Squeezed Britain! Shock poll finds 56% are using heating less

The mounting squeeze on Britons was laid bare today with a poll finding they are cutting back in a host of areas.

Research for MailOnline revealed 56 per cent have shunned using heating over the past month, while 53 per cent are spending less on groceries.

Some 54 per cent have trimmed budgets for clothes, and nearly half are scaling back on treats at restaurants and takeaways. 

A third reported downgrading holiday plans, and a similar proportion said they were buying cheaper gifts, according to the survey by Redfield & Wilton Strategies.

The grim findings emerged as the government comes under massive pressure to do more to help struggling families amid rocketing inflation and energy bills. 

Eye-watering national insurance hikes took effect this week, heaping more agony on consumers. Boris Johnson has conceded that ‘tough times’ are coming and people will have to make ‘choices’ on what they can afford. 

Rishi Sunak’s mini-Budget sparked fury after he trumpeted ‘tax-cutting’ moves, despite the burden being on course to reach the highest level since the 1940s. 

The government’s own watchdog has predicted that this year will see the biggest fall in disposable incomes since records began in the 1950s.  

The poll, carried out yesterday, underlined the pain being caused by soaring fuel prices – even though the Chancellor cut duty by 5p in the Spring Statement.

Some 35 per cent had consciously tried to reduce their outlay on fuel in the past month, and a quarter had reduced travel.

Leisure spending has also been affected, with 40 per cent saying they had trimmed it.

Just 16 per cent said they had not cut back on any of the areas. 

There was also widespread opposition to MPs’ 2.7 per cent pay rise, which took effect this week.

Some 60 per cent said it should not have gone ahead – including 42 per cent who felt strongly. 

The results come as Mr Sunak faces increasing scrutiny of his own wealth, after it was revealed his billionaire heiress wife has ‘non-dom’ status.

Akshata Murthy, whose father is one of India’s richest men, has kept the status despite living in 11 Downing Street with the Chancellor and their children.

It means she was not liable for tax on overseas earnings, including dividends from her father’s company that reportedly came to £11.6million last year. That sum could have meant paying £4.4million to HMRC. 

A spokeswoman for Ms Murthy pointed out she is an Indian citizen and stressed she pays UK taxes on UK income. There is no suggestion any laws or rules have been broken. MPs and Peers are banned from being non-doms, but spouses are not subject to any such restriction.

However, reforms brought in by the Tory government in 2015 stated that non-dom status is intended to ‘support those from overseas who come to the UK but don’t intend to stay here permanently’.  

Keir Starmer said the arrangements appeared to represent ‘breathtaking hypocrisy’ as the government brings in eye-watering rises in national insurance and other taxes – saying Mr Sunak is ‘out of touch’ with ordinary people. 

:: Redfield & Wilton Strategies surveyed 1,500 adults online yesterday. The results have been weighted to represent the wider population.