Zen Internet Survey Claims Brits Prioritise WiFi Over Basic Household Needs

A new Censuswide survey conducted on behalf of broadband ISP Zen Internet, which involved 2,000 nationally representative UK consumers aged 16+, claims to have found that respondents are increasingly putting Wi-Fi (internet connectivity) above everyday essentials. For example, 36% say they would go without hot water rather than lose the internet.

In addition, 34% indicated they would rather give up their fridge than WiFi, while 32% would give up heating in winter for the same reason, 47% would sacrifice cooking appliances, 54% would ditch terrestrial TV and 46% say having no internet connectivity for 24-hours is more stressful than sitting in a traffic jam.

Speaking of which, some 45% say they would struggle to go without internet access beyond 12 hours, and only 12% of 18 to 24-year-olds think they could cope for a full week. Younger generations are also far more likely to prioritise internet access over physical comforts, for example, 38% of both Gen Z and Millennials say they would rather lose their heating in colder months for a week than lose the internet, compared to just under 24% of Baby Boomers.

Similarly, 35% of Brits say losing access to online banking and 44% believe forgetting your phone is more stressful than losing your physical wallet (credit cards/cash), reinforcing the idea that internet access now underpins security and independence as much as convenience. And not having access to WhatsApp or Text (SMS) messages is considered more stressful than having no email access.

Stephen Warburton from Zen Internet said:

“This isn’t just about streaming and scrolling. The internet now underpins how we work, access money, manage our homes and stay connected to the people who matter. When people say they’d rather lose heating or hot water than go offline, it shows just how critical reliable connectivity has become in modern Britain. When something becomes this embedded in daily life, reliability stops being a luxury and becomes an expectation.”

The good news is that most consumers do tend to have more than one way of getting online. For example, if your home broadband connection goes down then most people are usually still within reach of a 4G or 5G mobile service, which can be handy as a backup and some people even use them as their primary means of connectivity. Not to mention that services like O2 Satellite will increasingly grow to act as a backup for terrestrial connectivity.