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?

[bluer]

Fuel poverty is a very real issue and I can't see it getting better...the gov really needs to regulate and control providers a lot more...even a simple tariff check requires a degree in maths to figure out the cheapest deal. Equally the price rises seem to be constant.

[Lucyellensmum95]

I dont have my heating on during the day because i simply can't afford it and i HATE being cold

[pointythings]

Our is currently at 19C because it is brass monkeys, but usually sits at about 17C in winter. We do turn it up if we have guests who are used to having it warmer, my DH's cousin has fibromyalgia so really needs it toasty - we just adapt. and swelter

It does depend on what you're used to, but you need to be hospitable if you can afford it.

[shushpenfold]

We live in an ancient thatch and even with the heating on, thermals, 2 more layers and a duvet when sitting, we're still cold! I'm beginning to wonder if it's warmer in the shed! I would expect to have to tell guests to bring extra clothing if I were in your shoes.

[starsandunicorns]

Zukiecat are you my twin

Our flat is cold draughty. We even got a open vent to the outside downstairs that we are not allowed to cover up
( frontdoor on street small square area with stairs then our flat iuswim ) We were told by counicl we could get cavity walling put in but as we live above shops. The counicl now wont let us have it as they say the shops to busy ( reckon as does tge concrater that beacause shops are private and woyld benfit from it counicl wont do it.

We have raditors but are never on ( was on for 60 mins or so on friday) last time before that was xmas week cant afford heating if we could i would have heating on.
We have a duvet in lounge and wear up to 3 layers of clothing dp wear tights under jeans to get warm for work but also on weekends if not working. I wear sonetimes fingerless gloves and wolly hat and scarf in the evenings.

At the min I can see my breathe. I dont like it but so used it now. We get some people saying house cold but most of our friends are in the same boat.

[BooCanary]

Our heating comes on when necessary to keep temp at 18deg first thing and evening, and 17deg for after school.

DH spent his whole childhood in a drafty house with no CH, and doesn't feel the cold at all. When my parents visit we crank heating up to 21c as disabled DM needs to be warm. DH absolutely melts!

[BooCanary]

Our heating comes on when necessary to keep temp at 18deg first thing and evening, and 17deg for after school.

DH spent his whole childhood in a drafty house with no CH, and doesn't feel the cold at all. When my parents visit we crank heating up to 21c as disabled DM needs to be warm. DH absolutely melts!

[blondefriend]

We have our heating on for 2 hours in the morning and 4/5 in the evening even at weekends. The bedrooms can get quite cold (15oC) but we have an open fire in the living room so we all congregate in there. Once in bed duvets keep you warm.

BTW if a guest comes over and moans that the house is cold then they're being quite rude (unless old/disabled). I wouldn't dream of doing that in someones house. I would just take a jumper next time I went over.

[Bunbaker]

"BTW if a guest comes over and moans that the house is cold then they're being quite rude"

And it isn't rude to make a guest feel cold just because you don't want to heat your house?

[TreadOnTheCracks]

Drafty old house here, everyone has a drawful of thermals, fleeces, thick socks. Hot water bottles. Keep doors shut.

My threshold is if my fingers are so cold I can't type properly. I'll usually light the wood burner and just heat the front room where I am.

I have to admit though I do turn the heating on if the children are having friends round and if we are having friends round I warm the house all day long and have a roaring fire.

The heating comes on for 2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening.

[TreadOnTheCracks]

Some of my friends don't take their coat off when they come in - I'm will pop heating on then, I have also noticed a few friends wear thick fleeces round and hog the fire side

[curryeater]

But if you can't afford to put the heating on, you can't, whether your friends are there or not. If it costs you £20 to heat your house for a day (it might, sadly £600 pm fuel bills are not unheard of, we had one and hardly ever have the heating on now), and you put it on because someone comes over, that is the equivalent of deciding you can't have anyone over unless you can afford to open champagne. Is this rude? I don't think it is rude to offer tea and cake in the afternoon - which costs about £2 - but is it?

