to not put the heating on as much as everyone else?

[elmobaggins]

I grew up on a farm, in a very draft-prone house where the boiler was more broken than not, so am used to living in cold houses. I make sure we all wrap up warm at all times (i.e. appropriate thermals, multiple layers and very sturdy footwear, etc) and DH never seems to feel the cold - he works outside all day anyway.

However, now that DCs are getting to that age where they start to invite newly-made friends around, I've noticed a couple of comments from the other children/parents about how cold our house is - I've genuinely never noticed it before now... but I've just spotted a heating oil thread where someone commented they put their heating on all day when it's very cold outside I don't think I've had the heating on for more than 3 or 4 hours in the whole time we've lived in our house, and it's not on a timer or anything. I think we normally turn it on for the first time in late Nov/early Dec, and only on the occasional day it's very cold.

I'm starting to think that IABU for basically using the "can you feel your feet in thermals? if no, time to stick the heating on" as the threshold for if the heating gets popped on, and perhaps my level of use isn't quite normal for a family.

(Just wanted to add, DD doesn't complain of the cold - seems to have inherited DH's warm blood too.)

So, AIBU?

What's a normal "trigger" threshold for putting the heating on?

[Theicingontop]

We have a rule that if it's cold with three layers, it's cold enough for the heating.

Same rules apply to our toddler. This morning I dressed him in a vest, long-sleeve top and a thick jumper, thick chinos and two pairs of socks.

I'd love to meet someone who can afford to run their heating all day

I boil alive in warm houses.

[ShatnersBassoon]

I think when people say their heating's on all day, they mean the thermostat is set to a certain temp and the heating will click on and off to maintain that temp. So realistically, the boiler is only burning fuel for a couple of minutes every now and then.

[oldraver]

I like a warm house, not stifling but dont like to feel the cold, hence the latest bill was £660 I think I may turn it down a little.

My BIL never used to have his heating on, it was quite miserable there sometimes which was a shame as they were nice people but you would be really uncomfortable

[Iggly]

Yes Shatners that's what we do. It's only when it's bitterly cold like now that the heating is on a lot. But once it warms up a few degrees then it doesn't stay on constantly.

[HotCrossPun]

We put the heating on from 6-11 and then turn it off overnight. The house is always freezing when we wake up!

We are ttc at the moment, and I've already warned DP that when the baby comes along we are going to need to have the heating on a lot more!

If we have guests I always have the heating on, I wouldn't invite somebody over and then expect them to be chilly.

[MisselthwaiteManor]

I would have the heating on all day if we could afford it, I can't stand being even slightly chilly. MILs house is freezing, it's drafty (sp?) and the heating is never on. I used to sleep over when DH lived at home and had to sleep in tights and jumpers and took my own blankets! I'd not do that to a guest, it was horrible

[SummerRainIsADistantMemory]

We never have the heating on more than 4 hours a day, can't afford it. We're out of oil now and won't be buying more this year.

My kids don't seem to feel the cold, I can be shivering and muttering about hypothermia and they'll be stripping off layers!

I find other people's houses uncomfortablely warm most of the time but I am conscious our house is extremely cold for visiting children. Not much I can do about it though!

[Kithulu]

ooo I want a thermometer now so I can find out just how cold my house is! We have no CH, rayburn in kitchen that does hot water and radiator i bathroom. Mum lent us 2 plug in portable radiators which I have just plugged in, but they are so expensive.
I don't worry about visitors being too cold, its warmer than outside!

[thekidsrule]

i manage to heat my house on 17 from 5am till 9pm each day

fire on low in lounge 4-5 hrs a day also

it just clicks on and of

3bed detached loads and loads gadgets and appliances,NO tumble dryer though

dont normaly moan about the bill but this year have noticed it

normally pay £120 month for duel fuel and normally in credit every year about £100-200 a year at the end

this year not so and at one point was using £40-£50 a week for duel fuel

will have to seriously cut down once weather gets better

though im central heating my friend that has storage heater can spend up tp £60-70 a week but she has 6 dcs and a dryer and immersion so uses more electric and her hose is still cold

[MewlingQuim]

My house is usually 18-20C but my DM is always moaning that its too cold so I put the heating on if guests are coming. Sometimes they say isn't it warm in here and I turn it off though! Better that way than making them sit in their coats shivering.

