1 In 5 Keep Heating ‘on Constantly’ During Winter

Dec. 14, 2010 - PRLog -- A study conducted by the UK’s leading discount website has revealed that 19% of people leave their heating on constantly during the cold winter months; whilst 67% claim to know that they are probably paying too much for their utility bills.

www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk conducted the research of 1,109 people across the UK, in order to discover more about Britons’ attitudes towards the expense of gas and electric in the winter time. 58% of the people who took part in the poll had different suppliers for their gas and electric; whilst 89% of these had never looked into the savings they could achieve by switching to the same supplier for both.

As two thirds, 67%, claimed to know they were paying too much for their utility bills, MyVoucherCodes.co.uk further questioned these respondents to find out why this was the case. A third, 31%, confessed to being ‘wasteful’ when it came to their gas and electric, in the sense they left lights on regularly and over-used their heating.

When asked, ‘In the winter months of previous years, have you ever been shocked by a high gas or electric bill?’ the vast majority, 77%, said ‘yes’. 42% of these admitted they were ‘unprepared’ for the higher bills, which are generally much more costly than those in the summer months.

The respondents were also asked about other methods they used to keep themselves warm at home during winter. 11% had cavity wall insulation, and 37% told MyVoucherCodes.co.uk that they had loft insulation. 82% had double glazing installed in their home.

When asked, ‘Would you consider wrapping up warmer whilst at home and switching the heating off to save money?’ 91% said they’d prefer to just use their heating. The 1 in 4 who admitting to leaving their heating on constantly were asked ‘Why do you not turn your heating off when you are not at home?’ to which 38% said it was in order to ‘make sure their house was warm on return.’

Farhad Farhadi, personal finance expert at http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, commented on the findings;

“During winter, utility bills are always more expensive and I think many are unprepared for that. To see that 1 in 5 leave their heating on constantly is a big shock; it’s such a waste of money and there are other things that can be done which will mean people can be warm without being out of pocket.

“Just wearing more layers around the home can save you having to have your heating on all the time, and evening turning the radiators down slightly can save a bit of money. I’m surprised that many of those with separate suppliers for their gas and electric haven’t looked into the savings that could be made by going with the same provider for both; this should always be an option people look into.”
LINK http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk

ENDS

Mark Pearson, chairman of http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk is a regular media contributor regarding online shopping and the credit crunch. At 30, his personal worth is more than £30 million. Mark was previously a trainee chef working for Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, London.

Mark appeared as a ‘Secret Millionaire’ in the series on Channel 4, in which he donated £115,00 of his own money to worthy causes.

MyVoucherCodes has had sales exceeding £481m in the last year

Consumer savings on online shopping via MyVoucherCodes.co.uk up from £28m in 2008 to £52m in 2009.

MyVoucherCodes is the UK’s most popular discount site.