A new survey has revealed that an increasing number of people in the UK are turning off their gas central heating and opting for alternative methods such as portable electric heaters or wood burners to heat their homes, with 57% of respondents saying they were trying to cut their energy bills.
Read the results of the BEIS survey here.
The Public Attitudes Tracker Winter 2022 surveyed 3571 adults from 17 November 2022 to 19 December 2022 and found a 21% decline in the number of households using gas central heating as their primary heating source compared to winter 2021. This shift in heating method suggests that people are opting to focus on heating specific areas of their homes, rather than heating larger spaces.
In winter 2022, the main system for heating the home remained gas central heating (57%), however this was considerably lower than in winter 2021 (78%). Increases were seen in the use of portable electric heaters (from 3% in winter 2021 to 11% in winter 2022), solid fuel and wood heaters (from 1% to 7%) and natural gas heaters (from 1% to 4%).
People are also more aware of the heat they use in the home, with 41% saying they pay “a lot” of attention – a considerable increase since winter 2021, when this figure was 27%. The proportion who said they pay “a little” or “hardly any” attention fell from 25% to 15% over this period.
The rise in alternative heating methods, such as portable electric heaters and wood burners, has raised concerns about affordability, health, and the environment among some in the industry. Fuel poverty charities worry that the public may not be aware of the true cost of running electric heaters, and the switch to such methods may result in further fuel poverty.
Additionally, the use of wood burners and solid fuel heaters may have harmful impacts on the environment, and may also lead to health problems if homes are not properly ventilated.
