- 1.7 million households say they won't turn on their heating at all this winter[1], as forecasts point to a big rise in bills this January[2]
- Half of households (52%) – more than 15 million homes – worry about being cold this winter, with two-fifths (40%) planning to only put the heating on if they get too chilly[3]
- A quarter of households (24%) plan to set their thermostat below the recommended minimum of 18°C[4]
- Nearly three in 10 households (29%) will only heat some rooms in their home, while almost one in five (18%) will turn their heating on later than last year[5]
- Emily Ahuja, 32, of Cirencester, Gloucs, won’t turn on her heating until December due to the cost but uses an electric heater to keep her 14-month-old daughter warm
- Uswitch.com urges households to switch their tariff to avoid more upcoming bill rises – and to safely reduce their energy use without sitting in the cold.
About 1.7 million UK households say they will not turn on their heating at all this winter[1], according to new research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Energy prices rose by 4% (£60) on 1 October, taking the annual bill for a typical household on the price cap to £1,723, with a further rise of almost 22% expected in January[2].
Half of households (52%) – more than 15 million homes – say they're worried about being cold this winter[3], with two-fifths (40%) planning to only put the heating on if they get too chilly. Nearly three in 10 (29%) will heat only some rooms in their home, and almost a fifth (18%) will hold off turning their heating on for longer than they did last year[5].
Among those planning to go without heating altogether, the reasons aren't always about affordability alone. More than a third (37%) say they're choosing to cut back to save money, even though they could technically afford to heat their home. Just over a quarter (28%) say rising energy bills specifically have made heating unaffordable[6].
Half of households (50%) planning to go without heating say they'll turn to alternatives such as extra layers, hot water bottles and heated blankets to stay warm. Almost one in five (19%) plan to turn to portable heaters, open fires or log burners instead, although these can cost more to run than central heating if heating the whole home[7].
Some households are far more anxious than the average. Seven in 10 (72%) of those on prepayment meters say they're worried about being cold this winter – 20 percentage points above the UK average[8]. Prepayment customers can switch too, and anyone who is older, disabled or has a health condition should check whether they can join their supplier's Priority Services Register.
Emily Ahuja, 32, of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, won’t turn on her heating until December due to the cost, relying on wearing more layers, draught excluders and higher-tog duvets.
The family uses an electric heater in the living room to keep 14-month-old daughter Esme warm for an hour or two before bed.
Emily said: “I won’t turn my heating on until December when the temperature really starts to drop. I don’t want my baby to be cold, so if it’s really chilly we’ll use a small plug-in heater for an hour or two. The energy bill this year is already higher than it was last year.”
Dave Jeffery, 68, of Northwich, Cheshire, is holding off turning his heating on this winter after discovering his 1870s home needs major repairs, forcing him to make difficult choices.
Dave said, “A fault with the house needs major expenditure. People talk about food or heating, but I need the roof. The heating hasn’t been on yet, but we’ll layer up before we put any heat on.”
Image: Dave Jeffery, 68
Mandy De’Ath, 53, of Bexley, south-east London, plans to get through this winter without turning on any heating. On the coldest nights, she stays at her mum's house.
Her ground-floor flat was built in the 1990s and has no central heating and almost no insulation, so any heat quickly escapes. She has insulated curtains and an electric blanket but finds plug-in heaters too expensive for her to run constantly.
It comes despite households using less energy overall. Ofgem lowered its typical consumption estimates in July 2026, reflecting that the average household now uses around 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year – roughly 7% less electricity and 17% less gas than before[9]. Households are using less energy, but it hasn’t been enough to offset rising unit rates, leaving many still feeling the squeeze.
Uswitch is urging households not to wait for the cold weather to bite before taking action. Switching to a cheaper fixed deal, using energy more efficiently and checking eligibility for support schemes could all help households reduce the cost of staying warm this winter.
Households with a smart meter can connect it to the free Uswitch app, which tracks daily energy use, flags cheaper deals and helps households manage their bills. Users can also earn free electricity through schemes like Power Hours, which reward people for cutting their usage or shifting it away from peak times.
Ben Gallizzi, Uswitch energy expert, comments: “It's alarming to see so many households already planning to go without heating this winter, before the coldest months have even arrived.
“Energy costs have just increased and are set to rise again in January, so this will be a tough winter for many – and it makes sense that many will be looking at ways to cut their energy usage.
“Despite higher energy costs, it’s really important that households don’t simply sit in the cold. In living spaces, healthy adults should aim for a minimum indoor temperature of 18°C (64.4°F), or 20°C for vulnerable groups such as infants and the elderly.
“Gadgets such as electric blankets and energy-efficient plug-in heaters can offer extra warmth to heat individuals and smaller spaces.
“If you’re currently on a standard variable tariff, you can act now to avoid upcoming rises by switching to a cheaper fixed deal.
“No one should be shivering in a cold home because they’re dreading the energy bill, so if you’re struggling, ask for help. Look into whether you're eligible for any grants or discounts too, from the Warm Home Discount to insulation support.”
Compare fixed energy deals now at Uswitch.com
For more information
Rianna York | Energy PR Manager
rianna.york@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
Research conducted online by Opinium among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults, 22-25 September 2026. Results are weighted to be nationally representative. Household figures are based on Uswitch's estimate of 29 million UK households.
1. 5.7% of respondents (Q4) said they will not turn their heating on at all this winter, equivalent to 1.65 million households based on an estimated 29 million UK households. This compares with 7.3% in Uswitch's 2025 survey and 5.9% in 2024.
2. The Uswitch average is based on forecasts from British Gas, E.ON Next and EDF for the January 2027 price cap, which average £2,098 – a 21.7% increase on October’s cap (Uswitch analysis of published supplier forecasts, as of 13 October 2026).
3. A net 52% of respondents (Q9) said they were "very worried" or "a little worried" about being cold this winter, equivalent to more than 15 million households. Separately, 40.3% of respondents (Q8) said they will only turn their heating on if they are too cold.
4. 24% of respondents said they plan to set their thermostat below the recommended minimum of 18°C this winter (Q7).
5. 28.6% of respondents (Q8) said they will only heat some rooms in their home. 18% said they will turn their heating on later this year than they did last year (Q4).
6. Q5 (asked only of respondents who said they will not turn their heating on this winter, unweighted base 113): 37% said they are choosing to cut back to save money even though they could afford to heat their home; 28% said rising energy bills specifically have made heating unaffordable; 29% cited higher household bills more broadly; 10% cited rising housing costs. Base sizes for this question are small and figures should be treated as indicative.
7. Q6 (asked of the same group, unweighted base 113): 50% said they are finding other ways to heat themselves, such as extra layers, hot water bottles and heated blankets; 19% said they are finding other ways to heat their home, such as portable heaters, fireplaces or log burners. Base sizes for this question are small and figures should be treated as indicative.
8. Q9, cut by tariff type and region: 72% of prepayment meter customers (unweighted base 118) said they are worried about being cold this winter, compared with a UK average of 52%. 54% of respondents in the North West (unweighted base 219) and in London (unweighted base 193) said the same – the joint-highest of any region in Great Britain. Base sizes for the prepayment meter cut are relatively small and figures should be treated as indicative.
9. Ofgem, Summary of changes to energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, showing updated Typical Domestic Consumption Values.