Unexpected bills cost £535 on average: What to do if you can't afford one

What are the most common unexpected household bills?

Santander's research, carried out among 2,000 UK adults, found that car repairs and broken household appliances were the expenses people feared most.

The biggest financial worries included:

• Car repairs: 43%

• Broken household appliances: 43%

• Boiler breakdowns: 34%

• Emergency vet bills: 30%

• Plumbing or electrical repairs: 29%

• Unexpected dental treatment: 23%

These figures reflect the expenses people were most worried about, rather than bills they'd necessarily received.

Interestingly, they closely match the findings of our own Cash-tastrophes research.

In October 2025, thinkmoney commissioned Savanta to survey 2,020 British adults about their experiences with unexpected expenses.

We found that 84% had faced an unplanned expense in the previous year, with car breakdowns (44%), broken washing machines (37%) and dental treatment (28%) topping the list.

Although the two surveys were carried out at different times and asked different questions, the message is consistent: everyday emergencies are putting serious pressure on household finances.

What happens when you can't afford an unexpected bill?

The most worrying finding from Santander's research isn't necessarily the £535 average bill. It's what happens when people can't afford to pay it.

More than a third (35%) said they'd turned to credit to cover unexpected expenses, while 36% had asked family or friends for financial support.

And 44% admitted they didn't feel financially prepared for an unexpected bill.

Our Cash-tastrophes research revealed a similar problem, with 48% of respondents saying they were just one unexpected expense away from financial disaster.

We also found that 39% experienced stress or anxiety because of unexpected costs.

It's easy to recommend putting money aside for emergencies, but that's much harder when your regular income is already committed to rent, food, energy bills and transport.

And postponing a repair isn't always a realistic solution. A broken boiler in winter, an unsafe car or dental pain that needs treatment can quickly become bigger problems.

What should you do if you can't afford an unexpected bill?

If you're suddenly facing a bill you can't cover, the first thing to do is establish which expenses need dealing with immediately and where you might have some flexibility.

1. Check whether you're already covered

Before paying for an expensive repair, check any insurance policies, warranties, breakdown cover or maintenance agreements you already have.

Home insurance might cover certain types of accidental damage, while car breakdown cover or a product warranty could help with specific costs.

Check the exclusions and any excess you'll need to pay before making a claim. Sometimes the cost of claiming can be close to the repair bill itself.

2. Ask about payment options

If you can't afford the full amount immediately, ask whether the company offers instalments or an affordable payment arrangement.

It's also worth getting more than one quote where practical, particularly for car repairs, plumbing and household appliances.

If the unexpected expense means you'll struggle with essential bills, contact the relevant provider before missing a payment.

We've put together a guide explaining what to do if you can't pay your bills, including which payments to prioritise and where to find free support.

3. Check whether financial support is available

Depending on your circumstances, you might qualify for help with essential costs.

In England, the Crisis and Resilience Fund provides support through local councils for people struggling to afford essentials such as food, energy and household items.

Support varies between councils, so check what's available in your area before assuming you'll need to borrow.

You can find information about local cost-of-living support on GOV.UK.

4. Think carefully before borrowing

Using credit to cover a necessary emergency isn't automatically a bad decision, but it matters how much the borrowing will cost and whether you can afford the repayments.

Check interest rates, fees and repayment terms before agreeing to anything.

A £500 repair can become considerably more expensive if you're paying high interest or repeatedly relying on an overdraft.

If you're already struggling with debts, free support is available through organisations such as Money Wellness.

How much should you save for unexpected bills?

You'll often hear that you should have three to six months' worth of essential expenses saved for emergencies.

It's a sensible longer-term ambition, but it can feel completely out of reach if you're living from payday to payday.

When we launched our Cash-tastrophes research, our advice was to plan for the financially unplannable, starting with the bills you're most likely to face rather than an intimidating savings target.

If you rely on your car to get to work, for example, building a pot for repairs could be more immediately useful than chasing a large general savings goal.

Start with whatever you can realistically afford.

Saving £5 a week would give you £260 after a year, while £10 a week would build a £520 buffer, before any interest.

Neither amount will cover every emergency, but having something available could reduce how much you need to borrow or give you more options when a bill arrives.

And once you've reached your first target, you can work towards something bigger.

Our guide to building an emergency fund in 2026 explains how to set a manageable target and build savings gradually.

Could Help to Save make building an emergency fund easier?

If you receive Universal Credit and meet the eligibility requirements, the government's Help to Save scheme could be worth investigating.

Eligible savers can put away between £1 and £50 a month and earn government bonuses based on their savings over four years.

You can withdraw money when you need it, although doing so can affect the bonuses you earn later.

We've explained who qualifies for Help to Save and how the scheme works.

Unexpected bills: Frequently asked questions

How much is the average unexpected bill in the UK?

According to Santander research published in November 2026, the average unexpected bill faced by UK adults was £535.

What if I have no savings to cover an emergency?

Start by checking insurance or warranty cover, asking about affordable payment options and investigating any financial assistance available. If you're considering borrowing, understand the total cost and make sure repayments won't put essential bills at risk.

Is £500 enough for an emergency fund?

£500 is a useful starting target, particularly if saving several months' expenses feels unrealistic. It may cover smaller repairs or reduce the amount you need to borrow for a larger bill, although the right amount depends on your circumstances.

What is the best way to save for unexpected bills?

Consider keeping emergency money in a separate, easy-access savings account so you can use it when necessary. Setting aside a small amount regularly can help you build a buffer without needing to find hundreds of pounds at once.

You can't plan for everything, but you can plan for something

There's a reason we called them Cash-tastrophes. A relatively ordinary household problem can become a major financial headache when there's no spare money to deal with it.

Santander's latest findings show that unexpected bills continue to put households under pressure, sometimes forcing people to borrow or go without essential repairs.

Building a financial safety net doesn't have to mean saving thousands of pounds overnight. Even a modest amount set aside for the inevitable car repair, appliance breakdown or emergency bill can make the next setback a little easier to manage.

The important thing is to build a buffer that works for your circumstances, rather than giving up because the ideal savings target feels impossible.