The Great Matchday Divide: two-thirds of UK households at odds as nation gears up for kick-off
- Two-thirds (66%) of UK households will experience a ‘match-day divide’ this summer, as football fans gear up to watch the games while others try and avoid the action
- With more than 34 million planning to watch the home nation games, 71% of divided households say they’ll discuss compromises to keep everyone happy
- Almost two-thirds (65%) of non-footie fans admit they would rather use the time to tackle household tasks such as washing (41%) or cooking (32%) than sit through a full match
- With 73% anticipating that match time could drive up their overall home electricity usage, EDF is offering customers two hours of free electricity for every home nation match - how you use it is up to you!
For every football fanatic glued to their TV screen, there’s a partner, flatmate or family member who’s counting down the minutes until it’s all over.
New research from EDF1 reveals that as the nation gears up for kick-off this summer, two-thirds (66%) of UK homes will be experiencing a ‘match-day divide’ - a household split over love for the game.
To maintain household harmony between footie fans and foes, 59% of Brits are finding their own tactical ways to make those 90 minutes count. From multiple screens playing, chargers plugged in and ovens pinging, 73% anticipate that match time could drive up their overall home electricity usage.
However households choose to spend the time, EDF is giving customers two hours of free electricity during every England and Scotland game this summer. Whether watching every minute or enjoying the quiet, the offer helps everyone make the most of that time together and feel like they’ve scored a match winner.
As more than 34 million2 England and Scotland football fanatics plan to watch their team play this summer, 71% of divided households polled say they will be discussing compromises to keep everyone happy while the football is on.
Footie Fans
With kick off fast approaching, two in five (40%) football fans have cancelled or rearranged previously made plans to ensure they don’t miss a single moment. Almost a fifth of football fans (17%) say they have avoided booking holidays when the matches are on, while 14% have declined invitations to social occasions that might clash with a home nation game.
Of those watching the football (85%), over half (56%) are planning to host friends or family for the evening games, with those hosting keen on cooking up a feast (31%), vacuuming ahead of guests arriving (24%) or setting up a big screen (18%).
Footie Fatigued
For those not watching, almost a fifth (17%) will leave the room while the matches are on, using the time to watch something on a separate device (36%), enjoy some online shopping (21%) or wash and dry their hair (17%).
While one in three (33%) plan on staying in the same room as their footie loving companions, one in five (21%) will game online or use headphones to block out the noise (18%).
For many, kick-off signals the start of a productivity window. In fact, 65% of non-footie fans admit they would rather use the time to tackle household tasks such as washing (41%), cooking (32%) or baking (19%) than sit through a full match. One in ten (12%) will also spend the time wisely and catch up on life admin while the match plays in the background.
But for those who are planning to watch any home nation game, viewing habits spark the biggest generational divide. While 38% of Boomers will shout at the VAR decisions, just 22% of Gen Z do the same. Younger fans are also bringing their own rituals to matchday as one in five (21%) millennials are messaging in group chats for real-time reactions - three times as many as Boomers (7%).
According to fans, the top ‘red card’ fouls that happen at-home on match days include blocking the view of the TV (44%), changing channel mid-match (34%) and announcing the results before others see it (30%). Close behind, ‘yellow card’ offences consist of receiving a phone call mid-match (33%), someone stealing your seat when you’ve popped to the loo (28%) and hearing the same opinion about the game over and over (27%).
Anita Asante, Former Lioness Professional Football Player and Broadcaster, said: “Match days are full-on in our house, the big game is on the main TV and I’m defending the remote like I’m back in the starting eleven. I’ve got multi-view running to keep track across every fixture and player stat. Between powering multiple screens and fuelling up with air fryer snacks, the household is operating at full capacity until the final whistle. And now, with a toddler in the mix, I’m excited to build new matchday rituals and create those memories together as a family.”
Joe Souto, Director of Retail at EDF, added: “Nothing brings the house together quite like a major tournament, and we can’t wait to help customers get behind the home nations this summer with two hours of free electricity for every game. So whether you’re cheering on your team, adopting a second nation for the summer, or simply tuning out and doing anything but watch the football, everyone can enjoy the savings, and how you use it, well, that’s up to you!”
EDF customers have already benefited from over 2.7 million hours of free electricity during free electricity events, with over £700,000 being credited onto Brits’ bills.3
To gain access to two hours of free electricity for every home nation game this summer, EDF customers can sign up now on the website.
TOP 5 RED CARD OFFENCES WHILE WATCHING THE MATCH AT HOME
- Blocking the view of the TV (44%)
- Changing channel mid-match (34%)
- Announcing the results before others see it (30%)
- Unplugging the TV or router to charge another device (29%)
- Streaming delays (23%)
TOP 5 YELLOW CARD OFFENCES WHILE WATCHING THE MATCH AT HOME
- Receiving a phone call mid-match (33%)
- Someone stealing your seat when you’ve popped to the loo (28%)
- Repeating the same opinion over and over (27%)
- Running commentary throughout the entire game (26%)
Spilled drinks during celebrations (22%)
1 Research among a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults, conducted by 3Gem in May 2026.
2 YouGov Jan 2026 https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/53898-world-cup-2026-what-britons-think-of-48-teams-late-kick-offs-and-more
3 Data collected from EDF free electricity days on 25th December 2024, 14th February 2025, 12th July 2025, 10th August 2025 and 25th December 2025.
Open to EDF customers only. Sign-up opens on May 29 and remains open while England and/or Scotland are playing. The free electricity will be available for eligible matches from 14th June onwards. Households who sign up by 23.59pm the day before an eligible game will receive 2 hours of free electricity per household per home nation game, increased to 3 hours if extra time. Smart meter required. For full details, visit edfenergy.com/free-elec.
About EDF
EDF is driving the transition towards An Electric Britain – a secure, affordable, low-carbon future for everyone. As Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity, we are investing more than £100 million weekly in Britain’s electricity infrastructure. We supply millions of customers with electricity and help homes and businesses switch to electricity for heating, transport and industrial processes.
We operate five nuclear power stations and more than 35 onshore wind farms and three offshore wind farms. Since 2009, EDF has invested almost £9 billion in the nuclear fleet to improve reliability and extend station lifetimes. The five generating stations currently supply about 12% of the UK’s electricity demand.
EDF is building the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C. We are a minority investor (12.5%) in and major supplier to a replica plant at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK demand and power around 12 million homes. EDF Group companies Framatome and Arabelle Solutions have a presence in the UK and manufacture critical equipment such as reactor pressure vessels and turbines.
EDF is enabling its 5 million customers, both in business and at home, to choose electric solutions that save cash and carbon, whether it is buying an electric car, generating and storing electricity, selling energy back to the grid or installing solar panels or a heat pump. In 2025, EDF’s Customers business was ranked as one of the Sunday Times’s Best Place to Work.
It is also one of the UK’s leading developers of renewable energy through EDF power solutions UK and Ireland. We have more than 2GW of renewable generation in operation and over 10GW in construction, planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage.
We are one of the largest suppliers to British business and a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping businesses become more energy independent. In addition, the company’s energy services business, Dalkia, is one of the UK and Ireland’s largest technical service providers.
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