Central heating on lock down as Brits feel the pinch

Brits face a bitterly cold winter as they take drastic action to combat rising fuel bills by refusing to turn their heating on, according to research from moneysupermarket.com.

According to the UK's leading price comparison site, almost 90 per cent of those polled are planning cost cutting measures to tackle sky high energy bills this winter. While a quarter (25 per cent) plan to turn their heating on less often, over three quarters of a million of us won't turn the heating on at all.

Other households will be taking less extreme measures - a sensible one in five bill payers (19 per cent) plan to turn down their thermostat, and another fifth (18 per cent) will be more vigilant this season by turning off or unplugging electrical items on standby. Another 16 per cent of the financially-savvy amongst us will be layering up with another jumper to keep out the chill this winter.

Scott Byrom, utilities manager at moneysupermarket.com said: "We've seen unprecedented hikes of 47 percent for gas and 29% for electricity this year and now is the time Brits will bear the brunt of that cost as the winter weather starts to bite.

"In the current economic climate it's no surprise to see wallet-watching Brits taking decisive action to keep their energy bills down during the colder winter months. However, realising over three quarters of a million of us won't turn on our heating at all this winter is extremely concerning. Without doubt this is the most crucial time of year for everyone to have a sufficient heating supply to their home - not to mention households with elderly people or young families.

"Interestingly though it's a case of ‘act today think later' for many bill payers; just over half a million people say they're not doing anything to combat costs, but will worry about their bill when it arrives."

Analysis from moneysupermarket.com, based on typical average household consumption, found Brits use around 40 per cent of their annual energy usage over winter. A customer on a standard tariff, paying an average £1295 a year by quarterly cash and cheque (QCC), would therefore face a whopping bill of £510 directly after Christmas - crippling for any unsuspecting household in the wake of an expensive festive season.

Scott Byrom continued: "Brits will be brought back down to earth with a bump in the New Year when a huge energy bill comes through their door. Many bill payers will need to nurse their purse after the cost of Christmas festivities and being hit with unexpectedly high energy bills will be an expensive way to top off an already costly period. A standard QCC customer could save £1785 by swapping to the best deal on the market - something that cash strapped Brits should seriously think about.

"I advise customers, whether worried about post-Christmas bills or not, to swap to a monthly direct debit scheme and manage their account online. Even though the price of wholesale gas is falling, it is unlikely customers will see a fall in energy prices any time soon, and for those swapping supplier any change may take four to six weeks to come into effect - a clear call to action for any Brits wanting to save their hard-earned cash to act now."