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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that central heating is a thing of the past?

173 replies

hiddenhome · 21/10/2013 13:13

More and more people seem to be unable to afford to use their central heating Sad

How long before we all go back to just having a fire in the lounge?

We no longer use our central heating and think of it as an unaffordable luxury. We've even had radiators removed as they were taking up room. We just have a multifuel stove that we use to heat the lounge and open the door if we want heat upstairs overnight.

OP posts:
Trills · 21/10/2013 13:18

YABU - central heating is not a thing of the past.

How long before we all go back to just having a fire in the lounge?

This will not happen, most people do not have houses where you could have a fire in the lounge even if you wanted to, and a fire is not an efficient way to turn money into heat.

Nancy66 · 21/10/2013 13:19

I think we're a long way from that. Most people still want central heating.

perhaps though if more and more people don't use it the greedy bastard utility companies will have to put the price down.

I do think people are more controlled over when they put it on and for how long.

ouryve · 21/10/2013 13:21

YABU.

Coal costs a bloody fortune, unless you're a retired miner and get it free.

TEErickOrTEEreat · 21/10/2013 13:21

I will never give up my central heating.

It's the third thing I budget for after shelter and food.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 21/10/2013 13:21

I've just moved out of a house with no central heating. We managed there perfectly ok for four years. I know, because there was a conversation about this on MN a bit ago, that quite a few people don't live in houses that ever had central heating.

I think it's really shit, and horrible, but I also think the priority isn't healthy adults, but elderly people and young children. If I'm going to get furious, I'll get furious about that - and plenty of elderly people have been unable to afford heating for a long while.

A bit of me feels angry that this only seems to have hit the news in a big way once it's not just affecting the elderly.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 21/10/2013 13:22

(Btw, I don't mean that as angry with you, OP, but with the fact it's taken so long for any fuss to be made in the media.)

Sparklymommy · 21/10/2013 13:22

We don't have central heating. We have an electric fire in the lounge and 2 oil filled radiators for when it is EXTREMELY cold (think snow) to heat the bedrooms. The children have hot water bottles and an extra blanket if needs be.

Central heatig is unnecessary. My children (I have 4) are all healthy and don't suffer with many colds at all. Ok when they do get poorly they tend to be quite poorly, but the last time we had any illness in the house it was chicken pox three years ago!

Minnieisthedevilmouse · 21/10/2013 13:23

Gee yeah of course I'd give up heating. Same way you would talk me out of my car.....

Duh course not.

sonlypuppyfat · 21/10/2013 13:23

I'm with you OP we just have the fire on in the front room.I could never afford to have my central heating on. I was brought up in a house with no heating ice on the inside of the glass, my Dad used to say heating made you soft.

NotYoMomma · 21/10/2013 13:23

we have ours on for 1.5 hours in a morning in winter and 1.5 hours in an evening.

we generally just use the fire (electric) at other times if needed as we are usually all in that room.

we also turn off radiators in certain rooms

NotYoMomma · 21/10/2013 13:24

by 'winter' I mean the extremes lol, we do without most of the time

FreakinRexManningDay · 21/10/2013 13:25

I have a back boiler so I don't get bills,I can see what I am able to put on the fire. If its just me in the house I stick on an extra jumper,in the evening with the kids in bed I let the fire burn down.

cuteboots · 21/10/2013 13:25

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TEErickOrTEEreat · 21/10/2013 13:27

I bet those of you without heating get 100 meals for 100 people out of 1 chicken as well.

MillyONaire · 21/10/2013 13:28

I have not yet turned on my Ch this year - I will avoid doing so until I absolutely have to. We have two stoves going using turf (very reasonably priced) and logs (from our own trees). If I could I would have ten a couple more stoves dotted around the house and not be tied to ofch. So hiddenhome, I think YANBU

LRDtheFeministDragon · 21/10/2013 13:28
Hmm

Yes, tee, of course.

No, actually, having no heating is bloody horrible. But it's not actually physically dangerous for me as a healthy adult. It is dangerous and often fatal for elderly people, and a lot of elderly people have been struggling with rising fuel prices for a long time before it blew up into such a media storm. That's all.

LittleprincessinGOLDrocks · 21/10/2013 13:28

We don't have central heating. We have a gas fire that throws out a lot of heat in the lounge. We then have oil filled electric heaters in the bedrooms for when it is very cold. We also have an electric heater in the kitchen for very cold winter mornings.
We have a lot of blankets and jumpers too.
We make sure the house is nice and warm at all times as cold really does make my pain a lot worse.

Others in the family who have central heating do seem to have stopped using it, and I have to say I find their houses to be quite cold.

FreakinRexManningDay · 21/10/2013 13:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BunnyLebowski · 21/10/2013 13:29

Grin @ TEE

I always wonder that. One chicken = one meal in my house. And no I don't boil the bloody carcass up for stock.

OP - I think you're being a bit OTT.

I have my heating on most of the day when it's cold. Life is too short to be sitting wearing all your clothes at once like Joey in Friends.

FreakinRexManningDay · 21/10/2013 13:30

*thieving

ArtexMonkey · 21/10/2013 13:30

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FreakinRexManningDay · 21/10/2013 13:31

Life may be too short Bunny but my purse is too empty.

TEErickOrTEEreat · 21/10/2013 13:32

"Life is too short to be sitting wearing all your clothes at once like Joey in Friends."

I'm going to embroider that on a pillow. Halloween Grin

SandyDilbert · 21/10/2013 13:32

some of us don't actually have any central heating.

PeggyCarter · 21/10/2013 13:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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