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AIBU?

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Original poster

I want to relax, owner controlling central heating remotely

184 replies

PaddingtonBearPumpkinstare · 26/10/2019 11:52

I am currently on a long weekend with DH and two DC. Whilst the cottage is lovely and we can’t fault it, the heating is controlled remotely via an app by the owner. It is set to 22 degrees and to come on at 6.30am to 10am and then 4pm to 10pm. If we want to alter the temperature or turn it on or off we have to text the owner and ask her to do it. Is this the norm?! I’ve never heard of this before.

We only arrived last night and have already had to text her twice. We arrived just as it was starting up at 4pm and as I was unpacking I was absolutely boiling and had to open all the windows upstairs. Our heating at home is never above 19, DH asked her to turn it down. She said she’d turn it down to 20 for the rest of our stay unless she heard otherwise.

During the night DS woke for a bottle at 3am and I was really cold and actually couldn’t get back to sleep for a while. Obviously we couldn’t text her at that time. If that had been at home I would have just put the heating on for an hour whilst he had his bottle. Then this morning at 6am, DS started whinging in his sleep and when I checked him his cheeks were really cold. So this morning DH has texted her again and asked her to put it on at 2am for an hour but she hasn’t yet responded.

I can only assume the reasoning for it is to stop people leaving the heating on all day when they go out. The weather is horrible today and I want to arrive back to a nice toasty cottage but that won’t happen if we arrive back before 4pm.

AIBU to want to relax on this short break and not be pissed off and feel like a child asking for the heating to be put on?

OP posts:
RightYesButNo · 26/10/2019 23:17

As for cameras, I’ve attached pics now of the two main types that come with Hive if you think they might have them (to be honest, that could be another reason they didn’t want you to see they’re Hive Hub, or share the app, if they have cameras). Hive can work with other cameras but these are the two official ones.

I want to relax, owner controlling central heating remotely
I want to relax, owner controlling central heating remotely
Original poster
PaddingtonBearPumpkinstare · 26/10/2019 23:17

@RightYesButNo we've just got into bed and I don't think I saw anything like that but will double check tomorrow. I did see a weird box in the second bedroom when DS went to bed, I'll post a photo of that to see if anyone can identify what it is

@PinkiOcelot oh definitely, I am more likely to sleep better being too hot apart from DS2 has other ideas but I can easily open windows to deal with that

OP posts:
starfishmummy · 26/10/2019 23:28

@holidayletter we regularly holiday in a cottage that had a hive fitted a couple of years ago. We can just change the thermostat or the timer on the actual hive box. Its great if we get cold as we can just turn the heating on straight away and set how long we think we want it on for.

I assume there is an advantage to the owner too. He doesnt live nearby - so presumably he can use the app to check that departing guests have not left the heating on red hot!

SirVixofVixHall · 26/10/2019 23:30

I am over invested in this thread, worrying about your chillyness .. !

lyralalala · 26/10/2019 23:31

There's an alarm which keeps going off in the living room which we can't pinpoint, we are wondering if it's too hot

Where is the boiler? Where is the carbon monoxide alarm?

blowmybarnacles · 26/10/2019 23:43

YANBU.

I lodged in a house once where the couple went away for a week and turned the heating off in such a way the heating never came on - it was mid winter and freezing. I went out and bought myself an electric blanket and a fan heater, which I used with impunity until the day I left.

Fan heaters are cheap. Go buy one.

LIZS · 27/10/2019 01:56

You can have different zones with hive, with separate settings. Seems a bit ott for a holiday cottage though. If you have overridden the timer by putting it on boost or continuous radiators may remain hot until the ambient temp is reached.

GuessWhoColeen · 27/10/2019 02:09

I would text him to say optimum enjoyment is personal choice, and definately ask him where the recycling is, as we cannot find it?

Buddytheelf85 · 27/10/2019 02:47

My heating is on all day and night - it kicks in if the temp drops below 21.5deg. We move the thermostat to where we need it (usually ds2 bedroom). It often kicks in around midnight as the outside temp drops.

Sorry if your son has a condition that means he needs to be ultra warm but just so you’re aware it’s safest for a baby’s room to between 16 and 20 degrees! 21.5 is roasting!

www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/baby-room-temperature/

Bibijayne · 27/10/2019 03:31

Our heating is on a thermostat at 19degrees C. It only kicks on if the temperature drops below 18.5 C. Like other posters, it's on a wireless receiver so we keep it in the nursery most of the time. It's usually more efficient to keep a house at a steady temperature where the heating only comes on with need than to use a timer.

