Is it too early to put the heating on and is it worth it?

Readers of The Northern Echo have had their say on whether the colder weather has pushed them to putting their heating on earlier this year.

Sharing their reaction, some, like Joyce Brander, have resorted to turning up the heat occasionally for close ones who "feels cold", but with some worry about "frightened of bills coming in".

Sharon Barton also lights up her heater "for one hour on a morning before my carer comes" as the cold affects her arthritis.

However, there are those who prefer alternative solutions to counter the dropping temperatures, Brian Pilkington recommends "a thermal vest, jumper, body warmer and hot soup".

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Meanwhile, Michael Hay mentioned setting his "coal fire away" in the wake of the rising energy cap.

Alan Forrest said: "I'm still waiting for summer so It's never been off."

Others, such as Andrew White and Audrey Lucas, hold onto traditions—like waiting until early October or even November—before reaching for the thermostat.

Meanwhile, some have taken advantage of recently installed heating systems, like David Douthwaite, who mentioned his thermostat has never been off, and Douglas Hunter, who just had an air source heat pump installed, however he got quickly acclimated to its warmth, describing it as "maybe too toasty".

With the rapid increase in heating prices, several readers relayed their anguish over the growing bills.

"What summer have we had?" asked Sheila Close, while Julie Parnaby grimly predicted she'll be "switched off this winter can’t afford it".

Regulation temperatures and insulation seem to be an affordable strategy, "Once the bricks are cold it takes ages for the house to heat up again" said Kim Lanchester.

While Steve Gibbon simply said, "If you're feeling the cold it's never too early."