‘Record’ number of retirees turning to ‘enjoyable’ side hustle to ‘red | Personal Finance | Finance

A growing number of retirees in the UK are embracing home and pet sitting as a way to stay active, supplement their income, and even “reduce energy bills”.

A study by Rest Less has found the number of self-employed individuals over 60 has reached a “record” high of nearly one million, with many turning to flexible work ventures.

With rising living costs and Winter Fuel Allowances capped, many retirees say home-sitting provides a practical solution to ease financial pressures.

One of the unexpected benefits of the side hustle, especially during the colder months, is the potential to “reduce energy bills,” as homesitters spend more time in other people’s homes rather than heating their own.

Malcolm and Sue Horsup, a couple from Colchester in their early 60s, became professional home and pet sitters through Homesitters when they retired early.

Mrs Horsup said: “We love every aspect of the job, which has made retirement life even more enjoyable and rewarding. We still get to travel as much as we like but also get to be around our favourite animals.”

Malcolm added that although they didn’t start homesitting for financial reasons, they’ve noticed the added perk of lower energy bills, especially when homesitting during the winter.

He said: “As most of our homesits are during the colder winter months, we have also noticed slightly lower energy bills which is just another added bonus of home and pet sitting.”

Ben Irvine, director of Homesitters Ltd, commented: “We’ve seen a significant increase in retirees looking to become homesitters over the past few years.

“Homesitting is perfect for those who want to keep busy and supplement their pension without being tied down to a regular job. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy retirement while still earning an income.”

Some retirees taking up the venture have been earning as much as £210 a week.

Martin Bell from Collingham, Nottinghamshire, previously told Express.co.uk: “The main reason we home-sit is because of our love of animals but it can be a very good way to boost a state pension and make savings on utility bills too – particularly during the winter months.

“We find that we save money doing winter assignments in particular as we turn the thermostat down at home and then go away for a few weeks. Given the cost of energy now, we can make some real savings.”