Advice on how to handle- dds housemates at uni want to out heating on overnight

[Thethingswedoforlove]

How can we convince them that it really isn’t cheaper to keep the house at a constant temperature?! They want to have it on at a ‘low’ temp of 17 degrees! It’s a huge house with 6 people and most students don’t even have it on during the day let alone at night. I’m at my wits end. How can we afford that bill? I told her that she should say that those that want it on overnight need to pay and she won’t pay a share of that but clearly that is a bit confrontational and doesn’t lend itself to harmonious living. How can we convince them?! It is utterly nuts. Some are saying things like my dad knows about heating bills and it is def cheaper etc.’

@interrupttheflow your points are noted. Thank you. As I say, I have learned a lot from starting this thread and I am grateful to those who have taken the time to post and help me see.

You did well to stay in financial limits. I saw lots of partying and colleagues buying clothes, electronics. I had a great experience. It was my escape. I can’t explain how wonderful it felt to be walking to my first lecture. I had made it despite and despite. Not partying - no problem. It was tough though to work one or two jobs and study. I had no time off even in the holidays as I did extra hours. The jobs gave me good references and from this I always could get better jobs. I lived in the cheapest place possible - hence the no central heating but it was better than the place I’d come from in many ways. I saw fellow students with caring parents. I thought this is how it’s meant to be and this what I do now.

You are a supportive and caring parent. This is something to feel proud of. It’s good that you reached out to ask your question because you’re looking out for the best for your child.

@ButterCrackers i am hoping that lovely post was for me ?!

Yes - I got mixed up with the posts lol

Thank you for your encouragement

Why is there so many deleted posts what did she say?

She was being a bit goady. But not outrageous.

Someone must have reported. Thank you!

If I ever have to work from home it would be more ridiculous for me to pay the cost of having the heating on all day when warm clothes and maybe a hat for a will do the job for free

I’m sure spending your time in meetings with a bobble hat on will look profesional….

We don’t have heating on at night. Were asleep! What a waste of money.

And it’s definitely not cheaper for me to have heating on all day! I don’t heat the house when I’m out.

17 is way too hot to have it on overnight. Would 15 or so be a compromise? The thing about being more efficient to leave it on is more about it not dropping too low like below about 10 I thought. It’s absolutely not more efficient to keep it working to 17 all the time.

I’m wondering if your experience is influenced by the fa to you have an efficient boiler and previous studies were done with not as efficient heating system.

I doubt the boiler will be great in a student house tbh.

Student house has a brand new boiler!

So it's likely to have a decent thermostat and possibly also something like a Hive system?

In that case they need to use this to set it at, say 19 when they're awake and in the house and 16 at night and during the daytime if they're out and the heating will come on as needed to keep the the temperature at those levels. This is not the same as 'leaving the heating on all the time', unless it's really poorly insulated it will probably only come on in short bursts overnight. They can also reduce the costs by making sure they close the curtains when it's dark and closing doors so heating isn't leaking out into hallways.

Martin Lewis has a whole page on this and it depends on the boiler but mainly also a lot is down to the efficiency of the house.
It doesn’t work for my house and would cost an absolute fortune!

The students aren't necessarily asleep though until at least 2 or 3 a.m. Given others in the house might be up by 7 or 8, it probably won't even come on during the five hours that everyone is asleep if set to 17 degrees.

If it was so cold indoors that I needed to wear a hat I would be unble to work because my hands would be too cold to operate a keyboard and I would be so miserable and not be able to focus on anything other than feeling cold.

We have ours off overnight (or to come on if gets below 13 or 14 degrees, but it rarely does) but then it’s set to come on half an hour before anyone is due to get out of bed so there’s no need to hide under duvets. I remember doing that as a child, as no central heating, and getting dressed by a gas fire or under the duvet.

does no one else use timers for their central heating?

Now THAT is a clear bonus.