Insight

Brits reaching for the thermostat

Brits reaching for the thermostat

Almost half (46%) of UK adults say they have already had their central heating on this winter. Up in Scotland 61% have started turning their central heating on while down in the sunnier South West, just less than a quarter (24%) say they?ve started turning their radiators on recently.

However, there are a steelier group of Brits (23%) who are waiting till late October, when British summer time ends, to turn on their central heating. Most chilling is that 7% won?t be turning up the thermostat until Christmas, and 8% will only be doing so when it snows!

Perhaps oddly, UK adults seem far keener to turn on their central heating than wear their coat. Only just over a quarter (27%) say they?ve just started wearing their coat this winter. A similar number (26%) say they?ll wait until the clocks go back, and a further 24% will wait until it snows or Christmas until they don their warm winter coat.

Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,001 UK adults. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria. The research was conducted from 20th to 24th September 2013.