I have been working on a new article looking at the cost of disposable compared to real nappies. Costs of both types of nappies, as well as electricity and detergent have been fluctuating in the last few years, and I was delighted to find out that the relative benefit has actually shifted in favour of real nappies - and the relative cost difference is now even greater. Read on to find out more.
Cost of nappies…
…real nappies could save parents almost £1200 on the cost of keeping a baby in nappies.
We have updated our information sheet to include recent price increases in both real and disposable nappies, and more up-to-date laundry methods and equipment.
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.(1)
The average price per disposable nappy is 22p. This is based on our research conducted in February 2009 which took the average of all products available online for the major four supermarkets – Sainsburys, Tescos, ASDA and Waitrose of both branded and own brand nappies. Our research found the average price of branded nappies to be 22.5p per nappy (branded nappies hold 92% of the market)(2), and an average of 13.6p per nappy for own-brand.
With six changes per day at 22p per nappy this equates to an average cost of £9.24 per week, £40.04 per month and an overall spend of £1321.32 (3) over 33 months.(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 33 months from us for just under £60. The same amount of money would only buy 6.4 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% £27.09
Washing Powder
We recommend using eco-balls as an energy- and cost-efficient way of doing your laundry. Cost per load is 3p. Average number of washes for real nappy use is 2.8 per week over 143 weeks or 400.4 washes.
400.4×0.03 = 12.01 £12.01 over 33 months
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(8). The energy consumption for different energy rated washing machines for a 60°wash is shown below(9):
kWh per cycle/Energy Rating A B C
60°C wash 0.94 1.12 1.23
The average unit cost for electricity for 2008 is 12.17p per kWh(10). Therefore, based on an A energy rated machine, a load of nappies washed at 60° uses 0.94kWh and costs 11.44p. Average washes per week is 2.8, giving a weekly cost of 32.03p.
2.8 x 143 weeks X 11.44p £45.80.
In reality, using the ecoballs means you can cut out rinse cycles or use shorter wash cycles, meaning that the electricity cost will be lower than this.
Overall laundry costs
Washing machine depreciation + detergent + energy = £27.09 + £12.01 + £45.80 £84.90 over 33 months
Overall cost of home laundered nappies over 2.5 years
Terry nappies £59.24 + £84.90 £144.14
Bambinex Nippa nappies £134.34 + £84.90 £219.24
Tots Bots Flexitot £280 + £84.90 £364.90
Tots Bots Easyfit (all-in-one) £214.40 + £84.90 £299.30
Baby Beehinds £225.38 + £84.90 £310.28
Branded Disposable Costs
£1321.32 @ 6 changes a day (11)
£1101.10 @ 5 changes a day (12)
£880.88 @ 4 changes a day (13)
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NOTES
1 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.
2 Mintel International Group Ltd. [04-2004] Nappies and Baby Wipes - UK
3 £1101.10 based on 5 changes over 2.5 years at average 22p per nappy, £880.88 for 4 changes.
4 33 is the average current age of potty training. This is contentious, because disposables are thought to have increased the age at which children are potty trained, and it is therefore hard to get figures. We have taken this from a paediatrician, Dr Christopher Green, who was quoted on the Tesco Babyclub website http://www.tesco.com/babyclub/you_and_your_baby/18_to_24_months/potty_talk.page. It is also a rough average of the research we conducted.
5 At an average six changes per week at 22p per nappy: 22p x 6 changes/day x 7days/week x 6.4 weeks = £59.14
6 Sheffield Hallam University and National Energy Foundation (February 2006).
7 GFK Marketing Services Ltd
8 HSG(95) 18 – NHS Laundry Guidelines
9 According to the Government’s Market Transformation Programme sourced from National Energy Foundation at: http://www.nef.org.uk/energysaving/labels.htm (updated: 13 July 2008)
10 Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (formerly DTI) http://stats.berr.gov.uk/energystats/qep223.xls
11 22p X 6 (per day) X 7 (per week) X 143 weeks = £933.66 rounded to £1321.32
12 22p X 5 (per day) X 7 (per week) X 143 weeks = £778.05 rounded to £1101.10
13 22p X 4 (per day) X 7 (per week) X 143 weeks = £622.44 rounded to £880.88
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