Britons Holding Off on Heating to Save Money

Oct. 20, 2011 - PRLog -- It would appear that many around the UK are concerned about the cost of energy bills this winter, as a new study has revealed that the majority of Britons are holding off on turning on the heating this Autumn due to the rising cost of energy bills.

The study, conducted by www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, polled a total of 1,795 adults aged 18 and over, who all whom paid their own utility bills, as part of research into attitudes surrounding the cost of utilities.

Respondents were initially asked if they had turned on their heating yet, to which 61% said ‘no’. When asked to stipulate why this was the case, a third, 32%, of respondents explained that it was because it ‘isn’t cold enough’; whilst just over half, 53%, said the cost of turning the heating on is ‘too expensive’.

When asked when they planned to turn their heating on for the winter, the majority, 85% explained they would do so when it gets ‘too cold not to.’ These people were also asked what they did to keep warm, other than putting the heating on; to which 87% said that they ‘wear warm clothing around the home.’

Those polled were then asked if, at any point during the winter, they had their heating on constantly; to which the majority, 82%, said ‘no’. When asked why they chose not to, the majority, 69%, explained that this would make energy bills would ‘too expensive.’ However, 27% said that they refrained from constant heating because it was ‘bad for the environment’.

Three quarters of those polled, 76%, stated that they put their heating on a timer; and so it was only one for certain periods each day.

Mark Pearson, Chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, had the following to say about the results:

“It’s not all that surprising to find out that many people are leaving it until later on in the year to turn the heating on. With the cost of energy bills getting higher and higher every year, the simplest way to save money is to leave the heating off for a little while longer.”

He continued:

“However, it’s always good just to double check that you are getting the best deal from your energy provider. Searching for better deals can save you a lot of money in the long run, potentially allowing you to put the heating on a little earlier than your finances would usually allow!”

ENDS

LINK www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk

For more information, please contact Iona St Joseph of 10 Yetis PR Agency at iona@10yetis.co.uk or call 01452 348 211

Editor’s Notes

Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes 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 £115,000 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.