[curryeater]

I have worked from home here some days in 2 and 3 degrees centigrade. I have very short fingers so I put on some of dc1's gloves because I can type in them - she is 3.
I don't like it, but what can you do?

[apostropheuse]

I have my heating on 24/7. I grew up living in a house with ice inside the windows. The only room that was heated was the living room - a coal fire.

I still remember how miserable it was and will not suffer that again if I can afford not to.

I think YANBU if you can't afford it, but if you can YABU.

I don't blame my parents in the least for our cold house as they were doing their best and lived within their means. However, if they could have afforded to do more and chose not to I would be pretty pissed off now looking back as an adult.

[Coffeenowplease]

Ive only been putting mine of for a little bit when its below zero outside. Like now. I had it on earlier for half an hour then again before dinner for half an hour. I cant really afford more than that really atm but even when I was working I never used it.

I was out all day and cook in the evening which heats the living room and kitchen so I didnt need it. Unless I could see my breath then I might pop it on for a bit but only one radiator. (ours is all electric)

[ShatnersBassoon]

If you could see your breath you might put the heating on? Wow.

[Plomino]

We are on oil here , and if we kept the heating on anything above 18 degrees permanently, we might just as well burn the pound notes themselves . It sits at 17 , which is enough to be comfortable in appropriately seasonable clothing , and then in the evenings we have a huge 24kw woodburner , which is very efficient and kicks enough heat out to top up the rest of the house till bedtime, and if we bank it with some coal , lasts long enough for there to be some residual heat left for the morning .

That said , when I have my mum and brother here , I do tend to turn it up to about 21 , which seems to make them comfortable , especially since we had to have the double glazing replaced . Even if I am gritting my teeth and going outside to look at the oil gauge every morning .

[Coffeenowplease]

Surprisingly it doesnt happen very often. Flat is well insulated. Hence why I hardly ever put it on.
Ive been using it more recently as Ive been home all day. But only for a couple of hours a day or so. I have blankets and hot water bottle if i get cold. If im still cold then yes it does go on. It also warms up very fast as its a small flat which is another plus.

[starsandunicorns]

Shatnersbassoon in the eveings I always see my breathe. When I was married my ex hated putting the heating on and would shout at me if I asked, me and kids got used to it. If dc went to vist my parents they would get sore thoarts and headachs

[Coffeenowplease]

Saying that I lived in a house once where we did have the heating on and it was still colder than my flat now without heating. I used to wear a hat and scarf in bed. Large drafty house with poor insulation.

[Coffeenowplease]

Also heating and being too warm really sets off my eczema so I really do prefer without and with more blankets.

[misanthropologist]

The first Christmas after I met my now-DH, we and my dc went to his parents' house for the holiday. Dc and I had been there before, but in warmer weather. How surprised was I to find that their regular everyday thermostat setting was 55F/12C??? I was in a shirt, sweater, jeans, two pair of socks and still curled up in a blanket. I mean, yes, they have a biggish house, but trust, they have no difficulty affording heating.

Fortunately after DH and I made a midnight Walmart run to get the kids some thick winter footie pajamas, FIL made MIL turn up the thermo to 66. Felt like a frickin' Caribbean island compared to what it had been.

[jackjacksmummy]

We have ours on a timer so it comes on about 15 mins before we get up and goes off about 90mins later and then in the evening it comes on about 6.30 - 10.
We are all out during the day but weekends if its cold we'll flick it to on to warm the room and then back to timed again.

We are on a meter though so have to be careful to keep it topped up - nothing worse than going to run a hot bath in the morning and finding the gas has run out and the water is freezing!

[Hulababy]

I like a warm house. I feel the cold, and that's despite growing up without central hearing, etc. I also get being bundled up lots of layers. I prefer to be able to just have a t shirt and no socks.

We have a 3 storey new build and it's naturally warm. If thermostat is set to 16/17 the house is toasty warm. The ground floor is cool, but there isn't much down there really. But the living room and bedrooms are lovely. Any higher and it is too hot .

But this week I'm off I'll with a really nasty chest infection and been in bed and/or PJs for the most part. Just about starting to feel a bit better. I've had heating on morning til night as if it goes off its freezing!