When faced with the choice between losing the internet or not having heating in their home for a week, one in eight said they would rather have broadband, with 8% saying they could go without heating for a month as long as they had internet, a study by Gocompare.com found.

More than three quarters of British adults view broadband as an essential utility, with around a third saying they couldn’t live without it.

Younger adults (18– 24) were most likely to forgo heating in favour of broadband, with nearly a quarter willing to go without heating for a week and 15% happy to be left in the cold for a month. However, it was the over 65s who valued the internet the most, with 81% saying they thought it was an essential utility.

The study also uncovered how broadband has become a deal breaker when it comes to property, with one in five saying they wouldn’t buy a house if it had a poor internet connection.

Ben Wilson, from Gocompare.com Broadband said: “These figures highlight just how important the internet has become in our daily lives, with the majority of people now considering it an essential utility, like energy or water.

“With the growth of online-based services, such as banking, grocery shopping, TV, tax and utilities, it’s understandable that consumers are beginning to feel more reliant on the internet than ever before.”