Just under one in four Britons will leave their heating off over the winter as the price of energy surges, polling has suggested.
Polling released on Monday has suggested that just under one in four Britons will not turn on their heating due to the rising price of energy.
It is the latest statistic showing how much Britain’s population is struggling under the myriad economic crises facing them, with one union boss recently hinting at the possibility of street riots over how dire things are for many in the country.
According to a report by The Telegraph, polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats completed last week has revealed that around 23 per cent of people plan not to turn on their heating this winter if energy prices increase.
This figure rose to 27 per cent when only those with children under the age of 18 were polled, while 11 per cent said they would take out a loan to help cover the cost of energy, again rising to 17 per cent for those with children under the age of 18.
A price increase was announced late last week, with the price cap for domestic energy customers being raised by 80 per cent.
Overall, 69 per cent of adults polled said they would turn on their heating less over the winter months as a result of soaring prices.
Winter of Discontent: UK Trade Union Head Hints at Possible of Riots over Cost of Living Crisishttps://t.co/mhpSDql6WN
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 26, 2022
The poll is one of the latest indications as to how dire the ongoing cost of living crisis has gotten for many in the United Kingdom, with many families across the country being put under significant financial strain by rampant inflation.
Such crises have resulted in many workers in unionised professions either threatening or actively engaging in strike action in hopes of getting their employers to boost their pay, moves that have largely been vilified by senior figures in the Tory party government.
However, while the likes of Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi have sworn that authorities are drawing up plans to tackle the current crisis, critics have accused the so-called Conservative Party of being asleep at the wheel while they hash out who is going to be their next party leader.
To make matters worse, the party’s outgoing leader, Boris Johnson, even took two separate holidays during what has been an extremely financially painful summer for many, followed by a showboating trip to Ukraine.
One trade union tsar has compared the current sentiment of the general public to the atmosphere felt during the poll tax riots, which saw widespread street violence across the country in response to a levy implemented by Margaret Thatcher.
“I actually think there is a moment where people could rise to doing exactly the same thing again,” Sharon Graham, the head of British trade union Unite, said last week, emphasising that she had not a “shadow of a doubt” that political tensions are now equivalent to those of the Thatcher era.
Her warnings echoed those heard in various countries in mainland Europe, with senior authorities in both France and Germany warning that the general public could lash out in response to extreme economic hardship over the winter months.
Sanctions War: French and German Electricity Prices Up by 1,000 Per Cent over 2021 https://t.co/Eip7eArDRR
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 28, 2022
