Tv diners - more sets than ever in UK homes

Britain really is a nation of small-screen addicts with one in six homes owning four or more TV sets, according to new research.

And our love of television soaps, period dramas, cookery and nature programmes means that one in four households have more TV sets than people living in them. While one in four homes still have a relatively modest one TV, the number with multiple sets is growing. Just two per cent of homes in the UK do not have a TV, compared to 35 per cent - the highest percentage - who have two sets. One in five homes have three TVs and 10 per cent have four sets.

A TV-addict three per cent of households have five sets and two per cent have a staggering six TVs. One per cent of the 1,000 people questioned by household insurance giant Direct Line have an astonishing seven TV sets. An unsurprising nine in 10 homes have a TV in the lounge/sitting room. But in nearly one in three homes (29 per cent), householders have no need to miss their favourite programmes as they have TVs in the kitchen or dining room.

Watching TV in bed is obviously a favourite past-time with one in two people admitting they have a TV in the master bedroom. More than one in three households (35 per cent) have TVs in other bedrooms. Other favourite places to catch up on soaps include a study, home office, loft conversion and playroom. However, some homes also have TVs in garden sheds and workshops, garages, conservatories and even the garden. One in four homes have more TVs than occupants, while nearly a third have one TV set per person.

Katie Lomas, head of Direct Line home insurance, said: "Judging by the number of TVs per household, Britain is clearly a nation which loves watching TV. The range of programmes and channels has boomed in recent years, no doubt prompting people to tune in to something different from their partners or children.

"Catch-up TV services like the BBC's iPlayer and Channel 4's 4OD service mean people can see virtually any programme at a time of their choice. This has prompted a boom in TV ownership. However, people should make certain their home insurance has the right amount of cover, also known as sums insured, to reflect the number of TVs they have, as well as other technology."

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