new boiler

Get a new boiler

Fixed price boilers, next day

See boiler prices
new air conditioning

Air conditioning

Get a quote
new heat pump

Heat pumps

Coming soon

new ev charger

EV Installation

Coming soon

home care

Home Care

Coming soon

Last updated: 26th October, 2022

Advice

Britain's Biggest Winter Worries

Britain's Biggest Winter Worries

The UK is most stressed during the winter, and issues related to heating are some of the most common worries.

A study conducted by Firstbeat revealed that Brits are most stressed during November and December and least stressed during August.

Need a new boiler?

Get a quote in 60 seconds, fitted as fast as next day!
0% APR finance available.

Get a quote

No surprise with the weather in this country!

Whilst much of this stress comes from meeting and chasing end of year deadlines, the cold, the dark and spending money on Christmas, have been found that nearly 30% of our winter worries are about our heating.

Research from Viva Manchester found exactly what makes us the most stressed during winter and compiled a list of our biggest concerns.

Top 25 Winter Stresses:

  1. Being without heating and/or hot water

  2. Paying more for energy bills

  3. Battling winter illnesses e.g. cold and flu

  4. Getting up when it’s dark outside

  5. Falling on ice

  6. Winter Blues – e.g. Seasonal Affective Disorder caused by darker days

  7. Burst pipes

  8. Constantly feeling cold

  9. Worrying about being able to afford the cost of winter energy bills

  10. Not being able to repair my boiler and having to purchase a new one

  11. Cold hands/feet

  12. Not having enough to pay for a significant home emergency over winter – such as replacing a boiler, burst pipes, roof repair

  13. Getting snowed in

  14. Putting on weight

  15. General Christmas Day stress

  16. Roof/gutter problems and repairs

  17. Not having enough money saved for Christmas

  18. The car breaking down

  19. My heating not being up to the task of keeping my home warm

  20. Doing less exercise

  21. Public transport delays

  22. Worrying my car will break down

  23. Worrying about break-ins

  24. Christmas party season

  25. Spending more on health and pharmacy products – i.e. cold and flu remedies, vitamins, lip balm

7 Winter Worries

Of these 25 worries, 7 of them are related to the heating of our homes. One in ten were concerned about their heating not being up to the task of keeping their homes warm, which is unsurprising as 45% of us have experienced their boiler breaking down during winter, at an average cost of £940.

Boiler Breakdwon

However, despite the average cost of covering home emergencies being £1,278, almost half of property owners don’t have anything set aside, with a third saying they wouldn’t be able to afford a new boiler system if their current one broke down.

Being ripped off for repairs is one of the largest sources of stress for two thirds of homeowners, with one in six claiming they overpaid on emergency repairs in the past because they weren’t aware of prices.

An average of £383 per home was spent on home repairs in 2018, but almost a quarter said they wouldn’t have the money to do the same again in 2019.

What to Do If Your Boiler Breaks Down

If your boiler breaks down this winter, there’s no need to panic. At iHeat we provide an online service that offers a fixed boiler quote and next day installation.

Not to mention, we also offer a great range of finance plans, so no matter how unprepared you are for a broken boiler emergency, you can still afford to replace your broken boiler.

How to Reduce Your Energy Bills

We also have helpful boiler advice on our blog on topics such as how to get your boiler ready in time for winter, how to bleed a radiator and what to do if your boiler loses pressure.

For a fixed quote on a new Which? Best Boiler, fill in your homes' details here and we'll do the work for you!

Get a quote