To want to restrict how much we have the heating on

[reallyagain]

After a winter working from home last year we were hit with a horrendous heating bill (several thousand on top of already paying quite a high amount per month). So this year with gas prices being so high I’m really conscious of being careful. DH wants it on much more than I do and it’s causing endless rows. He’s turned it on 4 separate times today and is sulking when I comment. We share heating bills - I suggested he pays more to have it on more but he refuses.

How much do you have the heating on if you work from home?

Yep, our energy company folded and we're in for a big hike. I'm so conscious of it this year as loads of things are becoming more expensive all at once. I sympathise OP. I don't want anyone to be cold or uncomfortable but I have to consider the cost. I don't think life's going to get any cheaper any time soon!

Tokyo sorry I really can't be bothered explaining what I've already said several times when you can't be bothered to read the thread

Did the 600 bill come in once you’d submitted readings? If so, then it’s very likely that you underpaid previously and the 600 included the ‘extra’ from previous months.

Whenever I forget to submit, my estimate bills are usually heavily underestimated by the provider (until I manage to get into a bit of credit, then they decide it’s time to overestimate and up the DD amount).

It happened with my water bill too a few years ago, when I first moved in. They underestimated usage by half. Now that I keep on top of the readings, they want my monthly DD to be almost double what it should be based on my usage

@ThePoisonousMushroom

Fine 🤷🏻‍♀️, sorry. It just seems that unless he has it on at 30 degrees constantly it isn’t actually possible to be so high. But I’ll stop posting now.

I agree, it's not really possible if its gas, electric - yes.

OP seems reluctant to give any meaningful figures.

I think your marriage is more important than your heating bill op. A divorce will be more expensive in the long run.
Can you buy several heaters for his room, the bathroom and kitchen? Or a wood burner for him?
Show some kindness?
Some people find being cold triggering - childhoods of being frozen and feeling very poor and expect as working adults not to feel like that again.

it was on an awful lot, and high temp.

That isn't really helpful. An awful lot could be 5 hours, 10, 15? And a high temperature could be anything from 19 - 30 degrees.

If you'd like help with how to reduce the amount then providing accurate information would help posters give you more specific advice.

User I already posted directly to you to explain why. I'm not asking for a forensic examination of my bill (I'm a mathematician and can do this myself thanks). I simply asked re being unreasonable to adjust behaviour in terms of usage

We haven't even put the heating on yet! It doesn't seem cold enough yet to put it on...but I'm hardcore with the cold!

The only situation where the high bills makes sense is if you have been massively underpaying for quite some time.

Whinge between 25-30 I'd say, from 5am to bedtime pretty much

Can you get cavity wall insulation and loft insulation? We had ours done a few years ago and it's made a massive difference. It's actually too hot for me. At the moment we have the heating on for 30 minutes just before we wake up, another 30 minutes around lunch (WFH) and 30 minutes in the evening. During the coldest parts of winter we increase it to an hour. Before we had the insulation done we used to have the heating on for an hour in the morning, go to work and then have it on for 3 or 4 hours in the evening during winter. DH is the type who insists on wearing T-shirt's around the house all year round.

Mike yea I'm going to have someone round to look at this thx

@reallyagain

Whinge between 25-30 I'd say, from 5am to bedtime pretty much

If true that is quite literally insane.

How many kilowatts are not you using?

Sorry meant mildura below

19° is cold

In what world!? It's very warm in London at that temp. 21 is unbearable. But then, I hate summer weather.

Gcgirlsrock, that would be understandable if the op's husband was rigged out like Nanook of the North but it appears he won't even put a bleedin' jumper on. That is ridiculous on so many levels.

I find it difficult to believe that a 3 bed house could actually use 600 quid's worth of gas in a month. We have the heating on quite a bit in a 6 bed detached some of which had solid walls and I don't think we ever paid more than 150 a month for gas. We were working at home and I have Raynauds and am generally a chilly person so the heating was on quite a bit last winter. I think you have a leak or a faulty meter.

@reallyagain

Whinge between 25-30 I'd say, from 5am to bedtime pretty much

Well there's your problem. That's insane.

Whinge I know

I just looked up the square footage of our house, yours is just shy of twice as big but your monthly bill is 14x ours!

@reallyagain

Whinge between 25-30 I'd say, from 5am to bedtime pretty much

Christ that’s hot.

As an FYI I have a reptile native to Africa. It’s tank is kept at 30 degrees. Your husband is insane heating the house to 30 degrees.

Hence the title of my thread

We also have solid walls, old radiators, etc.

Means your hands and feet don't go dead if you can't move around.

How cold does your house have to be for hand and feet to go dead/numb? My temperature app says it's 5C outside and I don't see people wearing gloves yet. Surely 15-17 C inside is warm enough that you aren't going to literally go numb.