AIBU - heating for guests

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Went to BIL's for Boxing Day and the house was freezing. They asked if we were warm enough, DH said he was a bit cold so they said they'd put the heating on low. We had our lunch in conservatory and in afternoon we noticed that we could see everyone's breath in the lounge. I then spotted a temperature gauge, 14c. AIBU, but this was far too cold for guests? Have to admit we tend to have temperature around 19c when we have guests.

I don't think it's got anything to do with money. We invited them here but BIL's wife loves entertaining and insisted we go to them. Food was lovely two choices, veggies, salad, bread and two pudds to choose from (better than what I'd have offered in all fairness), so it's not as if they'd invited us under pressure.

Yeah it was too low but what they saved in heating bills they gave you in upgraded food lol

Nothing worse than being cold! I have been in similar situations where the host asks if I am warm enough and I say I am a little cold so they press +1hour on the heating. It just starts to warm up then an hour later it goes off and I don't like to be rude and keep asking!

Our house is usually 9 degrees. We'd heat it up a bit for visitors (fire in sitting room) but can't afford to have the heating on. But we would warn everyone to wear lots of jumpers.

You couldn’t see your breath at 14c

Thermostats are innacurate anyway, ours is set to 9, the actual room
Temp is more like 16 when it clicks on.

Different people like different temps. I can bear going to any of my in laws houses as it’s always like an oven. They refuse to take coats off when they come here

Yes. If you look at the recommended minimum temperature for comfort in a sedentary working environment, it's 16c which suggests most people would feel uncomfortable below that unless they were doing something very active.

Used to go around to the silsi and was told wrap up warm and to keep my coat on....it was really uncomfortable and mostly I chose not to visit - they were not skint but saving money but I did not wish to share in their ambitions - it was bloody miserable.

I always mean to ask this..does anyone else find that once you are cold just putting a jumper on doesn’t really help? It my nose, toes and hands that feel the cold so addding another layer doesn’t help. Really sad to hear when people can’t afford to keep warm

Bloody hell that would make me want to cry. Ours is on 22 and I'm still cold!

My parents house was like that while we were growing up, it was utterly miserable

It my nose, toes and hands that feel the cold so addding another layer doesn’t help. I go to bed and the beds have under-blanket heating - it takes a good hour to feel normal. My parents have the money they just don't chose to spend it on heating and I stupidly forget how bloody awful their house is - mostly I chose not to visit in the winter.

Actually, UNISON recommend 20 degrees in offices. 14 degrees is grim and really bloody rude. Don't invite people over if you're too tight to put the heating on. It's one day!

That's ridiculously cold. Mine is on 22.5 all day every day in this weather.

My SIL's house was freezing when we went for a meal Xmas Eve. Fortunately we live close by and I popped home to "check on the dog" and added some extra layers. Nothing worse than being sat around cold.

We have ours at 18 most of the time ( but will turn it up if guests look cold!)

Minimum here is 20 C.

Ds and I have asthma, and we both react to cold air.

I have to turn the heating down for guests coming round. Body heat, cooking for guests plus a tiny house equals the windows open even on a snowy day like today. If their thermostat is old it's likely to not be accurate any way.

Judging temperature while your running round and cooking for guests isn't going to be easy. So I would have bumped up the temp, mentioned it to the host and then knocked it back down before leaving.

Anything under 21 and our heating automatically kicks in. Would hate being cold so inhospitable.

If you can’t afford to put the heating on, or are too tight to , then don’t invite people around!

Ours is always set to 20 in the evenings, and anytime we have guests during the day.

I have my house between 23 and 25 degrees. My heating is always on during the winter. I'm currently sat snuggled on the sofa with the heating on, wrapped in 2 blankets and I have the calor fire on in the dining room and my hands are still icy cold to touch :( .

I hate being cold, it makes me uncomfortable and my shoulder becomes really painful if I get too cold.

14 degrees is way too cold for me!

My heating has been broken since Christmas Eve Eve and our thermostat is clicking on at 13 degrees. It's bloody uncomfortable except next to the fire and I've got thermals on and two jumpers.

But there is no way it's anywhere near enough to see my breath!!!

I like my house at 20 degrees, anything under 18 is rude IMHO.

14?!

Mine is always set to a minimum of 23 C in the autumn and winter.

I have the opposite experience - BIL and SIL heat their house so hot that I'm uncomfortable the whole time I'm there. Even with a window open and in thin t-shirts it's stifling for us. At least if it's too cold you can put other layers on - there's nothing DH and I can do to cool down!

Omg - our thermostat is set to 23 degrees at this time of year. Even at 21 I would feel cold. But 14 degrees..... I would shrivel up and die. That is perishing for an indoor temperature

Yuck! Heating kicks in under 20C in our house. Anything lower than that and I’m COLD and uncomfortable.