My friends seemed like they were freezing …

[MyballsareSandy2015]

…. came round for a takeaway, heating on 20 when they arrived. They had layers on … removed some but soon put them back on. They stayed on even when I turned it up to 23 … I was boiling, sitting there in a shirt.

Our heating is on continuously: 17 in downstairs hall at night, 20/22 during the day unless we are out most of the time. Our combined bills at the very highest is £80 per month (December so far) but normally around £60/70 rest of winter. We are late 70s/early 80s and active. I find I am really cold if the air I am breathing is too cold. We are dressed in warm clothing but not with jackets/blankets.

Wow! That's chilly for an office. I know that 16 degrees is the legal minimum, but I wouldn't be comfortable at that temperature to sit at a desk all day, even wearing warm clothes.

It’s not the best but we don’t have heating and it’s not a typical office building

A lot of you will freak out to hear there’s no heating on today so far … it’s 11 degrees out and sunny and feels warm indoors 🤣. It will go on later when we’re sitting down.

As for what some of you sleep in 😳. We don’t heat our bedroom very often and both wear vest/pants to bed with a medium tog duvet. Thankfully DH is the same.

I’m not trying to do the competitive under heating thing … it’s genuinely interesting!

I'm with you.

I’d be cold. Our heating is set to 23 if we’re just sitting around.

I’ve not put the heating on yet will do soon though. I have got my lounge fleece on again it’s lovely and cosey. DD is always warm anyway. I often have to sit in the house with no heating because she’s too hot.

We are all so different. I feel the cold terribly. Terribly. Others don't.

I went to a friend's beautiful big cold house once when our children were babies. She really genuinely couldn't work out why her daughter was blue in her fingers and screaming. It was ssssoooooooo cold in her kitchen but she just didn't feel it. A few years later she had cancer and chemotherapy and it changed her nerves and how she perceived cold and her house was toasty after that because she felt the cold differently.

I have Raynaud's. It is miserable. I just feel the cold so badly and also temperature fluctuations, however minor. My fingers and feet really hurt and take a very long time to sort themselves out.

So the bottom line is that we all perceive cold differently. Our homes have differing levels of draft proofing and insulation. So all of this comparing and moralistic grandstanding between temperature settings is a bit pointless really.

For sleeping I have a 13tog and an electric blanket to heat the mattress before I go to bed, otherwise it is off as well as the radiator, if it was on.

I've had my heating on for about six hours in total since Oct and it's not competitive under heating - it's the cost of it. I'm in Scotland and it's been quite cold this year but I've felt it colder for longer spells over the last few years. If it got a lot colder I would put it on at a low temperature and keep it on longer - my pipes froze a few years ago when it was around minus 7 and I don't want that happening again. I'm in an upstairs flat but unfortunately get no heat rising from the downstairs neighbour as he's rarely home

I live alone but when my mum comes down the first thing I always say to her is do you want the heating on and she always says no. Her house is a lot colder than mine even with heating on

I actually feel the cold more when I'm in bed but I have a fleece blanket I got from Amazon which is brilliant. I wear oodies

If I put the heating on for around 45 mins at high it retains heat quite well - for about two hours

I actually managed to get the warm home discount for the last two years which is very welcomed - however I apply through the broader group and it can be March until you get it - when the weather is getting warmer

My flat is warm from April to October then a lot colder from October to March but there have been quite a few mild days this winter even with the cold snap

If I could afford it my heating would be on more - absolutely

FAO the fellow coldies on this thread.

I have just come back from Aldi with some Rad-Foam radiator reflector. It was in the special buys middle aisle.

As others have said, some people just feel the cold more. You were a good host to turn the heat up when you noticed they were cold. I'm one of those that is shivering if its less than 18 inside, and pretty uncomfortable at less than 20, so my house is kept warm (though when its very cold outside, like -20 even with my heating up high it doesn't tend to get above 19 inside so that's unpleasant but usually isn't that cold for long). And its not that I don't know to wear layers - I wear long johns, vest, thick joggers, t-shirt and jumper, socks and woolly socks and I'm still cold at 18 degrees if I'm not moving around a lot!

If it's open plan, possibly they were sitting in a draught? I generally prefer to keep my house on the cool side, will wear a jumper and rarely get cold at home because our house is well insulated. On the other hand, I usually struggle to keep warm at work because the unit is poorly insulated and customers are coming in and out all day. Once I've 'felt the draught' I struggle to warm up again.

Just give them some throws & blankets .

I need 23 to feel warm enough to take off layers. I always crank up the heat if guests are coming and then adjust based on what they're wearing, how happy they are to shed layers and whether they're flushed.

Don't visit me then, all winter its been between 0 and 4 degrees in my house :-(

20 is plenty!

We have a wood burning stove in the sunroom as it’s open plan-ish with the kitchen and dining room and if the stove is lit, I often have to open the French doors to let some cold air in to cool the space down, otherwise I’ll melt.

Gosh why is that?

Why is your house so cold?

If someone said they were too hot, of course.

Christ my house is an average of 15-16😂 I would feel awful at 20

Ours only ever gets to 18 and I don't have it on all the time, def not at night. I do wrap up at bedtime though, thick pjs, socks, thick blanket plus duvet.

My thermostat is set at 18c for now.
I am comfortable enough , I’m wearing a warm brushed cotton shirt , leggings and a warm cardigan on top + socks with my slippers .
If someone had their thermostat set at 20c I would not need the warm cardigan and I’d probably feel warm but not boiling .
we are all so different

That’s dangerously low!

I also like summer a lot , and last summer the inside of my house with windows open was anywhere from 19c to 24c
That was lovely because of the fresh air , slight breeze and I was wearing a summer dress ( plus cardigan when temperature indoors dropped to 19c)
But for some reason I can’t bear my heating above 19c in winter .
I get headachy and sinusy with a red face