New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the energy crisis has increased the number of people who are thinking about upgrading their homes to ensure that less heat leaks out.
The ONS found that 26 per cent of adults in the UK are considering changes to their homes' energy efficiency, up from 19 per cent last autumn when it asked the same question.
Energy bills soared by 54 per cent for the average household on a standard variable energy tariff at the beginning of April when the Ofgem price cap on bills was changed and in October bills are expected to go up more than £800 again to around £2,800, considerably more than double their levels from just a few months ago.
The ONS found that among those thinking about the energy efficiency of their homes:
- 42% were considering improving their insulation
- 21% think solar panels might be an option
- 32% say they might make other improvements
It also found that 24 per cent of energy customers might try to switch supplier before October.
However, those trying to get a cheaper energy deal are likely to be disappointed as the price cap is the best on the market at the moment.
Some three quarters (74%) of those surveyed by the ONS said they are not planning on improving energy efficiency.
More than one in three of these (36%) said that it would cost too much to do, 29 per cent cannot make changes because they do not own their homes, and 26 per cent felt that their homes are efficient enough.
Last week, the UK Government announced a package of new measures which will help the poorest households offset a large portion of the rise in their energy bills.
It will also provide a £400 discount on domestic electricity bills to every household in the country.
The UK Government was forced to step in with the new £15 billion package after inflation soared to a 40-year highs of 9 per cent.
More than four in 10 (44%) said that they are buying less food over the last two weeks.
The ONS also found that 88 per cent of people said their cost of living has risen over the past month, unchanged from two weeks ago - in November last year the figure was 62 per cent.
People also said they were spending less on non-essentials (56%), using less gas and electricity at home (50%) and cutting back on non-essential car journeys (39%).
Meanwhile the proportion of people who pay energy bills who find it very or somewhat difficult to afford them increased from 41 per cent a few weeks ago to 46 per cent in the latest survey.
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