To be fed up with DH turning off the hot water?!

[Daffodil2018]

Just that really. I'm on mat leave at the moment so in the house most of the day. Every single time I go to run the hot tap, only cold comes out so I go and check the water tank and - lo and behold - he's turned the hot water completely off AGAIN. He does it all the time.

This is so fucking annoying on many levels. I want to wash my hands in hot water after changing a nappy. I don't want to have to wait half an hour to run DD a warm bath each evening. There is a timer setting, which he could just leave it on, but NO. Off entirely.

I've asked him so many times not to do it and he either LIES (!!!) about it or says "but we don't need it on all the time". He is being a stingy bastard if you ask me. Alright for him going off to his office all day.

I literally do nothing except look after the baby at the moment and I think having hot water to wash my hands/her stuff in is not just hygienically necessary but a basic comfort too. AIBU?!

Have you asked him why he lies about switching it off?

I am loving some of these revenge ideas

Turn it off before he will be wanting to use it, and ensure that you run all the hot water off first.

Agree, turn it on as soon as he leaves, but if he uses it at night, ensure it is off and cold then.

There is no way you should have to explain or justify anything to him! You're an adult woman who's perfectly capable of not bankrupting the family with excessive hot water usage.

Work out the most efficient way to set your timer and tell him there's no need to touch it.

I haven't asked why, no, I've just shouted "THAT'S A LIE YOU DICK" at him. He lies because he knows I'll get annoyed.

if he just leaves it on the timer (6-7am and 6-7pm) shouldn't that give me enough hot water for the day and evening?
Yes if the tank is well insulated and you're not running baths during the day.

I don’t mean turn the hot water off while he’s in the shower. I mean go in the bathroom, reach into the shower and turn the tap to cold. You will get wet 😬

The tank should be lagged to keep water hot.

And everytimr you are both catching up with people or at his mums or she is there turn the tap on, sigh blissfully and say oh my god, hot water- I’ve missed this! Then explain.

Mine is on twice a day, a couple of hours before we get up, mid-afternoon for the kids baths, that's more than enough.

I don't know your set-up, but if you use the emergency heater surely it's more expensive than having a regular program.

How small is your tank or how little is it heated if the water does get cold so quickly?

Two great ideas there

That's what I instinctively thought, that two hours of "heating" per day would create enough hot water for all day. The tank is lagged yes.

I've put it on timer tonight and I swear to god if it is off again in the morning I am going to lose my shit.

Big tank. I suspect it's never on long enough for the tank to get hot!

Actually, this combined with his blatant lying makes me think this is deliberate and actually quite nasty behaviour.

Sorry OP

You play with your timer a bit, experiment with shorter time until you have enough hot water for the kids bath, yours and as much as you need really.

Let us know how your DH enjoys his cold showers

You need to nip this in the bud now OP, give it a few months and you'll want the heating on and he'll turn that off too !!

The house I currently rent has an electric shower, so I don't need to heat water for that. I've found that half an hour twice a day gives us sufficient hot water for hand washing, pot washing, etc.

Change it to a combi boiler!

Combi boilers aren't suitable for every property

Rather than bother with the research/explanation/argument, I would just get into the habit of checking it when you get up in the morning or whenever’s convenient and reset it to what you want. This will take a second and save a whole heap of wrangling. It’s one of the irritations of cohabiting and not worth wasting mental or emotional energy on when it can be solved with the pressing of one button.

If the tank is a modem one ie in the last 10 - 15 years and has that Green insulation around it then just leave the damm thing on it does not use anymore power at all.

OK well it might just leak a tensey bit but theats to keep the airing cupboard warm.

I wonder if it means soimehtimng eolse this odd behaviour?.

Your statement "He lies because he knows I will get annoyed" is a red flag. Is he trying to antagonise you?
I get the feeling this isn't just about hot water.

Put a piece of tape over the off switch with something stern written on it.

Change the nappy and wipe your hands on his pillow then next time his towel.

also...

‘Sorry darling there was no hot water, so I haven’t washed my hands all day‘. AFTER he’s eaten the tea you’ve just made. Bonus points for a finely chopped salad and peeled fruit.

Couple of bouts of the shits will cure him of it.

It’s one of the irritations of cohabiting
Christ you must have had some shits of housemates. No, turning the hot water off is not an ‘irritation if cohabiting’

When I was on mat leave DH left me in charge of what went on in the house, and I did the same for him when he was on a (considerably longer) career break to look after DS after I went back to work. Your husband needs to wind his neck in.