WhinyWa · 27/10/2019 04:11

Hive a nice sleep...

Original poster
PaddingtonBearPumpkinstare · 27/10/2019 05:03

@lyralalala it was coming from the back of the tv, the one I think it us seems to be stuck down so I couldn't pick it up to check. Good shout though, I'll check that today!

OP posts:
Original poster
PaddingtonBearPumpkinstare · 27/10/2019 05:06

It's now 5/6am stupid clock change and we have no idea if the heating came on during the night as we asked as DS slept through for 10 hours! 8pm to 6am! Woo hoo!! But it was definitely warmer in here when we went to bed which made the difference I think

OP posts:
sunnyblue · 27/10/2019 05:18

ywbvu to buy an overpriced iPhone in the first place Halo

CheshireChat · 27/10/2019 12:05

Meh, the temperature guidelines vary depending on the country so I wouldn't say 21.5 is necessarily too hot.

nuxe1984 · 27/10/2019 17:42

it kicks in if the temp drops below 21.5deg

Blimey - no wonder the planet's in such a mess!

I grew up in a house without central heating. You don't need it on at night unless you happen to be up (ie: maybe feeding/settling a baby, working late, etc. - but even then I've never put it on in the middle of the night when feeding my DC or up with them ill).

If you wake up in the middle of the night and are cold, put a blanket on the bed. If you have to get up, put slippers and a dressing gown on.

Having said that, it would piss me off if I couldn't control the heating. I would be way too hot most of the time at 22 degrees and want to turn it down.

I would text the owner in the middle of the night. If you're being inconvenienced then why shouldn't they? I would also point out that the timings don't fit into your day and there are times when you have to open the windows (thus wasting their heat) and times when you're freezing.

KatyCarrCan · 27/10/2019 18:00

I had to check where you were staying. We had the same thing in an airbnb last month. But our's was in Ireland and there wasn't a thermostat in the place we were renting. All the controls were in a locked garage through the wall that we couldn't access. We ended up buying a little electric heater too!

Pepperpot99 · 27/10/2019 18:12

They sound awful, OP.

If they were that concerned with the environment they wouldn't be 2nd home owners renting out their property and encouraging people to drive vast distances to stay there, the hypocritical tossers.

OnlineShopping · 27/10/2019 18:16

Definitely mention in detail about this when you leave a review. I would want to know and would either make sure I had assurances from the owner it wouldn’t happen or else stay elsewhere.

Preggosaurus9 · 27/10/2019 18:30

This is awful! And what's with all the responses saying suck it up? If people want to be cold at night they are welcome to, no need to get all judgy on those of us who'd rather be warm.. I could not cope with that, not a holiday at all. Crap heating is one thing but for it actually to be OFF is another thing altogether! I'd be leaving and demanding a full refund. Utter knobs!

BlueJava · 27/10/2019 18:37

That's a ridiculous arrangement from the owner! If you are on holiday in a property you expect to be able to control the heating yourselves. Did it point this out in the conditions when you booked it? If not then it definitely needs to be made very clear. I think I'd complain because you shouldn't have to keep her hours (esp. with a baby). Supposing you want to go to be v late and get up v late... perfectly reasonable on a break away.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 27/10/2019 18:41

The instructions for the heating should really be in the welcome pack. Definitely controlling and bloody rude.

FelicisNox · 27/10/2019 19:01

YANBU and I would put this in your feedback.

LemonRedwood · 27/10/2019 19:18

I have no idea about Hive but @AnchorDownDeepBreath are you sure there is no flap hiding buttons of some sort on your Honeywell one? We spent a few months thinking our Honeywell only had an info screen before realising there were lots of buttons hiding behind a flap that didn't look like a flap.

Can you post a picture? It does seem completely ridiculous to be app-only controlled.

Original poster
PaddingtonBearPumpkinstare · 27/10/2019 19:21

I have just found a visitors book so I will make sure I leave a helpful comment in there to contact the owners regarding controlling the heating Halloween Grin

When I do my review I will also quote the Lullaby Trust recommendation that room temperature is between 16 and 20 degrees to help prevent SIDS so to have the heating set at 22 degrees for nearly 12 hours of the day and leave us cold overnight is unacceptable. They know we have a baby as they rang to ask if we wanted a travel cot and we had to declare DS on the booking. I am kicking myself for not bringing our gro egg but I didn't think it would be necessary for 3 nights!!

We were in an area with little or no signal today and the owners tried to call DH a few times. I wonder if they are trying to cover themselves so if when we complain to Hoseasons they can say they tried to call to discuss it although there was nothing to discuss once we knew where the thermostat was

OP posts: