The latest energy price rises do not bode well for British couples, as almost 60 per cent admit they argue over the heating, with women complaining that it’s too cold while men moan about the cost of fuel bills. The research revealed that whether to put the heating on, for how long and how much it will cost will be the cause of three rows a week for the typical couple. Four in ten couples say they bicker about this more than anything else, while other topics likely to cause trouble include nagging, spending too much money and not helping out with household chores. Some may not be surprised to hear that almost half of women tend to feel the cold easily, with a quarter suffering from chilly hands and feet while one in ten said they were susceptible to draughts. In contrast, 38 per cent of men say they are generally at a comfortable temperature while three in ten even tend to get hot easily. According to the survey commissioned by Anglian Home Improvements, over half of adults will row with their significant other over when to put the heating on for the first time, with arguments generally starting in late October. On the whole, according to 65 per cent of those surveyed, it is women that eventually win the argument over when to switch the heating on, while almost 70 per cent of men say they are more cautious over what they spend on heating than their partner. The study revealed that the heating tends to stay on for an average of five hours a day during the week, increasing to six hours at the weekends, with the average temperature in UK homes set at 20 degrees Celsius. Melanie McDonald, Head of Marketing and Communications at Anglian Home Improvements, said, “The results highlight that women are feeling the cold and men are worried about the cost. This ties in with the feedback we get from our customers about their motivation for making energy saving home improvements, as we find that women often focus on comfort and being warm while men are more concerned about the energy bills. “That said, industry figures suggest that up to 30 per cent of the heat in our homes is leaking out through inefficient windows and doors, so perhaps there’s a simple solution there that will help to keep everyone happy. “We’ve experienced some harsh British winters in recent years so it’s important to make our home as energy efficient as possible, helping to keep our families warm and cosy and our bills down. And with energy prices going up yet again, now is an ideal time to invest in improving the energy efficiency of the home, making it a happier place all round.” Anglian Home Improvements has launched a window scrappage scheme to incentivise homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their home and get up to GBP3,000 off when they install energy saving windows. The promotion will run throughout November and December, giving homeowners a chance to upgrade their windows before the worst of the winter. Source: sourcewire