RESEARCH REVEALS TURNING THE HEATING ON (OR OFF) IS THE BIGGEST CAUSE OF ARGUMENTS IN THE HOME
- Turning the heating on (or off) is the top reason for arguments in the home, according to research out today
- Almost half of UK households (48%) admit they argue with other family members about what temperature to heat their home
- One third (35%) revealed they have lied about having the heating on when home alone with just under half admitting they secretly change the thermostat when no-one’s looking
- Shoes and clothes scattered on the floor, crumbs left on kitchen worktops and the toilet seat being left up also topped the list of household grumbles
With the UK bracing itself for an increase in household heating bills this winter, tension in our homes could also be on the rise after more than 48% admit that heating their home is the biggest cause of arguments amongst those they live with.
In a recent poll of UK households by home heating expert Alpha Heating Innovation, turning the heating on (or off) was the top reason for disagreements at home, with almost half of respondents (48%) admitting they argue with other members of their household about how often the heating goes on.
One third (35%) revealed they have lied about having the heating on when home alone, with almost half of all respondents (48%) admitting they secretly change the thermostat without other members of the household knowing. Women (54%) were most likely to sneak the thermostat up a degree of two higher when no-one is looking.
However, demographically it’s 18–29-year-olds who argue the most about the temperature of their home, with households in Newcastle-upon-Tyne more likely to fall out over the heating.
Despite this, it seems that most of us like the temperature of our homes to be set around 20ºC – with men preferring it fractionally warmer at 20.4ºC, compared with women at 20.1ºC. Stoke-on-Trent, however, proved the exception, with households there preferring a balmy 21.7ºC.
The top 10 reasons for arguments in the home:
- Switching the heating on/off (48%)
- Shoes/clothes left scattered on the floor (31%)
- Crumbs on kitchen worktops (29%)
- Toilet seat left up/down (26%)
- Who has the remote control (25%)
- Which type of takeaway to order (25%)
- Who should load the dishwasher/ wash up (23%)
- Cupboard doors/drawers being left open (22%)
- Leaving food until it spoils (19%)
- Wet towels left on the floor (19%)
Darran Smith, Technical Manager here at Alpha, commented: “While we can probably all relate to the list of common moans and groans everyone has with their families from time to time, it’s interesting in the current climate that home heating is the biggest cause of tension. With gas prices set to increase over the coming months, it’s important for households to consider ways to keep heating bills manageable over the winter months. There are some simple things we can all be doing to help stay in control of our heating – and keep those family disagreements at bay.
“More than half of what we spend annually on energy typically goes on heating so ensure your boiler is always running efficiently by having it regularly serviced. One of the best ways to heat your home economically is to learn how to control the settings of your heating system so it delivers the optimum temperature for your lifestyle and comfort level, while ensuring you only use the energy you need. From simple plug-in mechanical clocks to versatile remote timers there are a range of controls available for today’s high efficiency boilers. And think about what room temperature you normally set and reduce it by just 1ºC – you won’t notice any difference and you can cut heating bills by up to £75 a year in a typical home.”
For more tips on how to reduce your heating bills, take a look at our practical heating tips.
