How cold is too cold?

[DuploTower]

For a house?

Am I being unreasonable thinking 13 degrees is too cold?

I'm freezing.

What's normal?

That is too low, even a couple of degrees warmer 15-16 would make a huge difference I bet.

13 is too low. You'll be surprised by how much warmer you feel at 15 or 16. We have ours set at 19. I tried 17 but for some reasons the upstairs rooms weren't getting enough heat so we went up to 19 so all rooms are comfortable.

How healthy are you all? Do your kids suffer from chest infections, continual snotty noses, asthma or anything else which may be worsened/exist because of the cold conditions you are living in?

Do you know you can qualify for a new free boiler through a government scheme if you qualify? Surely that would be better than you all freezing to death. Men don’t feel the cold as much as women. Why should you have to suffer. It’s not fair on any of you.

I also live on the side of a mountain in the Valleys and my thermostat is set at 16. I've never felt more like Jean Claude Van Damme in a beer advert.

I find 20 or 21c a comfortable temperature

We have lpg. It costs about £50 a month for a large 4 bed. We keep ours at 16 at night and 18 during the day which is fine

I've said on here before but gas and electricity is really one of the lower bills in a household. Mine is £63 per month for three bed house. Temp always 18 to 21 degrees.

Are you allowed to see the bills? I ask as this seems control issue and it wasn't until I was single mum and running own house that I realised how cheap it is.
My dad and ex were both controlling about lowering heating and lights being turned off yet they could afford plenty of beer.
£2 a day is v cheap - that's with my full useage. And it costs more to turn electric things inc lights off and on again or with heating to cool then reheat than to keep it on.

One of my student flats had single glazing and it was 12C without heating. It was horrible, I had my thickest duvet on from October-April plus a blanket and went to bed with two hot water bottles and at least 2 layers on. The electric shower was useless as well so I'd be cold under the shower too. Not sure what out home is set to currently but it's definitely more than a measly 12C!

We turn our heating on when we get up to about 18, at the most 20. It’s off when we’re out or at work. Sometimes I don’t have it on at all. But it’s always on in the evening.

I like to be warm after growing up in a cold house. I just remember being cold and it was horrible.

I get cold really easily & could easily live in a hot dry place like Crete or Lanzarote.
I have my heating at 22 or 23 but off at night.
I know that's quite hot but my home isn't well insulated so if the heating is any lower it actually feels quite cold.
Or I'm just a wuss. Whatever.

The problem is my gas bill is too high.
Not surprising I guess.

We’re clearly a lizard family based on other replies.
Our heating is never below 24 -even in summer.

OMG, I'm a person who loves a cold house, but 13 degrees is too cold (except in my bedroom at night, because I love an open window). I don't let the house go below 15 for long. 15 is fine for me. 18 is short sleeves.

I am curious as to how much you are currently spending to live at 13 degrees? Are your expectations about the cost of heating out of whack ?

Just to add that fan heaters are really poor and inefficient. You can get much more heat from electric radiators/panel heaters. I would have one in the lounge and one in each bedroom on timers.

I’d sooner it took an extra year to save up to replace the heating and I could be warm, than get it done sooner but freeze for a couple of years.

Way too cold. Before we had kids we kept ours at 18, now we do 20 degrees.

can't you get a loan instead of saving and freezing for years to come?

@Hagbeth
20 degrees a ground level and 19.5 upstairs.
Can you actually detect the difference??
This is not worth the trouble of having two thermostats!

Dh thinks 13 is fine and doesn’t warrant putting the heating on. I ignore him completely and prefer 18.

My thermostat in my hall is set to 24, that means the rest of the flat is a comfortable 20-22. No way would I let the temperature drop to 13, it would be illegal to work in that temperature.

15 here mornings and evenings; heating isn't on at all during the day unless it's extra-cold (which it hasn't been at all this winter). I work at home and can get cold (my job is sedentary and I sit right next to a window). But I hate a warm stuffy house; I prefer to drink tea and wear thermals and nice woolly jumpers.

@GoatyGoatyMingeMinge We just put the thermostat on what felt comfortable. It had two thermostats when we bought it.

My ex liked 13. I have temperature at 18 to 22.
It's unhealthy to have it that low imo.

Maybe men like it lower as men for generations since time began worked outdoors?

I'd rather eat cheaply and wear old clothes / old car / no hobbies than be cold.
It's top priority after roof over head.
Luckily it's cheap though, so no need to be extreme.

I think you're being abused and don't know how cheap it is in relation to all costs ( inc food / petrol) of life.