How are people warm enough with their houses at 18 degrees?

[MrsBennetsPoorNerves]

My heating is set at 21, and I'm still cold!! But I keep reading on here that people have their heating set at 18.

I'm already wearing a jumper and fluffy socks. Sitting on the sofa with a blanket. I am OK with it at this temperature but feel that I should be trying to reduce it further.

Am I just a wuss?

The problem is that people who don't feel the cold easily don't get that no amount of jumpers, hats, scarves, electric throws etc will keep us coldies warm in very low temperatures.

I need a minimum ambient temperature of about 18 degrees in order to function properly. You never see me complaining about summer weather on here.

DH is very underweight and very low temperatures make him feel ill. I still have the thermostat set lower than it has been and never have the heating on at night.

Our solar panels offset some of our usage, and we use appliances like the washing machine and dishwasher during the day and I only use the tumble dryer if it is raining.

If you're anaemic then no amount of layers will really help until you've fixed your iron deficiency.

We've not had the heating on at all since about March and it's been fine here. I mostly wear leggings, a t-shirt/vest top and a light jumper and sit under a blanket and I'm nice and toasty.

We never have the heating set above 18.5 though.

I think the biggest problem is you're 'sitting on the sofa under a blanket' Get up and do something! I never have time to sit for long enough to get cold (16 on our thermostat, no heating needed yet as well insulated)

Why would you agree to that? Only just above freezing!

I really feel the cold. I rarely sit still except for when I am working at home when I am in front of the computer for long periods of time. I am already doing this wrapped in my heated blanket with a little heater blowing and I am in the south east. My feet and legs get so cold just with sitting. I can't always get up and move around if on long calls. It is miserable.

We all feel the cold differently. My friend struggles to be in a heated home and doesn't put the heating on in her place until December. Her bills are about a quarter of the cost of ours. Conversely she really struggles to function when it is hot whereas I absolutely love it. We are all just different.

@penni00 you need socks & slippers, a scarf and wrist warmers or gloves/mittens & maybe a hat. You lose a huge amount of heat out of your head. And ankles/wrists if kept warm really stop you getting cold.

3 thin layers are better than t shirt/jumper. Layers tramp the warm air in. If possible merino base layer. (Try charity shops if you don't have the money to buy new).

if you don't already, take up knitting, you can knit scarves, wrist warmers & after some practice gloves& socks and the act of knitting helps you to keep warm.

the heated throws seem very popular and the cheap &thin ones are apparently better because they mould into your body rather than being too thick & stiff.

I hope you have the sun where you are today. It's not warm here (5° I think) but it seems warmer with the sun out!!

Google raynauds if you are always cold and your feet and hands change colour. It is difficult to feel warm if you have that.

You may not have the choice to go into the office, but you have other choices. Look for a new job, wear warmer clothes, use blankets/hot water bottle, an electric throw etc you don't need to heat the whole house all day.

@WaddleAway reading all of your posts on this thread alone, I'm confused.

@CranfordScones

Check what your dehumidifier is using, some of them are exceptionally greedy.

Agree, that's too cold. I've done those kind of temperatures in an unheated, uninsulated house in a warmer climate, but for a much shorter winter! That was puffer jacket indoors, three wool blankets on the bed temperature. Duvet didn't have a tog rating though, just 'winter' or 'summer'.

Depends where people have their thermostat! For example, mine is portable. If I put it on 20 in the lounge it's comfortable. If i leave it on 20 & put it in the bedroom it gets too hot in the loung as it'll never get to 20 in the bedroom as the windows are open (& rad is off).

people often have them wall mounted in the hallway then say 14/16 is fine for them (when actually the lounge is 20/22

18 isn't the same in each house!!

@Blueink you need to check before you buy one, but many use surprisingly little energy. I don't have one, but people have said the thinner ones are better as they fold into your body, whereas the thicker ones don't. Just check the w per hour (and make sure it's w not kw!!)

Our Nest is set to come in at 16.5c, which is cold. The house is around 18.5c at the mo without the heating on. It’s fine. Just need another layer on top and socks and slippers.

@Blueink also most people say they don't need them on long to get & stay warm.

I run hot so I'm unlikely to need one rather than just a normal blanket, but I'd definitely try one if I was just sitting if an evening trying to keep warm.

but if I need more than what I currently have, I'd be looking at an iodine/poncho/heated gilet because what I hate most is getting warm on the sofa then needing to go into another room!

what I really really want is a heated toilet seat!! .... off to Google....

@MrsJBaptiste how very kind of you to offer to pay her heating bill. Most generous

I woke up thinking about thread. Only because DH is away and I rolled onto his side of the bed and revelled in the delicious coolness of the sheets. Which made me realise how much I like getting into a cool bed and feeling the cool gossamer softness of the linens. I think an electric blanket would be the 7th circle of hell for me.

I was always cold but since I’ve started taking anti depressants, I’m always warm. Not sure why but there must be a link. Our house is 18.5° right now and I’m completely comfortable.

Peoples bodies feel different at the same temperature. Hormones make a huge difference. I'm diabetic & if my bloods are not behaving I'm Hot at x temperature. If they're behaving I get cold at x temperature.

my bestie has coeliacs and she's always cold. This summer at 35°she was comfortable. Even took her cardi off 😂😂

@Abraxan the ambient temperature affects my joints too (& everyone I know with joint issues). I also get a cough when the air is cold. So at that point heating 'me' doesn't help & I will be putting the heating on to take the chill off the air.

Such a range of answers. People are doing what they’ll do anyway, campaign is probably pointless

18 is ok during the day here but I’d want a bit warmer for evening and morning

@Abraxan duh I was responding to your post & forgot my main point!!

The frost point on most combi boilers is 6-8° to stop pipes freezing. Never ever heard anyone suggest it should be 16°

Heating hasn’t been on since March in our house.
No intention of putting it on anytime soon.
it’s far too mild at present.

And it was miserable then too and people did complain about being cold.
I grew up with no central heating, just a coal fire in the living room. Condensation and mould in the inside of the windows, infact we had ice in the inside of the windows in the winter.

Being cold was just as miserable back then too. We'd huddle in front of the coal fire and after we' d cooked we'd sit in the kitchen with the gas oven door open to benefit from that heat too. Being bundled up in tons of layers inside wasn't pleasant back then, any more than it is now.

We had no other choice but to get on with it though.

Now we mostly do have some form of choice.

I do now have a medical condition which makes the cold painful to me. I am very fortunate that I can afford to not be cold, so if I want my heating on I will put it in and be warm.

But it's wrong to suggest that people just got on with being cold back in the day, with no complaint. People very much did complain - they just couldn't do a whole lot about it.

18 is perfect for me during the day, up
to 19 in the evening, over 19 and I fall asleep watching TV.