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Original poster

Out of interest...Heating- are you in credit or debit? Have you got your heating on today?

240 replies

sunshineandkindle · 14/09/2025 07:07

I've got -£250 on my electric ccount now which is pretty good as we managed to pay off all the winter debt of £2k over the year.
When's everyone putting there's on? Do you hold off as long as possible?

OP posts:
Allthings · 14/09/2025 09:12

@YouCouldFallOutWithYourselfInAnEmptyRoom until this morning we have been 21 indoors. Currently 19.5 in the coldest area of the house. East of England.

chiefscoutsgoldaward · 14/09/2025 09:13

£511 in credit which is about right to eat into over the winter months. Octopus do a balance projection and it is generally fairly accurate.

Mikart · 14/09/2025 09:13

18 degrees in our house at the moment with no heating.

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cinquanta · 14/09/2025 09:14

Not in the UK. It’s mid 30s during the day and was still 28 when I went to bed last night at midnight.

So, no heating on.

AcquadiP · 14/09/2025 09:16

Most of my windows are 5' x 4' and I have thermal roller blinds which are brilliant at keeping the heat in. The windows are double glazed but a fortnight ago I decided to add thermal window film to all the windows. I bought Tesamoll as it came recommended in an energy saving article. I'm so pleased I did as I've noticed a definite improvement in room temperature during the day when the roller blinds are up.

Macaroni46 · 14/09/2025 09:17

Heating goes on when the temperature in the house drops below 18. I hate being cold and prioritise putting money aside to pay the fuel bill which is quarterly. I have an app which tracks how much I owe at any one time so I always know roughly how much my bill will be.
I don’t care if it’s October, July or April. If the temperature drops, the heating goes on.

liveforsummer · 14/09/2025 09:22

It’s freezing in my house. I have raynauds and am starting to get attacks when I get out of bed or out the shower but definitely holding off as long as possible as really can’t afford it and account is in arrears as it is. There was condensation on my windows this morning so a sure sign the temps are plummeting

liveforsummer · 14/09/2025 09:28

Shortdaysalready · 14/09/2025 07:37

Where on earth in the country are all the people who are so cold they have put their heating on or are thinking of doing so? I'm in the West of Scotland and it's nowhere near cold enough for heating yet!

My energy is still in credit but the energy company recently put my direct debit up because when I do eventually start using heating I will soon use up my credit.

You have actually reminded me OP that I need to have a look at my tariff as my fixed one comes to an end soon.

Edited

I’m in Edinburgh and thermostat is currently reading 14c. And it’s not in the coldest part of the house

caramac04 · 14/09/2025 09:33

£355 in credit. No heating yet and try to hold off until mid October apart from a test run end of September. House is well insulated.
Last year I was paying £176 pcm and have just signed for another fixed rate with British Gas. They suggested £139 pcm but I’ve agreed £150. I don’t want to run up a debt.

GleisZwei · 14/09/2025 09:34

We're in credit, and it's not remotely cold enough for heating yet where are (north of Scotland). No mains gas here, all electricity in our house. I hate cold season here because loads of folk start up their coal fires and log burners and it reeks.

ScarlettSunset · 14/09/2025 09:44

Allthings · 14/09/2025 09:12

@YouCouldFallOutWithYourselfInAnEmptyRoom until this morning we have been 21 indoors. Currently 19.5 in the coldest area of the house. East of England.

Similar here, though it's still over 20.5 in the coldest room. Also East of England.

BadBones60 · 14/09/2025 09:48

neverstopthelaundry · 14/09/2025 07:43

We are about 2 months of payments in credit. We are with Octopus and they are very good at adjusting the amounts to make sure you cover your consumption and then the extra you need to see you over the colder months.

Heating will come on no matter what time of year when the temperature drops below a certain amount, different in the night than the day. We will layer up, have blankets in the lounge and electric blankets to warm the bed at night. Our house is really good at keeping the heat in. We went round with a thermal camera several years ago and dealt with all the cold spots. You can rent them or buy one. They are very helpful in working out where you may have drafts coming in or leaking heat out.

