How old is your hot water bottle? Tips for staying warm safely

More than 1.7 million households say they won't turn on their heating this winter, according to research by the comparison site Uswitch.

- Mabel Banfield-Nwachi

This has risen sharply from the 972,000 who said they took this drastic step last year.

Uswitch's research found 55% of households citing rising living costs as the reason they would hold out on heating their homes, while a quarter of pensioners put it down to the loss of winter fuel payments, despite it being a potential health risk.

Searches for hot water bottles on the Argos website have increased by 257% year on year, while demand for heated blankets is up by 224%.

"The most common causes of hot water bottle-related injuries include using boiling water, overfilling the bottle, and using bottles that are old or damaged," says Adrian Simpson, head of policy at the accident prevention charity RoSPA.