Soap star, saver star... Who pays less in the battle of the soaps

They are often criticised for painting a sensational and depressing picture of British life. But the trials and tribulations, that draw millions of viewers to the likes of Eastenders and Coronation Street, provide an interesting reflection of how ‘family matters' can affect the pockets of households across the UK.

Take the Webster family in Coronation Street for example; they have a teenage daughter who recently passed her driving test and wants to take to the roads.

Parents up and down the country will be familiar with the extra cost of adding a teenager to their car insurance and for the Websters, allowing tearaway teen Rosie behind the wheel will see them pay £1258 to insure their Ford Focus.

However, the Hope family in Emmerdale can insure two cars for less than the Webster's one. In fact they only pay £250 to insure their Fiat Brava SX and £409 for their 4x4.

Yet, while the Websters pay the price for a young driver on their policy, they save money against their Eastend counterparts when it comes to home insurance.

The Beale household in Eastenders has three children under 16 and a larger property in a potentially riskier postcode area which means that working class entrepreneur Ian Beale has to pay twice the amount compared to the Websters to protect his family's valuables.

Ian Beale will pay £202 for home insurance compared to £114 for the Websters and £121 for Hopes. But, Ian should consider this money well spent given his house was ‘trashed' when a party held by rebellious Lucy Beale got out of control.

However, Ian would have done well to check his policy before claiming as many insurers won't pay a claim if it's found the incident happened while under the influence of alcohol. It is likely Ian, who is a renowned ‘tight wad', was fuming with Lucy as making a substantial claim on a policy could push the premium up by £54 when it is renewed.

Energy is also an area where soap families can make substantial cost savings. If each family used the average amount of energy per household then Hollyoaks residents would stand to get the biggest bills if they have remained faithful and stuck with a standard tariff without investigating switching. They will be looking to pay a massive £1295 per year; Whereas residents of Coronation Street pay the least to stay cosy at £1239.

In terms of saving money on energy, there's no need for any of the soap families to invest in more jumpers, as across all four regions the average reduction in energy costs for savvy switchers is £228 per household.

Simon Lamble, Product Director, at Confused.com, says "While it's fun to look at what our favourite fictional families might be paying, the average cost of household bills is no joke. The cost of essential purchases like insurance and energy can soon add up and with the recent budget announcements putting further pressure on household finances, there has never been a better time to shop around and make sure you are getting the best deal on all your necessary financial products.

The combined savings made by Confused.com customers speak for themselves, customers coming to the website can save over £205 on motor, £180 on home and £252 on Energy, certainly enough to buy you a few pints, be it in the Rovers, The Vic, The Woolpack or The Dog in the Pond!"