New research revealed that 16 October is the day most households will turn on the central heating, but 29 per cent will delay putting it on because of the cost.
The survey also found that just 16 per cent will heat their homes regardless of the cost, whilst 6 per cent said that they don’t turn the heating on until a set date every year
Gocompare Energy spokesman Ben Wilson said: “We’re now entering the peak period for energy usage and higher fuel bills and it’s clear from our research that the affordability of heating is a real issue for many households.”
According to Gocompare, 5 per cent of people dread arguments over the central heating in the winter and 27 per cent said the heating is only switched on when both partners agree.
The comparison site asked more than 1,200 homeowners about plans to heat their homes and sets out a five-step guide to switching energy supplier in a bid to encourage customers to compare tariffs.
The survey follows the launch of a price benchmarking tool from the Heat Trust last month, which allows heat network customers to compare the cost of their heating against the typical gas boiler. The Trust launched the tool to improve transparency in the sector on the price breakdown of heat network bills.