New research indicates that the average UK household is set to turn on their heating this Sunday 6th October.
According to Uswitch, this is nearly a week earlier than last year’s big switch-on, which took place on 12th October.
The chilly September weather has already prompted nearly nine million people, or 31% of households, to turn on their heating.
Some households are determined to delay turning on their heating until December to save on costs.
Despite this, households expect to set their thermostats at an average of 19.4°C this winter, slightly higher than the 19.3°C recorded last year.
This temperature aligns with the Energy Saving Trust‘s recommendation of heating homes to between 18°C and 21°C during winter.
However, some households plan to set their thermostats below the recommended levels to cut costs.
Around 17% of respondents indicated they would set their thermostats lower, with 8% planning to heat their homes to 17°C and 11% at 16°C or lower.
According to the research, Cardiff residents have the highest average thermostat settings at 20°C, while Edinburgh households plan to set theirs at 18.6°C.
With rising energy prices, many households are cautious about their energy use.
About 43% will only turn the heating on if they feel too cold, and 31% plan to heat only some rooms in their homes.
