Despite its popularity, the hybrid working model could be in jeopardy as the cost of living crisis makes working from home less practical for employees.

New research from Sky Connect and Censuswide found that UK freelance workers still want to work from home, but may have to change their work routine in order to handle the cost of living crisis.

Spending less time at home makes economic sense as energy costs continue to rise – 87% of responding remote and freelance workers are worried about how working from home has affected their energy bills.

Furthermore, 78% said the freezing temperatures in January made working from home physically uncomfortable.

“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,” said the director of sales and operations at Sky Connect, Stacey Hill.

Of the 1,007 workers Censuswide surveyed, some were freelance and full remote and had no access to offices.

To combat rising costs at home, nearly half (48%) of workers sought out public spaces, such as libraries, cafes, or pubs at least once.

Reasons for working outside the home included saving money on heating costs (57%) and energy bills overall (70%), avoiding commuter costs like gas or public transportation bills (27%), and not having to pay for coworking spaced (27%)

While turning to local businesses may have decreased costs, 72% of workers also noted that unreliable internet connectivity had impacted their ability to find a suitable working space.

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If they could find a location with more reliable connectivity, 70% said they were work from these spaces more regularly, about once a week.

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

The investment may be worthwhile for local cafes to attract customers, but this tactic may just pass on the cost of living crisis to local establishments which are also struggling to cope with rising energy bills.

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