Half of households have delayed putting their heating on this winter, while almost two-thirds have turned the temperature down to combat soaring energy bills, according to new research.

Half of households have delayed putting their heating on this winter, while almost two-thirds have turned the temperature down to combat soaring energy bills, according to new research.

Millions are also taking unnecessary risks with their health by failing to service their boilers to save on cost.

According to leading online consumer advisers uSwitch.com, households this year face a 42% rise in energy prices with the average bill now £1293, up from £912 at the start of the year.

Across the UK as a whole this has added £4.3bn to household bills.

The upshot of the dramatic rise has been that 49% have decided to put off switching on their heating this winter to try to limit the impact and 59% have turned their heating down.

But 42% of households are also ignoring industry safety advice to have boilers checked once a year to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning, and almost three million households have never had their boiler serviced.

According to an official report by Corgi, which oversees the safety of gas installations, there were 21 fatalities and 125 injuries caused by gas-related carbon monoxide poisoning between April 2007 and March 2008.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, says: "With household budgets stretched to the limit, making a quick saving can seem very tempting. For most people sensible cutbacks, such as delaying switching the heating on and turning the temperature down slightly, will help save money without any serious side-effects. However, not having an annual gas safety check could have some very serious consequences for both your health and your finances."