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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

No heating unless it gets to 16

134 replies

eedon · 03/10/2015 18:43

Its been pretty sunny today, so hallway is 19. That's warm enough right? I've got my slippers and jumper on and if anything I'm a bit too hot.

OP posts:
Angelika321 · 04/10/2015 07:13

Luckily both H and I agree that there's no point in being uncomfortable and cold in your own home. Especially as we work hard and are able to afford to heat house. 21 to 24 degrees for us. We had it on for the first time last night and it was lovely.

goblinhat · 04/10/2015 07:26

we work hard and can easily afford to heat the house. I don't put the heating on unless indoor temperature drops to 14 or so. But I live in Scotland- we are used to colder temperatures.

KitKatCustard · 04/10/2015 07:40

16? Ours might go on for an hour at 9 degrees. (Hardy souls)

goblinhat · 04/10/2015 07:44

9 degrees indoor or outdoor temperature though? A big difference.

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 04/10/2015 07:45

I don't think the temperature in my house has ever got as low as 9 degrees! As we have windows, and doors, and walls and all.

goblinhat · 04/10/2015 07:48

Same here. We are 5 people, 2 cats and good insulation. Indoor temperature rarely gets to 9 degrees.

Original poster
eedon · 04/10/2015 07:49

It has been mild the last few years. About 5 years ago when we had a week of -10 in the south, that was cold even for modern houses.

OP posts:
Asteria36 · 04/10/2015 07:50

We didn't have any last year, which was uncomfortable but DH did get very excited about getting the log burner a thermoelectric fan to push the eat around the house more. We have heating this year but it is set to 14 (thermostat is right by the front door so that equates to 18 elsewhere) and is just there as a "take the edge off" with the log-burner topping it up.

Iggly · 04/10/2015 07:50

Don't you get damp problems with low temps? Ours is on 19c although I'm only putting the heating on overnight at the moment.

goblinhat · 04/10/2015 07:52

As long as the house temperature is higher than outside and you have plenty ventilation then a house won't get damp.

I never put on heating overnight. Ever. I have thick warm bedding, I love a cool bedroom and warm cosy bed.

VulcanWoman · 04/10/2015 08:02

Just nipped my heating on this morning for an hour, was 17 when I got up, I keep mine at 19 mid winter.

VulcanWoman · 04/10/2015 08:03

Never through the night and when out in the day.

CPtart · 04/10/2015 08:06

PIL have plenty of money. They were bragging today how they still haven't had their heating on and are adamant it won't be anytime soon. In the next breath MIL admits they went for coffee to a friends who had her heating on and "ooh it was lovely!" Confused You get a heating allowance..use it!

bettyberry · 04/10/2015 08:08

I get loads done by layering up but at the same time you are warmer if you move about. I can do all the cleaning in vest and leggings but as soon as I sit down I feel the cold and need a blanket.

main fire has been on here once or twice so far. Heating only goes on if the house is really cold like this morning because I aired out the house yesterday afternoon and didn't shut the windows until quite late last night. [oops]

goblinhat · 04/10/2015 08:12

Bloody heating allowance.

My mother is in her 80s and loves her heating allowance, we live in the same home and she never passes a penny to me.

DurhamDurham · 04/10/2015 08:15

We've had our heating on twice in the last few weeks. I try to delay putting it on daily for as long as possible because I would rather be slightly too cold than slightly too hot. We never have the heating on during the night, it is set to come on about 6ish so it's warm as people wake up but I can't think of anything worse than lying there hot. We have our bedroom window open even in the depths of winter, I can't stand a stuffy bedroom. I'm lucky my husband likes a cold bedroom otherwise there may have been a battle of wills Grin

Jeffreythegiraffe · 04/10/2015 08:19

We have it on morning and evening, but it's not timed, I only switch it on when I'm cold. It's never on when we're out or overnight.

Sansoora · 04/10/2015 08:22

Those were the days

They certainly were Smile

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 04/10/2015 08:29

From an environmental point of view, it's a good thing if people try to keep their fuel bills down even if they can afford to pay for more.

Keeping the house fairly cool is a good incentive for the able-bodied not to spend too much time sitting down, which is being blamed for all sorts of ills now. I know I spend far too much time on the sofa so am trying to move about a bit more. Fortunately I have no problem with wearing lots of layers and three pairs of socks, as my husband doesn't feel the cold at all, so our heating is aimed at keeping the internal temperature above 18 in the daytime (and is off at night, unless it's snowed for days).

What's with the snide 'Well, we work hard so we can afford to heat our homes' comments upthread? Are you trying to say that people who are struggling just need to work a bit harder? I hope not, as that would be an utterly crass and insensitive thing to say, wouldn't it? Hmm

goblinhat · 04/10/2015 08:30

I grew up in the 60s. We had no central heating- only for the rich folk. the only source of heating was a coal fire in the living room.

I remember as a child scraping ice off the inside of the window in my bedroom.

Radiatorvalves · 04/10/2015 08:31

We've not had ours on yet (London) as its not been cold enough and it's an expensive to heat house. However MIL who lives in a sauna is coming to stay. She's 80 and doesn't move much so we will probably have to put it on.

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 04/10/2015 08:34

Yes, I think the implication that people who can't afford to heat their homes just don't work hard enough would be a particularly crass one.
We are lucky enough to be able to afford to heat our home. I have a toddler and a baby so don't get all that much chance to sit and relax on the sofa at the moment, and haven't even felt remotely cold so far this autumn without the heating on. Our bedrooms are kept at about 16 degrees and the babies dressed accordingly.

Original poster
eedon · 04/10/2015 08:34

People with ice on the inside growing up. Didn't you get mould or damp problems?

I keep a cool house, but have a dehumidifier to stop Andy damp problems. But mine might have been caused by CWI.

OP posts:
LocatingLocatingLocating · 04/10/2015 08:36

FIL hardly ever has heating on. Fire is normally on in living room in winter, and you get the horrible situation of one room being about 25 degrees, and the rest of the house being about 10 degrees if that (sometimes you can see you breath!). Really puts you off going to the toilet!

We keep our thermostat programmed for heating to come on at 18degrees in the evening, and for an hour at 6am, but the rest of the time it's set at about 14/15.

WaxyBean · 04/10/2015 08:37

Not had our heating on at all yet. I'd put it on at 18 - DH is always cold and puts it on at 22 so I bake and swan around in a t-shirt when he is in (thankfully not that often!). He also insists on having the heating on at night and the children and I sweat buckets.