don’t know how to boil an egg.

Almost a third (31%) of people would not be comfortable cooking a complete meal without a recipe, and more than four in 10 (43%) say they couldn’t change a baby’s nappy. The skills gap grows even bigger when it comes to changing a flat tyre – 63% wouldn’t know how to do this – while 70% wouldn’t feel confident changing a washer on a tap.

The full list of household tasks is revealed as follows:

	Percentage who feel confident doing this task
Boil an egg	81%
Change a light bulb	79%
Cook a complete meal without using a recipe	69%
Read a map	66%
Sew on a button	65%
Unblock a sink	62%
Remove a stain from a carpet or clothing	59%
Change a baby’s nappy	57%
Wire a plug	57%
‘Bleed’ a radiator	53%
Check oil levels in a car	53%
Put up a shelf	47%
Put up wallpaper	39%
Change a flat tyre	37%
Change a washer on a tap	30%
Fit tiles	22%

However, 96% of UK adults say they’re confident doing at least some of these household tasks, so there could be an element of sticking to what we know.

Mum and Dad vs the web: who teaches ‘how to’?

When it comes to learning DIY skills, the most popular way is by trial and error, with half of people (50%) saying they have learned some skills this way. This is closely followed by family members passing down their knowledge – 45% of adults have picked up skills from their dads, and 35% from their mums.

However, Aviva also found that four out of 10 adults aged under 25 turn to the internet to aid their DIY skills – more than twice the number in this age group who have used a traditional book or guide.

In contrast, books and DIY manuals have aided nearly a quarter (23%) of people aged 55+, but just 11% of people aged 25-34.

Where people have picked up household DIY skills	Percentage who learned this way
I taught myself (trial and error)	50%
I was taught by my dad	45%
I was taught by my mum	35%
I learned via the internet e.g. ‘how to’ videos	20%
I learned through books / DIY manuals	17%
I learned through work	16%
I was taught by another family member / friend	15%
I learned at school	15%
I learned by watching TV	12%
I learned by asking experts	8%

Adam Beckett, Propositions Director for Aviva UK says: “As a nation we tend to take pride in our ability to do things ourselves in and around the home, so it’s a surprise to see there could be a skills gap in places! That said, we also know that people lead busy lives, so while we enjoy doing things ourselves, we also appreciate the opportunity to leave things to a professional from time to time, particularly with some of the more challenging jobs.

“Home emergency cover can be a great way to know someone is on hand for some of the trickier tasks such as unblocking a sink or dealing with a leaky tap. So if something does go wrong, we don’t necessarily have to resort to doing it ourselves. Although when it comes to boiling an egg, it may be time to turn pick up a cookery book!”

Aviva Response home emergency cover provides customers with peace of mind that their heating, plumbing and electrics are covered in the event of a breakdown or accidental damage. To find out more visit www.aviva.co.uk/response

View the latest full Aviva Home Report: Home Skills and Household Tasks here.

Ends

Notes to editors:

If you are a journalist and would like further information, please contact:

Aviva Press Office: Sarah Poulter, 01904 452 828 / 07800 691569, sarah.poulter@aviva.com

All results relate to research commissioned by Aviva and carried out by Censuswide research in February / March 2017 unless stated otherwise. 2004 adults from across the UK were interviewed about their habits and roles around the home.

About Aviva:

Aviva provides life insurance, general insurance, health insurance and asset management to 33 million customers.
In the UK we are the leading insurer serving one in every four households and have strong businesses in selected markets in Europe, Asia and Canada. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE100 index.
Aviva’s asset management business, Aviva Investors, provides asset management services to both Aviva and external clients, and currently manages over £340 billion in assets. Total group assets under management at Aviva group are £450 billion.
Aviva helps people save for the future and manage the risks of everyday life; we paid out £34.4 billion in benefits and claims in 2016.
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