Member Article

The secret to the UK’s perfect winter’s day

The perfect way to spend a cold, winter’s day is snuggled up under a duvet on the sofa watching TV, according to research by leading home assistance provider HomeServe.

The survey which set out to find the perfect winter’s day and the definition of modern winter home comforts, found that 42 per cent of Brits like nothing more than spending a day on the couch as the mercury drops.

Almost one in five said hearty meals and home cooked food were the key to a perfect winter’s day while six per cent admitted they loved nothing more than retreating to the comfort of their own bed.

Across the age divides, the 25-34 year olds were found to value a couch day the most, with 50 per cent saying it was the key ingredient to their perfect winter’s day.

When it comes to the definition of modern winter home comforts, the boiler, central heating and radiators were found to be the most important, polling 27 per cent, followed by a warm bed and duvet (21 per cent).

But among the 18-24 year olds, it was the bed and duvet that came out on top, attracting, 31 per cent of the vote. For the over 55s, the central heating got the nod, with more than 40 per cent.

Greg Reed, Chief Marketing Officer, HomeServe, said: “We know from listening to our Customers that there is nothing more important to them in winter than keeping warm. That’s why the boiler and central heating comes top of the list of winter home comforts – and it’s our job to make sure we help keep their homes warm and dry.

“But it’s no surprise to see the bed and duvet coming so high too. Combine the two of them with a comfy sofa and you’ve got the picture of the perfect winter’s day.”

The survey also asked the 2,000 respondents to talk about the emotions that came to mind when they thought about their own homes.

Almost three quarters identified ‘comfort’ while 62 per cent pinpointed ‘security’ and 42 per cent said ‘warmth’ – and more than a quarter (28 per cent) agreed that ‘home is where the heart is.’

“The results of this survey show very clearly how important it is to have a house that really feels like a home”, added Greg. “At HomeServe we want every home to be warm and comfortable for our Customers and that’s why we work tirelessly to make sure it happens.”

The study comes as HomeServe’s nationwide teams of engineers gear up for a spike in Customer call outs over the next week as the UK braces itself for a cold snap.

The leading home assistance company, which operates UK-wide 24 hours a day 365 days a year, is expecting a flurry of extra calls to deal with broken or faulty water pipes, blocked drains and boiler and central heating repairs, which occur more regularly when homes are working their hardest during the colder months.

In the poll, the most sofa-loving city was Brighton with 54 per cent identifying a day on the sofa as being the perfect winter’s day. The south coast city beat Sheffield and Cardiff into second and third respectively.

The UK’s top ten cities when it comes to valuing a winter’s day on the sofa:

1. Brighton

2. Sheffield

3. Cardiff

4. Birmingham

5. Plymouth

=6. Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle

9. Glasgow

10. Leeds

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by HomeServe .