To wonder if this is a good idea

[CormacMcLaggen]

I visited a friend today to take cakes and to coo and ahh at her new lovely house. We usually meet in town, I think I've only visited her in her old place once or twice in summer.

It was noticeably chilly freeeezing as we sat in her new living room; I kept my coat on and held my cuppa tightly. I mentioned, breezily, it was getting much colder now and the nights were drawing in, etc.

She laughed and said 'Maybe, but I never put the central heating on until 1st November. And it goes off again 1st May.'

I'm more of a try-a-jumper-first but if it's still cold then-pop-the-heating-on household, but is this self regulation a great idea?

#whatwouldgretado?

We have a 1st October to 1st April rule. Exceptions being when we have very (under 12month) children.

#whatwouldgretado?

But why a rule? If its chilly I pop the heating on (within reason) I'd be quite embarrassed if a visitor was so cold they had to keep their coat on!

Oh no, can't bare being cold, especially at home

We just have a thermostat. It's kind of irrelevent what the date is if the temperature drops.

Fuck that.
When my heating goes on is dictated by the temperature and not a calendar.

I'd be quite embarrassed if a visitor was so cold they had to keep their coat on

To be honest, so would I. But then I also admire my friend's ability to not give any fuckity fucks!

I think it's odd, unless you are really short of money and struggle to pay heating bills.

We have heating but only turn it on once a year to see if it still works

@easyandy101 do you live...somewhere very warm?

I would automatically put the heating on in cold weather if I was expecting guests. I don't put it on on a particular date - I put it on based in how cold it is.

Same here, heating goes on if it's cold. I can't imagine it being done to an arbitrary date and sitting freezing your ass off till then,

So odd. If my house is cold the heating goes on , isn't it really just as simple as that?

I’m quite warm blooded but hate being cold at home, it’s just miserable. So I have the heating on if I need it. I’m not stupid, I don’t sit there in shorts and a t shirt in January, but I don’t sit there in so many layers I can’t move either.

If someone was clearly freezing in my flat I would want to do something about it, even if I was comfortable. If it was 30 degrees and I was sweating while they claimed to be cold I might just hand them a blanket, but generally I’d put the heating on for them.

If you can afford it and are cold, put heating on 🤷‍♀️ I think it’s silly to have rules based on what date it is, particularly given last winter’s heatwave (was sunbathing in swimsuit in February where I am in south england).

How weird, normally 31st October is much colder than 30th April, but her rule would have her freezing on the former and sweltering on the latter.

Where's her new house, Spam Valley?

her rule would have her freezing on the former and sweltering on the latter.

I'm guessing she doesn't have on if it's warm but only if it's cold and between her permitted dates.

Maybe she's comfortably warm down to 10 degrees?! I wish I was.

I hate central heating and very rarely have it on - don't mind the cold and prefer to wear dressing gowns and thick socks. Friends have commented in the past .....

I get really bad headaches when the heating is on. Last year I used about£60 in gas All winter as if I was cold I would just put on another layer or do something that kept me active. I also tend not to invite people round (for this and other reasons). This year as I now have a baby to consider my thermostat is set to 20 in the daytime and 15 at nighttime it will stay this way until dc is about 9/10.