[TheYamiOfYolk]

We have the heating on for a couple of hours in the morning and evening, but if it is cold (like now), I put it on when we are st home. The thermostat is set to 15 degrees, so it is not wildly extravagant.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

I think that if people are commenting, then your house is too cold. By all means keep it cool when you are just family at home, but if you have guests then it would be polite and hospitable to warm it up.

My parents house was draughty and big and we always needed layers on at home as well as the heating being on.
I really hate being bundled up, so we keep our house at a nice 20-22 all winter. The heating is on every day, controlled by the thermostat.

I don't think our house is particularly well insulated, although we do have double glazing. Our gas bill is only around £60 a month, and our hob is gas also so that isn't just the heating and hot water.

[badguider]

We keep ours around 19/20deg. I find if it drops below 18 it's fine if you're doing housework but freezing for the hands if you're working at the computer (i work from home) whatever you wear on your body and i'm not wearing gloves in my own home. We let it drop much lower overnight though and like a cold room for sleeping.

[mrsjay]

put your heating on when people come round Id hate a freezing cold house yabu

[Astley]

If people are actually commenting it must be very cold tbh.

I'm not sure I'd like the idea of my DC playing at a house that was very cold.

[angeltattoo]

I hate cold houses - fair enough if you can't afford it, but my PIl can and their house is chuffing freezing. They have obviously noticed how cold I get and my coat and now my FIL makes a show and dance about putting the heating on if I visit, then commenting every ten seconds minutes the next day about how warm the house was yesterday.

We didn't have much growing up, but our house was always warm in the mornings and evenings when we were kids, and still is, my mum used to hate visiting her parents and my aunty whose houses were always freezing.

Not sure if YUBU as really, you should have your house how you are happy and comfortable with it, but to answer your other question, my trigger point for having the heating on is usually October - April/May!!!

[Permanentlyexhausted]

We tend to have our heating on at 15 for a few hours each evening and if it is a cold snap like it is at present I'll put it on for an hour or so when I get up in the morning. If I'm sitting still I'll need a blanket but otherwise its fine. Our house is well insulated though and certainly not draughty.

[whois]

Totally depends what you are doing in the house too.

Cleaning, cooking, being busy moving about then 18 can feel pretty warm.

Sitting watching TV and 18 feels pretty cold.

OP, chuck the heating on when you have guests. I HATED going to one of my friends houses as a kid because it was always so cold and felt really inhospitable.

[Sallystyle]

My heating is on 24/7 at 18.

I hate cold and I hate wearing layers so the heating keeps on.

I went to my friends the other evening and texted her two hours before to ask her to put her heating on as her house is too cold

[MrsKoala]

Since November we have had our heating on 24 hours a day. i have a baby and it gets so cold if we turn it off - about 15, which is too low for us. We have all the Rads set on number 3. Atm the 2 rads in the downstairs room are on 4 and i have 2 jumpers, a thick fleece on, thick jeans and long thermal socks.

i refuse to go to visit cold houses. Pils house is freezing, with no heating, only gas fires in the sitting room, and i am considering cancelling our Easter visit. i will take a fan heater but they will pull a face and harp on about their electricity bill (they are loaded btw but refuse to have lights on or use the oven).

[bluer]

I think it doesn't take much more energy to have heating on all day as it clicks on and off and maintains the great but if you put it on a few hours you need to start from cold and the boiler works harder. I have measured units for a week with a few hours a day and a week on 24hrs a day, when we were away during a cold snap, and there's hardly anything in it.
I will say that I don't like a roasting house...a friend of mine used to have it at 25 our so and wear a vest top! ! I'm more an 18 degrees girl. Plus even at this time of year our bedroom window is open all night...something I'll have to change when our baby arrives.

[MrsKoala]

:( Zukie - how do you survive? do you have special clothes? I don't think i could sleep if it was that cold.

[DENMAN03]

I have mine on all day (have sphynx cats so they would freeze otherwise!), even though I am at work. I turn it down to 21 at night. My house is lovely and toasty! I hate being cold and really feel it. I was also brought up in a cold house and hated it!

[DENMAN03]

Meant to say at 23 degrees in the day.