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.
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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.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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I can almost guarantee that if you took away hot water to these idots they would change their minds within hours.
I just use the kettle at work, plus beer can stay in the fridge
If my hot water fails and I have no internet, how do I contact the utility company?
Blue Shirt Guy says:
April 2, 2026 at 3:06 pm
If my hot water fails and I have no internet, how do I contact the utility company?
Telephone ? Utility companies usually quote their contact details in their “Welcome” pack.
Whimsical questions but I’m definitely one of the idiots who would pick internet over hot water. Having it free flowing from the tap is a nice luxury but you don’t actually need that much of it – boil the kettle.
Remind me to stay upwind ! Before I got a new boiler I’ve had to experience cold showers in the winter time for a few days and it’s no fun.
Internet access can be useful but it’s interesting how many millions of people worldwide can still get on with their lives with no access at all.
Humans landed on the moon and travelled to the bottom of the Ocean before the public internet existed.
Certainly it’s becoming harder to live without some kind of internet access. Some basic connectivity is required even if it’s just through the mobile phone network.
Even though it sounds like this survey was done by a bunch of wifiholics, you can barely live without WiFi nowadays when working from home, online education courses, online banking because branches keeps shutting, Curry’s because they don’t stock half their items anymore so you will have to click and collect or use Amazon. And a few other reasons. You can still possibly live without WiFi for now as long as it’s fully restructured to reduce reliance.
I agree, while my bank is still in the city centre, I have not been to it for over a year and that was only to put some money in. If I did not have my phone then I would have to use a cash machine to check my balance, that is the way we used to do it and the way I did it until around 20 years ago. The app is useful, allows me to check the balance without leaving the house and move money around my accounts. One of my brothers only recently started to use a bank app.
As for shops, I went to Dunelm yesterday, looking for an oil spray bottle, don’t stock them. It says you do online, you can do click and collect. I said as I walked out, well Amazon it is. Not their fault I know, but so frustrating
Had a look online, click and collect in 2 hours, so it can’t be very faraway to be delivered in 2 hour’s.
Yes, you are correct about stores not selling stuff in the store, but have to go online, may as well use Amazon. There is me trying to use stores that are local to keep jobs in this dump of a city.
Oh yeah, I prefer hot water to Wi-fi/internet, but then I am way out of the age range they are on about.