News: the internet has become a more vital resource in the home than water, heating or television, according to a survey of Londoners.

Asked which household utility they couldn't live without, 38% of respondents said they'd be most stressed out by not having internet access, while 32% said having no water would be their main priority and 18% said a lack of heating.

No television was a top concern for just 8% of people, while 4% said they'd be most annoyed by a lack of washing machine.

A similar survey carried out in 2012 found 17% said they couldn't live without an internet connection, but a year later that figure has risen to 27%.

Asked how long they thought they could manage without getting online, 27% of people said they didn’t think they'd cope at all, 25% said they could last a day and 29% said they'd manage just a few days. Only 4% of people said they didn't need the internet at all.

Respondents also revealed that losing the internet connection at work is more stressful than being late, experiencing a bad journey to the office or dealing with a computer crash.

The street survey of 1000 commuters was commissioned by Infosecurity Europe, organisers of an annual information security event in London, which this year takes places from 23 to 25 April at Earls Court.

Last month a study of people's bathroom habits found that the under-30s are using their time on the toilet to check social media – see all news about technology and find out more about the latest wearable technology that allows people to stay connected all the time, such as the Google Glass voice-controlled headset and the Pebble smartwatch.

Photograph from Shutterstock.