Winter Heating: Households turning thermostats down more than 1°C as energy bills soar
With energy prices almost double last winter’s, households are planning to lower their thermostat by more than one degree this year – from 20°C to an average 18.7°C[1]
Two fifths of households (43%) say they will turn down their thermostat this year, and a third (37%) say they will only heat some rooms in the house[2]
Some households are adopting extreme tactics to keep bills low, with one in eight households (12%) planning to get through winter without any heating
However with limited official guidance, nearly a fifth of households (18%) say they won’t make any changes to their behaviour this winter[2]
Northern regions are lowering their thermostat the most, with North East homes dropping their temperature by 2°C to 17.8°C[3]
To help households understand and adapt their energy use, Uswitch.com has launched free mobile app Utrack.
Households will be turning their thermostats down by more than one degree compared to last year as they try to reduce their energy bills[1], according to new research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and consumer advice service.
The average temperature in people’s homes was set to 20°C last year, but thermostats are planned to be set to18.7°C this winter on average[1]. Households typically turn their heating on when the external temperature drops below 13oC, which is usually around October 25th[4].
Two fifths of households (43%) say they will turn down their thermostat this year, while a third (32%) will wait to turn their heating on later than normal[2].
Worryingly, some are turning to more extreme tactics - with one in ten (12%) planning to try to get through winter without turning their heating on at all. On the contrary, nearly a fifth of households (18%) say they won’t make any changes to their behaviour this winter[2].
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[5].
Yet more uncertainty is on the horizon as the Energy Price 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.
Turning the heating down a notch this winter is one way to reduce usage and save money, with the Energy Saving Trust estimating that households who turn their thermostats down by just one degree could reduce bills by up to 10%[6].
The new 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[7], while the World Health Organisation suggests 18°C for people in good health[7].
Uswitch’s research shows the number of households keeping their heating under 18°C has doubled this year from 12% last year to a quarter (25%) this winter[1].
Nearly three million households kept their thermostats set at 22°C in 2021 but this has fallen by half to 1.4 million this year[1].
The northern regions of the UK are turning their thermostats down by the largest amount, with North East households lowering the temperature by 2°C on average to 17.8°C[3].
Over a quarter of households (26%) have already prepared for winter by installing insulation, while a similar proportion of homes (24%) plan to or have already draught-proofed their doors and other gaps[8].
To help households better understand their energy usage, Uswitch has launched its new app, Utrack.
Richard Neudegg, director of regulation at Uswitch.com, comments: “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.”
Track your energy usage with Utrack by Uswitch here.
Notes
Research conducted online by Opinium, 13th April to 15th September 2022, among 2,000 UK residents, weighted to be nationally representative.
1. Respondents who said ‘yes’ to owning a thermostat were asked ‘What temperature was your thermostat typically set to, last year, and what do you anticipate this will be this year?’ The average was 20 degrees in 2021 and 18.7 in 2022. 12% of respondents said they were keeping their thermostat at 17 degrees or below in 2021, 25% said the same for 2022. 10% of respondents said they kept their thermostat at 22 degrees in 2021. 10% of 28.1 million households = 2.8 million. 5% of respondents said they will keep their thermostat at 22 degrees in 2022 = 1.4 million households.
2. Respondents were asked ‘Which of the following will you change due to higher energy prices this winter?’ 43% said ‘I will turn down my thermostat’, 37% said ‘I will only heat some rooms in my home’, 32% said ‘I will put back the date I would normally turn my heating on’, 12% said ‘I will get through winter without turning on my heating’. 18% said ‘I will not make any changes this winter’.
3. Respondents who said ‘yes’ to owning a thermostat were asked ‘What temperature was your thermostat typically set to, last year, and what do you anticipate this will be this year? See table for regional breakdown.
4. The Sun: Exact date to turn your heating on this winter – and how to shave £100 off your bill
5. Extrapolating current gas and electricity unit rates and standings with those provided for original October price cap, a £2,500 price cap freeze yields: a 9.8p/kWh gas unit rate; 28p/day gas standing charge; 36p/kWh electricity unit rate; 46p/day electricity standing charge. Applying these to Ofgem’s usage profile expected over December, January and February suggests a medium-use household will pay £820.49 for their energy this year, compared with £382.78 last year. Dividing the £400 energy bill support over six months equates to £66.67 per month. Reducing £820.49 by 3 x £66.67 = £620.48. £620.48 - £382.78 = £237.70 increase compared to last year.
6. Energy Saving Trust.
7. Energy Saving Trust and World Health Organisation.
8. Respondents were asked ‘Which, if any, of the following have you done / will you do to prepare for the winter?’ 26% said they had already installed insulation, 16% said they had draught-proof doors and other gaps, while 8% said they were going to do so.
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.