Households are planning to lower their thermostats by more than one degree to combat soaring energy bills - with some saying they are planning to live without heating altogether this winter. The findings came in a new study asking billpayers how they are planning to change their approach to energy this winter amid the rising cost of living.
Uswitch.com, the comparison and consumer advice service, said it found households are planning to lower their thermostat from 20°C to an average 18.7°C. Almost half (43%) say they will turn down their thermostat this year, and a third (37%) say they will only heat some rooms in the house.
Turning the heating down a notch this winter is one way to reduce usage and save money. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that households who turn their thermostats down by just one degree could reduce bills by up to 10%.
An average thermostat temperature of 18.7°C is in line with heating guidance, as the Energy Saving Trust recommends heating your home to between 18°C and 21°C during winter. The World Health Organisation suggests 18°C for people in good health.
USwitch said others are adopting extreme tactics to keep bills low, with one in eight households (12%) planning to get through winter without any heating at all. However nearly a fifth of households (18%) said they won’t make any changes to their behaviour this winter.
The survey looked at differences in each region. USwitch said North East homes are planning to drop their temperature by 2°C to 17.8°C[3]
Despite the current Energy Price Guarantee and £400 bill support covering this winter, households could still pay on average £237 more for energy over the three coldest months than they did last year. The guarantee looks set to end in April 2023, rather than running for two years as initially planned, and it is not yet clear what alternative bill support will be offered to consumers.
To help households understand and adapt their energy use, Uswitch.com has launched free mobile app Utrack.
Richard Neudegg, director of regulation at Uswitch.com, said: "Heating our homes is the biggest contributor to energy bills over the winter months, and costs are much higher than last year. It’s clear that many households know they need to change their energy habits at home and are actively seeking to reduce their usage, such as by turning down the thermostat.
“We’ve also experienced higher than average temperatures in October - so many households will have delayed turning their heating on for the winter. However, the limited official guidance around energy usage, coupled with rising living costs across the board, is driving some families towards extreme behaviours.
“Trying to survive the winter without any heating is a known health risk, so this is especially worrying if people feel they don’t have any choice in this matter. Reducing usage is a good option to save money, but households need to know how to change their energy habits in a safe and manageable way.
"This is one of the reasons why we've launched our app, Utrack by Uswitch – to help people better understand their home energy consumption. Anyone who is worried about paying their energy bills this winter should contact their energy supplier, who can offer advice and support.”
