Gas central heating declined as the main method households used to heat their homes, from 78% in winter 2021 to 57% in winter 2022, according to a government survey cited in a blog published by CREDS on 12 December 20231. The author, Janine Morley, writes that "a surprising number of households reduced their reliance on gas boilers for domestic heating last year"1. Some studies also show domestic gas demand fell by around 11% over the winter, the blog states1.
A CREDS research project surveyed 337 householders aged between 20 and 65 about how they kept warm during sedentary activities such as working or watching television in winter 2022/23 compared with previous winters1. The survey was not representative1. The blog notes this covers sedentary activities only and is not a complete picture, since heating may be used more regularly at other times, for instance in the morning1.
Typical estimated room temperatures were lower for non-frequent users of central heating, at 14 to 16 degrees Celsius, with some reports of temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, than for frequent users, at 17 to 18 degrees Celsius1. Those who heated less were more likely to report difficulty managing living costs, at 26% against 18%1.
Most respondents, 89%, said they made some effort to reduce the energy associated with heating last winter1. Reported measures included running the heating for fewer hours of the day (70%), turning down thermostat settings (65%), delaying turning the heating on until later in the year (44%) and turning off radiators in unused rooms (44%)1. Use of portable heaters during sedentary activities was reported to have stayed much the same, at 14%, while frequent use of alternative fixed heaters such as stoves and open fires, at 8%, appeared to decline1.
Growth was reported instead in personal warmth measures: greater use of warm clothes (57%), blankets (54%), hot food and drinks (40%) and moving about (40%) compared with previous years1.
| Measure | Frequently used during sedentary activities |
|---|---|
| Warm clothing | 92% |
| Hot drinks and food | 77% |
| Central or storage heating | 63% |
| Blankets and throws | 62% |
| Moving about | 48% |
| Hot water bottles or equivalent | 30% |
| Heated throws, pads and cushions | 10% |
Why it matters for households
The figures describe how homes stayed warm when energy costs were high, and they bear on how independent a household is of a single heating system. A gas boiler was already falling out of use as the main heat source in a substantial share of homes, with portable and fixed room heaters taking a larger primary role1. The blog argues that personal warmth measures are more energy-efficient and less costly than using space heating alone, because they retain body heat, boost metabolism or apply heat directly to the body1. It also argues that such measures are usually understood as a coping mechanism in fuel poverty, or even as dangerous where they allow under-heated indoor environments, and that their widespread use calls for them to be seen instead as a supplement to central heating and part of healthy thermal comfort1.
The blog states that fuel poverty is thought to have affected almost 2 million additional households over the last two years, rising to an estimated 6.3 million in October 2023, citing NEA1. It adds that the transition to heat pumps calls for greater insight into how supplemental warmth measures interact with central space heating, including more responsive on-demand warmth, since heat pumps are not as responsive as gas boiler systems, and demand shifting at peak times as heating is electrified1. It notes that energy research has shown very little interest in body-centred methods, which may mean opportunities are missed to improve their quality, performance and safety1. The blog does not report whether the fall in central heating use persisted beyond winter 2022/231.
What happens next
No dated next steps are set out. The blog states that the changes took place during an acute cost-of-energy crisis and may or may not prove relatively short-lived1.