The extra day in a Leap year costs a family an average €60 more in food, drink, gas, water and electricity, according to calculations by family spending institute Nibud.

However, Leap day is also a day of free television and internet and an extra day of being insured. This saves a family an average of €47, bringing the cost of Leap day to €13, Nibud says.

2016 is a Leap year with 366 days instead of 365. It occurs every four years.

Leap year is next Monday, February 29, which is a working day and should mean an extra day’s pay. Not so, says Nibud. ‘People are paid monthly with no regard to how many days there are in the month,’ according to a spokesman.