Research by comparison website Uswitch found that 1.7 million households will not switch on the heating this winter, attributing this to the rising cost of living and the loss of winter fuel payments. The figures are up sharply from the 972,000 people who said they took this drastic step last year.
55 per cent of households cited the rising cost of living as the reason they would not pay to heat their homes, while a quarter of pensioners attributed it to the loss of winter fuel payments, despite it posing a potential health risk, according to the research. As a result, searches for heating pads on the Argos website have risen 257 per cent year-on-year and demand for heated blankets is up 224 per cent as people prepare for evenings at home.
Elise Melville, the energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Cold weather can be challenging for households struggling with their energy bills, but spending winter in a cold home can be a health risk and households should keep the temperature at safe levels.”
Thermostats should be set at between 18°C and 21°C, according to Melville, so households need to try to stick to this range, even if they are trying to save money. The research notes that more than one in six households plan to set their thermostats to a temperature lower than recommended to save money, with almost one in twelve planning to heat their home to 17°C and 11 per cent to 16°C or lower.
In addition, heated apparel can be a significant cost-saving tool, according to Johanna Lueders, director of heating solutions retailer Snugel.
With heated blankets and heated gilets, we’ve seen customers save £100 per month on winter heating bills. Even including the initial purchase price of a heated garment, there are still huge savings over time, she said.
