Survey: 1.7m households plan to keep heating off
Rising bills are prompting households to cut heating use before the coldest months arrive.
About 1.7 million UK households say they do not plan to switch on their heating this winter, according to a survey for energy comparison site Uswitch. The findings come as the household energy price cap has risen and forecasters discuss a potentially unsettled winter.
The survey found that 5.7% of households intended to leave their heating off altogether. More than half of households said they were worried about being cold, while 40% said they would switch the heating on only when they felt too cold.
Among those planning to go without heating, 37% said they were doing so to save money despite being technically able to heat their homes. A further 28% said rising energy bills had made heating unaffordable. The survey also found that some households planned to heat only selected rooms or delay switching on the heating compared with last year.
The pressure follows Ofgem’s default-tariff price cap rising by 4% for the period from 1 October to 31 December. For a typical dual-fuel direct-debit household in Great Britain, the annualised cap is £1,723, although actual bills depend on usage, payment method and region.
Support is available through existing schemes, but it is not universal. The Warm Home Discount provides a one-off £150 electricity-bill discount for eligible households, while the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026-27 ranges from £100 to £300 for eligible older people. Scotland operates a separate Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
The survey does not measure how many households will ultimately remain without heating, and it does not establish whether the decision is driven mainly by prices, household income, housing quality or personal preference. It is also a sample-based estimate rather than an official count of fuel poverty.
Weather forecasts add another layer of uncertainty. The Met Office says El Niño can increase the likelihood of wetter, stormier and generally milder conditions in the UK during late autumn and early winter, but stresses that it cannot determine individual weather events. The immediate issue identified by the survey is therefore affordability, not a confirmed extreme-weather event.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A Uswitch survey reported that 5.7% of households, equivalent to about 1.7 million, planned to leave heating off this winter.
- Ofgem’s default-tariff price cap for October to December 2026 is £1,723 for a typical direct-debit household in Great Britain.
- The Warm Home Discount and Winter Fuel Payment provide targeted support subject to eligibility rules.
- The Met Office says El Niño changes probabilities for UK weather but does not provide a precise forecast of individual events.
Left
Arguments A left-wing response would argue that households should not have to choose between warmth and other essentials. It would favour stronger income support, a broader social tariff or public control of essential energy infrastructure, alongside a faster programme to improve the least efficient homes.
Values The emphasis is on equality, basic living standards and the idea that energy is an essential service rather than an ordinary consumer product.
Consequences Supporters would stress the risk of worsening poverty and pressure on public services if people ration heating. They would accept higher public spending or industry obligations as the price of preventing cold homes.
Centre
Arguments A centrist approach would combine targeted help for households most likely to be in fuel poverty with energy-efficiency improvements and careful monitoring of prices. It would treat the survey as a warning signal, while avoiding the assumption that every reported intention will become actual behaviour.
Values The priorities are evidence, fiscal restraint and practical help that reaches vulnerable households without subsidising every unit of energy consumed.
Consequences This approach could limit the cost to taxpayers and consumers, but may leave some households outside the eligibility rules facing difficult choices if prices rise further.
Right
Arguments A right-wing response would question broad subsidies and argue that high bills are best addressed through lower taxes, more domestic supply, competition and fewer regulatory costs. It would favour tightly targeted assistance for people unable to cope rather than permanent universal price intervention.
Values The emphasis is on personal choice, market discipline and limiting the long-term burden on taxpayers and energy companies.
Consequences Supporters would warn that blanket support can weaken incentives to reduce consumption and delay investment. Critics would fear that targeted schemes may miss households whose hardship is temporary or difficult to prove.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article distinguishes survey intentions from measured household behaviour and uses official sources for current energy prices and support schemes. The weather context is qualified in line with the Met Office’s stated uncertainty.
- confirmed About 1.7 million households, or 5.7%, say they plan not to switch on heating this winter. — Reported from the Uswitch survey in ITV News. source
- confirmed More than half of households are worried about being cold, and 40% would turn heating on only when too cold. — Both figures are reported from the same survey. source
- confirmed The survey found that 37% cited saving money and 28% cited unaffordable bills. — Reported subgroup findings from the survey. source
- confirmed Ofgem’s price cap is £1,723 for a typical direct-debit household from October to December 2026, up 4%. — Ofgem’s published cap and comparison with the previous period. source
- confirmed The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 electricity-bill discount for eligible households. — GOV.UK scheme overview. source
- confirmed The Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026-27 ranges from £100 to £300 for eligible older people. — GOV.UK overview for the 2026-27 winter. source
- confirmed The Met Office says El Niño can raise the likelihood of wetter, stormier and generally milder UK conditions, but cannot determine individual events. — Met Office explanation of the forecast signal and its limitations. source
Editor's note
The survey figures and current price-cap information are clear. The estimate describes intended behaviour, not confirmed winter heating use, and the El Niño discussion remains a probabilistic forecast rather than a prediction of extreme UK weather.Sources
- 1.7 million households will not turn heating on this winter, survey suggests — ITV News
- Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges — Ofgem
- Winter Fuel Payment: Overview — GOV.UK
- Warm Home Discount Scheme: Overview — GOV.UK
- ‘Super El Niño’? ‘551-mile wall of rain and snow?’ Weather headline review — Met Office
More on this in other media
- The Independent — „energy bills”
- BBC News — „energy bills”
- The Guardian — „energy bills”