Whistle while you work: Lockdown sees Kilkenny commuters save 69 hours by staying at home

Remote workers in Kilkenny have gained 69 hours of extra time by not commuting to work during the Covid-19 crisis a new report has revealed.

The figures come from a new study by Chill Insurance who analysed the Central Statistics Office’s data about the average commute time per county. It found the average commute time for residents of county Kilkenny was 25.6 minutes per journey

As Ireland has been in lockdown for 81 days since March 27th, Chill Insurance estimates that the average remote worker in this county has gained 69 hours.

The Chill Insurance study also revealed that one-third of people in Ireland have been using this extra time to prioritise their physical wellbeing, with 31.5% of respondents to their survey saying they used this time exercising.

On the other hand, close to one-in-five of us led a more sedentary life, with18.5% of respondents saying they spent their time on entertainment, such as watching television or playing video games. A further 16.3% used the time cooking and 12% on home improvement.

Fergal Lynch, head of marketing at Chill Insurance, said: “These are very challenging times, but being able to work remotely during lockdown has enabled Irish people to have a much better work-life balance.”

“Not needing to commute, we have been able to spend that time with our families, taking on home improvement tasks we may have been putting off for years, and even prioritising our physical and mental wellbeing,” Mr Lynch concluded.