To wonder about the heating bills for WFH?

[CheetasOnFajitas]

It’s occurred to me, now that colder weather has set in and it looks like those who can do so will be WFH for the next 6 months- the heating bills are going to be through the roof!

Has anyone’s employer acknowledged that home-based employees are going to have to bear this cost? I know for some it will be offset by no commuting costs, but not for all: my husband and I cycle to work normally.

I do acknowledge that I am personally lucky to (a) have a job that can be done from home and (b) have a job at all.

@Xiaoxiong oof I would hate that, I assume they cover the bills? I think if you’re living in a property then you should be able to decide if you can put the heating on or not.

@Xiaoxiong

Our landlord controls the heat in our house and it doesn't get switched on until the end of October and then off in March (freezing cold high ceilings, no double glazing or insulation, etc). I've got a whole system to keep warm at my desk on cold days - electric blanket across my knees, big blanket scarves, thermals under tops AND trousers, flannel-lined jeans, stand up at least once an hour to move around or you really get cold. I have been known to wear a hat at my desk.

The only thing I haven't solved is my hands getting cold while typing. Wrist warmers don't cover my fingers, and I can't type in gloves.

That’s insane. My employer would make an exception and allow me to come to the office if those were my working conditions.

@changing35

You are saving on travel / commuring expenses. Use that !

No, we’re not! Maybe a quick re-read of the OP?

Yes I actually live in DH's place of work, his employer is our landlord (tied accommodation). We have a whatsapp group among the neighbours that is basically devoted solely to talking about how cold we all are, swapping strategies for staying warm, and finding out if everyone else's heat has been turned on yet Once the heat is on, we only pay for it as a taxable benefit so at least that's something.

I've claimed through the tax thing Op. also, hot water bottles... it's the way forward !

I work ten minutes away from home so my savings are miniMap and expenses for WFH are higher. As I don't earn enough to pay tax I can't claim it back.

Minimal nit minimap whatever that is !

[quote unmarkedbythat]You can claim £6 a week from HMRC:

www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-home[/quote]
You don't get £6 a week, you can claim the tax on £6 per week so its more like £1:20.

It sounds like you’ve been onto a winner for a long time compared to many with subsidised lunches and no commuting costs, so although heating will cost you more, I’d just suck it up tbh. If you needed extra equipment then your employer should pay for that so you can wfh, but something like the temperature a house should be is so subjective and your employers shouldn’t have to consider whether you live in a small modern house with efficient heating or a large old one where bills are higher. That stuff is for you to deal with in the same way that your chosen method of transport to work is.

When i started working from home (pre-Covid) our combined gas and electric costs increased by about 10% spread across the year - so £60 to £66 - not really astronomical (and i'm not stingy with the heating, we've got it on now :-) ). I did look about getting an electric radiator to heat one room only rather than the central heating but it didn't seem worth it when you consider the costs of buying the radiator in the first place

You know it’s not your employer asking you to wfh right? They are stumping up for empty office costs so not sure why they should pay for your increased costs? Having said that, our employer has given the maximum tax free amount a month to us

I don't generally live in the U.K. and the combination of poor heating and no insulation where we live is not a great. I bought a fluffy onesie from Tesco a few years ago and wear it in the house. Coupled with some bootie style slippers you basically have no gaps and it's a godsend in the cold. The alternative for me would be sitting under a blanket but then as soon as you move you're still cold. £20 on a onesie could save a fortune in energy bills.

Surely even subsidised lunches are more expensive than catering for yourself at home? I once worked somewhere with a subsidised canteen, so things were cheap compared to a cafe/coffee shop, but still more expensive than if you'd bought ingredients to make your own.

I work for a Gvt quango and we get £24 a month towards our heating. The only perk I’ve ever had as a public servant!

@CatBatCat are you sure? Or have I mixed two schemes up? The gov website says "From 6 April 2020 your employer can pay you up to £6 a week (£26 a month) to cover your additional costs if you have to work from home. For previous tax years the rate is £4 a week (£18 a month)."

www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees/working-at-home

@TheTeenageYears

I don't generally live in the U.K. and the combination of poor heating and no insulation where we live is not a great. I bought a fluffy onesie from Tesco a few years ago and wear it in the house. Coupled with some bootie style slippers you basically have no gaps and it's a godsend in the cold. The alternative for me would be sitting under a blanket but then as soon as you move you're still cold. £20 on a onesie could save a fortune in energy bills.

Can’t do client calls in a fluffy onesie!

Or his it that they pay you £6 a week that you are not taxed on? Why is nothing ever clear?

Heated blankets/throws are the way forward. I can have one plugged in and over my knees whilst I'm working and I'm lovely and toasty.

www.argos.co.uk/product/7074572

I think we get something like £6 off our bill.
You can turn all other radiators off except where you are working.
Both me and dh have our own office, the rest of the house is cold until we put them back on at night.

I wouldn't have thought so because people are saving on travel costs, but it's a good point if you live very close to work with minimal travel costs usually.

@Xiaoxiong get yourself some fingerless gloves!!
And couldn't you have a word with your landlord about amending the heating control arrangements?

@unmarkedbythat

Or his it that they pay you £6 a week that you are not taxed on? Why is nothing ever clear?

You can claim tax relief on £6 per week, so it works out about £1.20 per week saving if your tax rate is 20%, or £2.40 a week if you're a higher tax bracket.

blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2020/04/martin-lewis--working-from-home-due-to-coronavirus--claim-p6-wk-/

I find that having the heat on low all day is more cost and energy efficient than having to warm the place up from scratch every few hours.

And speaking as an employer who has bent over backwards to accommodate staff, provide the tax free allowance, consult with staff about long term plans, adjust to different needs, give a pay rise AND bear the personal brunt of keeping the business that keeps them employed afloat, I'm afraid I take a dim view of any whining after extras from my staff.

I’m the same. Had no commuting costs and my lunches were from home anyway.

My gas and electricity has increased by £11 a month since WFH plus having to use my own mobile for calls has made me one of the few who WFH hasn’t been a Monet saver

Sorry money saver. If I had a few Monets squirrelled away I’d be chuffed!