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More than 1.7 million households are not planning to use heating this winter (almost double the number who did so last year) as they try to reduce their energy bills.
Of those who cannot afford to heat their homes during the colder months, 55 per cent said this was due to rising living costs, while a quarter of pensioners blamed the loss of their winter fuel payments, according to data from Uswitch.
The figures show a 70 per cent increase compared to the 972,000 people who said they would not use their heating during last winter.
One in ten plans to heat their home to less than 16°C this winter, below the recommended minimum of 18°C
In addition to those who decided not to use heating at all, another million said they will wait until December to turn it on to keep costs down.
Around 40 percent of people only intend to heat their home when it is too cold, while a third will only heat some of the rooms in their home.
Will Owen, energy expert at Uswitch, said: ‘It is deeply worrying to see how many households are planning to go through the winter without heating due to financial problems.
‘Spending the winter in a cold house can pose a health risk and homes need to maintain temperatures at safe levels.
‘People are advised to set their thermostats between 18°C and 21°C, so households should try to stay within this range even when trying to save money.’
On average, households plan to turn on their heating on 6 October, a week earlier than last year, and 6 million of them have already turned it on.
While almost 4 million households will set their heating to 22°C or higher, 17 per cent of households intend to set their thermostats below the recommended minimum of 18°C to save money.
One in ten said they will heat their home to 16°C or less this winter.
While heating your home below 18°C is not recommended, for those who tend to keep their homes on the warm side, the Energy Saving Trust estimates that turning your thermostat down by one degree could save you 10 per cent on your heating bills.
Owen said: ‘Electric blankets are a great way to keep warm and cost a lot less to run than electric heaters.
‘You can set a schedule for your heating to turn on and off so it only heats your home when needed, and turning off radiator valves in rooms you’re not using means you won’t heat them unnecessarily.
“There are a number of fixed tariffs worth considering right now. By opting for a fixed tariff, you lock in those rates for the term (typically 12 months), meaning households can have price certainty and avoid the ups and downs of the price cap.”
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