I will tell you something that I think has made a big difference is making a box out of Kingspan insulation boards and putting that inside the loft over the loft hatch, so when you open the loft hatch you just see a silver box. If anyone wants info on how to do this I can provide a video we followed. It works in summer too, our house has been cooler.

@neverstopthelaundry I'd be interested in the loft insulation box instructions please but not sure if the loft ladder will make it difficult. Thanks

JollyMintWasp · 14/09/2025 09:49

About £150 in credit. Not touched the heating yet, just living in hoodies and fluffy socks for now. Trying to hold out till October.

CharSiu · 14/09/2025 09:54

@sunshineandkindle the best way to avoid damp apart from warmth is to have ventilation. Unless it gets to double minus numbers I have my windows open 24/7 upstairs and downstairs till bed time.

We are in credit by £300. The heating will click on if it gets below 18 or under 10 overnight.

guestusername · 14/09/2025 09:55

£600 credit. Heating not on yet. Upstairs and downstairs thermostats have been showing around 20° and heating set to come on at 18°

We are in a new build and this is our first year so we aren’t sure how well the house performs across the year yet. We also have solar panels so our electricity bills have been mostly standing charges so far this year. Same with our gas bill. Our last house was not insulated and damp so the heating would have been on already there

andanotherproblem · 14/09/2025 09:56

I just pay my bill for what I use each month, no more and no less. If I’m cold I will put the heating on as I personally see that as an essential I would rather pay more and cut back on other things if I needed to

weareallcats · 14/09/2025 10:04

We never actually switch ours off, but it won’t actually kick in until the house drops to 16 degrees - we prefer a cool house. It’s nowhere near that yet!

MolkosTeenageAngst · 14/09/2025 10:08

I’m just over £325 in credit. I haven’t got my heating on yet, I had my back door open all day yesterday it’s still fairly mild here (north west). I usually try and hold off from putting the heating on until October half term but will start layering up.

TattiePants · 14/09/2025 10:09

We’re £630 in credit which is the equivalent of two winter months payments. This thread had reminded me that we’re now on a variable tariff so I do need to look at that. We try to keep the heating off well into October but it’s definitely time to get the Oodies out of the attic!

Allthings · 14/09/2025 10:09

The amount of credit in £ is irrelevant to anyone other than the person who is in credit.

We all use different amounts of energy and any credit should be reflective of usage. So a low user is unlikely to build up the level of credit of a high user. Credit, and debt for that matter will also be dependent on meter readings being sent and how frequently you are billed. If behaviours change, usage will change and that can affect the DD, credit and debt.

DustyMaiden · 14/09/2025 10:13

In credit £450. Just put my duvet back on. 24 degrees during the day but nights are cooling.

caringcarer · 14/09/2025 10:15

I have just moved my £200 monthly payment up.to £250 a month as it's getting chilly in the evenings and I have about £550 in credit.

neverstopthelaundry · 14/09/2025 10:16

@BadBones60 ours has wooden loft ladder attached to the hatch. You basically make an inverted box that sits on the loft floor but tall enough so it doesn't affect the ladder. I went into the loft, Dh shut the loft hatch and I measured how tall the box needed to be to clear the folded ladders.

This video was what we went off, but we didn't make any alterations of adding wood. Our loft is boarded and has some carpet laid on top so the box sits on the carpet on top of the boards. We only used that silver tape to put it all together.

I have started the video replay at the place you can hopefully see very clearly what I am talking about. If it starts the beginning, its 21.44 where you can see him taping the box and putting it into the loft.

aintnospringchicken · 14/09/2025 10:17

Around £270 in credit.
Haven’t started putting heating on yet even although it’s slightly cooler outside now.
It’s a battle every year between DH and I when we should start putting the heating on.DH is a right cold tattie and feels the cold whereas I’m the opposite and can be sitting indoors in November with a t shirt on because I find it too hot with heating on.
I was joking with DH this morning as he brought down the portable heater to the conservatory that if I lived on my own,heating bills would be halved.

Ginmonkeyagain · 14/09/2025 10:29

@YouCouldFallOutWithYourselfInAnEmptyRoom in London and in a decently built flat with double glazing .