We have always been particular about keeping our homes warm - how many can recall a parent sarcastically asking, "do we live in a barn?" when leaving a door wide open?

Now, as energy bills continue to rise, and with the cold months rolling in, many will channel their frugal fathers and mindful mothers to keep their homes warm and bills low.

In fact, 69% admit to being concerned about keeping their homes warm this winter, with 38% saying it's not worth putting the heating on, according to new research from LoftZone.

The findings show that although 44% of Brits have resorted to keeping their heating off to minimise their bills, only 13% have bought draft excluders - a solution thought to be one of the most cost-effective ways of keeping homes warm.

Other measures Brits have taken on to keep bills down include buying or using small cooking appliances (24%), heating only some rooms in the house (27%) and using hot water bottles (23%).

Considering 41% race to get dressed in the morning, a third (33%) wear multiple layers when about the house, 33% say they struggle to leave the shower fearing the cold, and over a quarter (26%) have even seen their own breath at home due to the cold, it's clear there's a chill present in British homes.

But even when the heating is turned on, the warmth doesn't appear to stay with nine in ten (89%) admitting to complaining about the cold in their home - interestingly rising to 92% for those in Edinburgh and Leeds, while dropping to 85% for those in Plymouth and 87% in Southampton.

A quarter (25%) of homes have been rated by the residents as having "no" to a "low" level of heat retention, with hallways (45%), stairwells (40%), loft spaces (39%), and bathrooms (41%) being the worst culprits.

Although 92% of Brits know that loft insulation is important for maintaining a warm home, less than half (43%) were aware compressing the insulation could affect its performance, meaning households across the country could be losing heat and increasing their energy bills by storing items in their loft.

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