Hammamet, Tunisia, where a four-star hotel is offering 28-day stays for £795 a person via Tui
Don’t fancy shivering in a halfheated home in Britain? Tui reports strong demand for long winter breaks – if you can afford them.
A Tui spokesperson says: “Twenty-one and 28-night holiday sales for this winter both look more popular this year in comparison with winter 2019.
There is also increased demand for longer durations in long-haul areas and also Egypt and Cape Verde.”
What is surprising is just how cheap it can be to take a month’s break. Take, for example, one of the deals offered at the time of writing by Tui.
It’s only £795 a person for a 28-day stay at the four-star Phenicia Hotel in Tunisia, breakfast, evening meal and flights from the UK included, going out 13 January and returning 10 February.
So that’s £1,600 for a couple, with most of their food included.
What you’ll save: Typically, more than half of your gas bill is from heating your home in the three coldest months of the year.
If you have a large-ish home, you could save £500 a month on heating bills by going abroad.
Then there’s the electricity saving as well: a typical UK home uses about 242kWh of electricity a month, costing just over £82 at the current 34p a kWh capped price.
Drawbacks: This is not really a money-saving measure, but the savings from this year’s extortionate heating bills will at least partly offset the cost of spending the winter in the sun.
It is also likely to involve flying, adding to the climate crisis.
If there is extremely cold weather while you are away, your pipes could freeze, so you should keep the heating above 10C, say the experts.
You will also have to continue paying the standing charge on your energy bill while you are away – and these have risen markedly over the past year.
