Owners of pampered pets in spend as much as £120 on energy for their cats and dogs each year.

Read also: RSPCA fears 'lockdown puppies' may add to a dog welfare crisis

Statistics from Confused.com show pet owners in Oxford frequently run a bath or turn up the heating to satisfy their animals.

Oxford came up as the biggest spenders with pet owners spending on average £296 per year which is the equivalent to 10 per cent of the average annual energy bill.

By contrast, those in Plymouth spent just £34 per year on average.