Almost 42 percent of the UK’s elderly would cut back on food to heat their homes
Close to 42 percent of the UK’s elderly would cut back on food in order to be able to pay their heating bills, a new survey by comparison website comparethemarket.com has been able to find.
The survey of 2,000 people aged 65 and over found nearly half (46%) feared the forthcoming cold snap would increase their bills, 54% worried their income or pension would not be enough to cover the cost and a fifth (22%) admitted they would have to use their savings or credit. Some 61% admitted they cut down energy use during the winter.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “Many older people will be feeling anxious about the current cold snap, not least because high heating costs are prohibitive for many, resulting in large numbers of older people finding it virtually impossible to stay adequately warm.
“The UK has an appalling record on cold-related deaths, with one older person dying every seven minutes from the winter cold. Even ‘normal cold’ temperatures of around six degrees significantly raise the risk of life-changing health problems such as heart attacks and strokes.”
The research suggested the majority of elderly people relied on other measures than central heating in trying to keep warm, including wearing more clothes, using draught excluders and hanging thick curtains.
While all of the aforementioned measures could potentially help elderly residents reduce their energy consumption, installing an advanced wireless thermostatic radiator valve will certainly make it easier for them to control heating in specific areas of their house and cut their bills in the process.
Wireless programmable thermostatic radiator valves offer the best returns in terms of energy efficiency and overall installation costs. The HeatSave wireless TRVs enable users to set specific functioning times for each valve, and, since radiators are individually controlled, home owners are fully capable to maximise the zoning potential and reduce energy consumption in those areas that are not used for longer periods of time (as for example, dining or sitting rooms and kitchens during the night, etc.).
Additionally, the HeatSave wireless thermostatic radiator valves also provide an automatic exercising feature when unused for 7 days, whose purpose is to minimise seizing of radiator valves in warmer months.
All in all, the HeatSave TRVs enable users to achieve some pretty impressive savings, as they will help reduce your heating bills by up to 30%, especially when coupled with the HeatingSave Building Energy Management System.
If you want to find out more about the HeatSave wireless thermostatic radiator valves, our dedicated team is eagerly waiting to answer all of your questions.
