Survey: 1.7 million UK households plan to forgo heating

An estimated 1.7 million UK households plan not to turn on their heating this winter, according to a survey commissioned by energy comparison service Uswitch, as households respond to rising energy costs by cutting back on warmth. The poll found that 5.7% of households intend to leave their heating off. It surveyed 2,000 UK adults between September 22 and 25 and was conducted by Opinium. The figure is a survey estimate of planned behavior, not a count of households already going without heat. Concern about cold weather was widespread: 52% of households, or more than 15 million homes, said they were worried about being cold this winter. Two in five respondents said they would turn on their heating only if they became too cold. Nearly three in 10 planned to heat only some rooms, while 18% said they would wait longer than they did last year before switching it on. Among those planning to go without heating, 37% said they could afford to heat their homes but intended to cut back to save money. Another 28% said rising bills had made heating unaffordable.