Parents house is 9 degrees

[rottencabbage]

My parents think it is perfectly normal to have a house this cold. They have one very small room that they heat up to a good temperature and then the rest of the house is absolutely freezing.

Does anyone else have parents like this?

Grew up with an Aga going 24/7 in the kitchen which was always the heart of the home, then mum would take a shovel of embers through to the living room fire late afternoon to start it off (no fancy firelighters then). Clean undies warming above the Aga in the am whilst you ate your breakfast infront of it before school. No recollection of being cold?
Fast fwd, I have oil central heating plus a living room multi fuel. Tonight I have neither on as have a rotten cold and heat sets the cough off. Happy under a heated throw but would norm have one or both on.
Guess hardier times and don’t panic if power goes out. Love my stove though.
You do what’s comfortable for you.
I know some will skip due to the sheer cost, so hope they have either a heated throw if affordable or at least throws or duvets instead.

If they are elderly/have health conditions that sounds dangerous OP. Can you persuade them to turn the heating up?

It’s not healthy to have a hot house, children years ago never use to get ill like the children do now!
Anything over 21.5 c is a breeding ground for germs, which is why people come out of hospitals with more than they go in with!!

we hardly put our heating on as there’s no need and we certainly don’t have it on in the bedroom, it’s horrible being hot in bed, our bedroom and bathroom windows are open 24/7!

I think the main problem with the elderly is that they grew up with no heating and then hit austerity on various decades and learned to be frugal with it, even if they could/can afford it. It’s persuading them, that it’s ok to put the heating on for longer that’s the hard part. It’s a mindset……

Apparently anything under 13 is dangerous (impacts blood pressure and cardiovascular disease etc) especially in the very old and very young. Its also a false economy - is it cheaper to have the heating on to maintain a constant temperature pf 18 than to fire it up to heat very cold rooms.

I hate to say it, but they are being very silly and putting their health at risk… but I say that from the privileged position of not being on a pension with my winter fuel allowance revoked, so if they are worrying about money, perhaps encourage them to explore changing providers and going on a different tariff so that they feel they can keep themselves warm this winter.

Unimaginable to have a house that cold out of choice

I don’t understand people opting for this unless they are really that improvised. My Sis is like this, last time I visited her for Christmas I asked her to heat the house and said I’d happily contribute. We arrived late Christmas Eve and she hadn’t put the heating on yet (east coast of Scotland). You could see your breath in her house! I whacked the heating on constant but it didn’t actually warm up properly till Boxing Day. I was so annoyed. It was miserable

Aren't they worried the pipes will freeze or the walls will grow mould?

My mother was also like this, despite having more than enough to pay for heating. I think if you've had to scrimp and save most of your life, it's a hard habit to break.

Mine are the same since the prices went up so much. Both retired, and they worry about the costs so they barely have the heating on anymore. Although it's not quite 9 degrees , it's more like 13 without heating on, but it's still cold!

It's up to them if they want to live like that most of the time but not only if you have visitors staying, and therefore other rooms occupied.

It’s how they grew up but that temp is too low, I grew up with zero central heating until I was 21 and left home. I’m only in my fifties and am probably one of the last. DH had central heating when he was young and I must admit the difference in how we like the heating is marked. We have settled on 18 on thermostat in the day and 10 at night. Though I would happily have 16 in the day.

@Oreyt thats a memory unlocked, we did sit on our hands on the loo. I used to get dressed in my school uniform in the bed sometimes as couldn’t face the getting out of bed and stripping off.

Until I was about 8 we only had a coal fire. It was effing freezing in the rest of the house. Ice on the inside of windows etc. I really wouldn't want to live like that if I didn't have to.

Really? Children do NOT get ill or actually die anywhere near as much as they used to. A lot of that is modern medicine but it is also improved living conditions, including heating.

9C?
I would leave. No way.

My house is usually between 11 and 13. I'm happy with this and feel comfortable. Maybe it's what you're used to, you acclimatise. I WFH in these temperatures too. My windows are all open most of the day, the house is lovely and fresh. Anything above 15 and I start to feel ill.

I had no central heating in my student digs and it was FUCKING MISERABLE. Not being able to dry clothes and freezing in bed in a shitty, cold, damp house.

You say one room is well heated? Do they need more than one room if that is where they are most of the day?

MN is very odd about competitive under heating. It is not morally superior to live in a cold house if you don't have to.

It’s not an “elderly” or a “generational” thing, it’s a people and circumstances thing. My mother, who would be 108 this year had she lived that long, grew up in rural poverty with little heating and embraced central heating as soon as she could. I’m over 70, and I keep my house as warm as I can. I know people much younger than me get than me who have cool homes - generally because of cost.

Completely normal to heat one room and then go to bed with a hot water bottle back in the 70s.

As long as they have one room warm I don't really see the problem.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng6

I doubt many people heat their home to above 21.5 degrees!

Isn't it actually bad for the health for an older person to live in such low temperatures?

It's not true that it's cheaper to have the heating on and set to something like 18 all the time. It's different for different houses. Mine has poor insulation and it would take all day to get to 18 and would then kick in all the time to maintain 18. It would cost me an arm and a leg so I put it on for an hour in the morn and an hour at night to take the chill out the air. My bill this month for gas and elec was £102. If I'd had it on 18 all the time it would have been far more than that. It depends on the draughts, insulation, if your attached to another house etc and it's not a blanket rule that fits all houses.