1.7 million households plan to go without heating this winter

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 12:08 · Archive

A survey suggests 1.7 million households will not turn on their heating this winter as energy bills rise.

Ofgem's energy price cap rose by 4 per cent on October 1, raising typical annual household bills from £1,663 to £1,723. Forecasters have warned that bills could increase by almost another £300 from January.

A survey conducted for Uswitch found that 1.7 million households, representing 5.7 per cent of all homes, plan to go without heating entirely this winter. Among those surveyed, 52 per cent of households said they are worried about being cold over the winter months. Another 40 per cent plan to turn on heating only if they become too cold. Nearly three in ten households (29 per cent) will heat only some rooms, and 18 per cent will delay switching on their heating compared with the previous year.

Of those planning to forgo heating altogether, more than a third (37 per cent) said they were cutting back to save money despite being able to afford heating. Just over a quarter (28 per cent) said rising energy bills had made heating unaffordable. Half of households without heating plan to use alternative methods such as extra layers, hot water bottles and heated blankets, while 19 per cent intend to use portable heaters, open fires or log burners instead.

How it is being reported

• 1.7 million households will not turn heating on this winter, survey suggestsA 4% hike to Ofgem’s energy price cap took effect from October 1 as forecasters warned household bills could soar by almost another £300 from January.Evening Standard · 15 Oct, 11:49
• When will you turn the heating on? Millions say they will leave it off all winter as bills are too highIt comes as Ofgem's energy price cap went up on October 1, raising bills from £1,663 to £1,723 per year for a household using the typical amount of electricity and gas.This is Money · 14 Oct, 15:50

In this story: Ofgem · Uswitch

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