The real cost of real nappies
Visit our shop - The Clean Green Nappy Machine, to buy your nappies at the great prices shown below.
Printable version One thing I get asked over and over again is whether or not real nappies actually do save money. Many people I’ve advised have said that they are concerned that what with the detergent and electricity used in laundering, depreciation of washing machines, and the seemingly high initial purchase cost, the difference doesn’t end up being that great.
The wonderful people over at WEN - the Women’s Environmental Network - who have been a driving force behind so much of the awareness that’s been raised about the issues surrounding real nappies, put together a list which takes all the factors into account, and which clearly shows just how expensive disposables are, when compared to real nappies. I’ve adapted this, keeping all the laundering and disposable figures exactly the same, but using our nappies instead of the stockists WEN used, to show how much you save if you buy real nappies through The Clean Green Nappy Machine.
Cost of nappies… (1)
…real nappies could save parents a minimum of £500 on the cost of keeping a baby in nappies.
Assumptions
Paediatricians recommend that babies’ nappies are changed after every sleep and feed. This works out at an average of six changes a day as suggested by paediatricians Miriam Stoppard and Dr Christopher Green.(2)
The average price per disposable nappy is 16.9p. This is based on WEN research (February 2006) of both branded and own brand nappies. The same research found the average price of branded nappies to be 17.1p per nappy (branded nappies hold 92% of the market(3)), and an average of 13.6p per nappy for own-brand.
With six changes per day at 16.9p per nappy this equates to an average cost of £7.10 per week, and an overall spend of £922.74 over 2.5 years.(4)
Real Nappies
Real Nappies vary widely in their cost depending on the style chosen. You can buy all the nappies, wraps and fastenings required for 2.5 years from us for just over £50. The same amount of money would only buy 7 weeks of disposables.(5)
Washing Machine
The average lifespan of a washing machine is 9 years.(6) The average price of washing machines including washer/dryers for Jan – Dec 2005 is: £295.60 (7). Therefore: Depreciation based on 30% use of a machine to wash nappies over 2.5 years, where the machine has a life expectancy of nine years: (£295.60 x 2.5/9) X 30% = £24.63 rounded to £25
Washing Powder
For a standard wash, the weight of washing powder used per wash is 100gms(8). Average cost of washing powder per wash is 20p(9). Average number of washes for real nappy use is 2.8 per week over 130 weeks or 364 washes. 364 X 20p = 72.80 £73 over 2.5 years
Electricity
We recommend a 60°C wash. NHS guidelines suggest only 65°C for hospital disinfections cycles, if the temperature is maintained for 10 minutes, or 71°C if maintained for not less than 3 minutes(10). The energy consumption for different energy rated washing machines for a 60°wash is shown below(11):
The average unit cost for electricity for 2005 is 8.67p per kWh(12). Therefore, based on a B energy rated machine, a load of nappies washed at 60° uses 1.12kWh and costs 9.71p. If a family has an average of 20 nappies and uses an average of six per day they need to be laundered every 2.5-3 days, using a maximum of 3.14 units of energy per week assuming a wash every 2.5 days. This also assumes that no nappies are laundered with the family’s other laundry, which happens quite frequently in reality.
2.8 X 130 weeks X 9.71p = £35.34 rounded to £35
Overall laundry costs
Washing machine depreciation + detergent + energy = £25 + £73 + £35 = £133 over 2.5 years
Overall cost of home laundered nappies over 2.5 years
Branded Disposable Costs
£934 @ 6 changes a day (13)
£778 @ 5 changes a day (14)
£622 @ 4 changes a day (15)
Posted by Esma
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Notes
1. The information in this document is adapted from wen.org.uk – we have merely substituted our own costs for the examples they used.
2. Dr Christopher Green, Babies! A Parents’ Guide to Enjoying Baby’s First Year, Simon & Schuster 2002. Stoppard, Miriam, New Babycare Book: A Practical Guide to the First Three Years, Dorling Kindersley.
3. Mintel International Group Ltd. [04-2004] Nappies and Baby Wipes - UK
4. £768.95 based on 5 changes over 2.5 years at average 16.9p per nappy, £615.16 for 4 changes.
5. At an average six changes per week at 16.8p per nappy: 16.8p x 6 changes/day x 7days/week x 7 weeks = £49.39
6. Sheffield Hallam University and National Energy Foundation (February 2006).
7. GFK Marketing Services Ltd
8. UK Cleaning Products Industry (March 2006)
9. WEN research March 2006 which concurs with UK Cleaning Products Industry (March 2006).
10. HSG(95) 18 – NHS Laundry Guidelines
11. According to the Government’s Market Transformation Programme sourced from National Energy Foundation at: www.natenergy.org.uk/washing.htm (updated: 5 Jan 2006)
12. DTI www.dti.gov.uk/energy/inform/energy_prices/qep_dec05.pdf
13. 17.1p X 6 (per day) X 7 (per week) X 130 weeks = £933.66 rounded to £934
14. 17.1p X 5 (per day) X 7 (per week) X 130 weeks = £778.05 rounded to £788
15. 17.1p X 4 (per day) X 7 (per week) X 130 weeks = £622.44 rounded to £622