Energy costs 'forced 13m into winter of discontent'
By myfinances.co.uk staff
The high cost of energy saw around 13 million households go without heating in order to cut down on their bills last winter, new research has claimed.
A study by comparison service uSwitch.com showed that 37% of Britons occasionally turned off their radiators during the worst period of cold weather in 30 years in order to save money. Another 12% said that they regularly went without heating.
Some 22% of those questioned admitted to being colder than they would have liked as a result of trying to keep costs under control.
While 38% said that they had achieved the right balance between staying warm and managing heating bills, 12% claimed that cutting back had affected their health or quality of life.
Ann Robinson, uSwitch.com's director of consumer policy, said: "The reality this winter is that many households were forced into a self-imposed ice age, with people cutting down or rationing their heating due to concerns about cost."
According to figures from moneysupermarket.com, 78% of people have cut back on heating use because of worries over bills.
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