Or is DH? Help us with this argument!

[BatCave]

I have been leaving the heating running using the thermostat turned down low. I figure it might be more efficient and cost effective to do this rather than have to warm up a freezing cold house twice a day.

He thinks we should turn it off completely and just have it on but warmer for a couple hours morning and evening.

I don't like it cold and we have a young baby. We also have damp/mould and as well as a dehumidifier running 24/7 have been advised to keep the house warm. its only a small 2 bed old cottage.

But if my way is costing us a fortune I'm willing to concede. Who IBU?

Mould is a lifestyle issue if, like I did you have lots of long hot baths without putting the extractor fan on, dry washing indoors in radiators and boil rice or pasta every night in pans without lids.

Once I curtailed those activities my damp mouldy 'character' cottage improved considerably.

If you don't do those things, then it isn't a lifestyle issue.

I love my characterless insulated New build.

You need to sort out the mould - its not good for the kids.

OP's DH if you read this, this is not funny. Heating needs to be on. Try spending the week at home.

I do none of those things thix I shower with the window open and extractor on. I don't dry washing inside. I don't boil pans with lids off and even then I have the kitchen window open. I open windows as often as i can. The walls feel damp, it's a really old building. Tbh, he gave me the humidifier, it takes off a LOT of water and I'm giving it some time and if it doesn't help (it hasn't) ill be back at him. He just thinks because it's 4 of us living in a small house it's going to be damp.

I thought the whole point of a thermostat was so you could set a suitable temperature and walk away. If your house is over this temperature say 18 degrees then the heating stays off, if it falls under then heating comes on, it self regulates. This has to be the most efficient way of doing it or why would all modern boilers come with a thermostat? and why would all the recommendations from places like British Gas also recommend thermostatic valves on radiators?

The only way a thermostat becomes less cost effective is if you set it too high say 25 degrees knowing that it will constantly run cos realistically you are unlikely to hit this temperature in older houses.

I leave mine between 16-18 degrees depending on outside weather and what I'm doing, housework can be quite a warming task. If I do get cold then I may just turn it up temporarily then once I feel nice and warm I turn it back down.

It may also be worth getting loft and cavity wall insulation checked/renewed. We had ours done earlier this year and it really has made a difference with heat retention in the property.

The energy saving trust website is good for advice and I actually called them to ask advice and found them really helpful and personable.

I'm obviously not a boiler expert but on another note, if you're at home with a young baby and you know that your house suffers damp and mould, these things do get worse in wet/cold weather conditions so running the heating for that alone and not taking cost effectiveness into account at all has to be done imho.

I just re-checked previous posts and would say I am rather concerned that LL refuses to believe there is a problem with damp/mould. The fact he's bought a de-humidifier for the property means he must acknowledge something, but I think he is trying to fob you off. I really can't think of any lifestyle that would need a 24 de-humidifier unless you like to continually pour water all over your carpets until they are soaked - not!

If he is a private LL I would maybe seek advice from citizens advice bureau or even the council environment office might be some help because that can't be healthy for your baby.

thixotropic, mould can also be poor damp proof course, poor seals round windows, roof damage either tiles or inside the loft under the roof tiles and structural defects like cracks in walls, they don't even have to be large noticable cracks, sometimes it's the location not the size.

I used to be on a key meter and i used to always just put heating on when it got too cold, but i read i was cheaper to keep it on all the time, so i started doing that and the usage definitely reduced :) At weekends/when he is in all day does he expect the heating on?