Cold War: One in three Lancashire couples adjust thermostat secretly

With temperatures falling and the central heating back on, the Cold War spats over the thermostat are back leading to one in three people to partake in a spot of covert temperature adjusting behind loved ones' backs.
The chilly weather brigs with it a Cold War of thermostat-related tiffs.The chilly weather brigs with it a Cold War of thermostat-related tiffs.
The chilly weather brigs with it a Cold War of thermostat-related tiffs.

As the boilers fire up once again, the never-ending debate over how warm or cold our houses should be comes rears its frosty head, prompting CORGI HomePlan to look into how a detente is reached when it comes to matters of homely cosiness.

One in three couples in Lancashire apparently features a secret dial-changer, and according to the data, women are the worst offenders, with 40% admitting to adjusting the thermostat in secret compared to just 20% of men.

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Surprisingly however, a slight majority think it's too warm indoors, with 34% of tiffs occurring because the temperature is too high compared to 32% because it's too cold. And in classic, trope-laden style, the data claims that men are more likely to say the house is too hot while more women feel their homes are too chilly.

“It’s a delicate domestic negotiation setting the perfect temperature for the home and any changes planned by one half or the other should be carried out with a ‘degree’ of caution," said Peter Southcott, director of CORGI HomePlan. “By ensuring that the household boiler is in full working order, these small changes - up or down depending on who’s in charge - should go through easily.

"Whether the thermostat is high or low, it’s vital to ensure all central heating is serviced before winter sets in," he added.

But domestic strife doesn't end there, with more than one in four couples say they have had minor bust-ups over how long the heating should stay on for. In Lancashire, central heating stays on for an average of 6.8 hours, although a tropically-inclined 5% claim to leave the heating on constantly.

With the ideal temperature in a North West home being 20°C, a vast majority of 87% say that their first step when feeling the winter chills is to grab a jumper rather than head for the thermostat.