Fifth of households to cut energy use to cope with winter bills

A fifth of households (20%) will only be able to cope with rising bills this winter by cutting back their energy use, according to new research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.

Despite the Government’s energy price guarantee and £400 bill support, energy bills are still set to increase from the 1st October, and bill payers could still pay on average £237 more for energy over the three coldest months than they did last year.

Another three million households – more than one in ten homes (11%) – say they will not be able to cope with rising bills whatever they do.

The rising cost of energy has led to nearly nine in ten (86%) making at least one change around their home to prepare for winter, with a quarter (26%) having had insulation installed.

The findings come as Uswitch responds to the energy crisis with the launch of its new app, Utrack, which connects to a home smart meter, helping households track and reduce their energy use, to save money on their bills.

The free mobile app is designed to be linked to a home smart meter to help consumers understand their home energy consumption, monitor when they are using the most power and find ways to cut costs around the home.

Turning appliances off at the wall is the most common way people will reduce their energy consumption this winter and will be favoured by 53% of households, followed by running their washing machine at a lower temperature, which 47% of homes are doing. Nearly half (46%) of bill-payers plan to turn the thermostat down, with a similar proportion using their washing machine less (44%).

A third (35%) say they will reduce the number of times they use their oven to cut their energy use this winter. More than a quarter (28%) will use a more efficient slow cooker, while the same proportion will also invest in an air fryer.

Nearly one in three bill-payers (32%) are also planning to push back the day they usually turn on their heating and 37% will only heat certain rooms in their home[3].

Ben Gallizzi, Energy Expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Energy bills are still due to rise in October despite the Government support, and we know that many people are feeling anxious about the winter ahead Keeping on top of your home energy consumption will be especially important during the coldest months when the heating comes on.”

“With more people looking at how they can cut down their energy bills this winter, getting a deeper understanding of your household usage will help you find ways to save money around the home.”

Top ten changes households are making to prepare for winter

Action	Total	Already done	Planning to do
Turn appliances off at the wall	53%	35%	17%
Run the washing machine at cooler temperature	47%	32%	15%
Turn the thermostat down	46%	29%	17%
Use washing machine less	44%	29%	15%
Upgrade light bulbs to LEDs	42%	30%	12%
Start taking showers instead of baths	36%	27%	8%
Stop / reduced using a tumble dryer	35%	24%	11%
Start using the microwave instead of the oven	30%	21%	10%
Install insulation	29%	26%	3%
Buy a slow cooker	28%	23%	5%