Up to 1.7 million UK households will not turn on their heating this winter in an effort to save money - as a record El Niño threatens to unleash extreme weather this winter.
A poll for Uswitch suggested that as many as 1.7 million households will turn off their heating to save money on costs, with only 40% planning to turn it on if they get too cold.
Instead, half of households will turn to hot water bottles, blankets, and extra layers to stay warm.
This year’s El Nino could be worse than previous events
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Previous El Niños saw Storm Katie and Storm Desmond wreak havoc across the UK, with record-breaking rainfall and flooding across Lancashire and Cumbria.
The capital, in particular, was rocked by Storm Katie which bent a construction crane in Greenwich and caused damage to dozens of roofs.
While the first part of winter is likely to be frosty and wet, it is still unclear what El Niño could mean later on.
UK weather: A ‘polar vortex’ is set to grip Britain and send temperatures plummeting
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But Britons remain concerned that rising energy bills will prevent them from switching on their heating.
A quarter (28%) said rising energy bills had made heating unaffordable, while forecasters warn that bills could soar by another £300 from January following a 4% hike to Ofgem’s energy price cap in October.
Nearly 6% of households will leave the heating off altogether, with more than a third of those people saying they could afford to heat their homes, but would rather save money.
Almost a third of people (29%) will selectively heat rooms in their home, while 18% will hold off switching on the heating until later in the year.
Energy bills have been on the rise
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Campaigners across the UK have urged the government to make plans to support all households with energy costs.
Uswitch energy spokesman Ben Gallizzi said: “It’s alarming to see so many households already planning to go without heating this winter, before the coldest months have even arrived.
“Energy costs have just increased and are set to rise again in January, so this will be a tough winter for many – and it makes sense that many will be looking at ways to cut their energy usage.
“Despite higher energy costs, it’s really important that households don’t simply sit in the cold.”
Healthy adults should aim for a minimum indoor temperature of 18C, while vulnerable groups, including infants and the elderly, should aim for 20C.