More than 1.7m households will not turn on the heating this winter - study
The Guardian|November 09, 2024
More than 1.7 million households say they won't turn on their heating this winter, according to research by the comparison site Uswitch.
Mabel Banfield-Nwachi
More than 1.7m households will not turn on the heating this winter - study

This has risen sharply from the 972,000 who said they took this drastic step last year.

Uswitch's research found 55% of households citing rising living costs as the reason they would hold out on heating their homes, while a quarter of pensioners put it down to the loss of winter fuel payments, despite it being a potential health risk.

Searches for hot water bottles on the Argos website have increased by 257% year on year, while demand for heated blankets is up by 224%.

Elise Melville, the energy expert at Uswitch, 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."

This story is from the November 09, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the November 09, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

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