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?

@RosesAndHellebores

Your figures are incomprehensible op. We have a 3500sq ft house, built in 1920s, hive heating, solar panels, double glazing. Heating is set to 18° and not all the house is heated all the time (I have a plug in radiator when working from home). Our energy bills are about £3.5k per annum.

Even at 24° I cannot see how a 1400 sq foot terrace costs £7200+ per annum to heat unless you have all the windows open as well A contributor to the bills may be the way your house faces - are those big bays north facing?

It's not £660 for all 12 months just through winter.

That said £660/month for a small house like that is beyond my comprehension!

The OH in this is a total knob

@reallyagain

I said it was a monthly amount in the winter, that's very clear. Only an idiot would think an energy bill would be the same in summer

Maybe give the amount for the year then or is that such a dramatic amount as the odd month you paid £660.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow I have a thread on non-wool knitwear in S&B at the moment as I have eczema too Have you tried the thermals from Uniqlo? I have the top and leggings and they are just like a normal fabric (not hairy/fleecy) but are nice and toasty. I can relate to the wristwarmer thing as well - the inside of the wrist is one of the places I tend to have bad patches so can’t have anything there and have all my sleeves rolled up slightly, had to stop wearing my Fitbit as well.

Anyone can have a large monthly bill to pay if they paid fuck all the rest of the year

@SoftSheen

Compromise and get a small electric heater for DH so that he can heat just the room he is working in.

This is what I do.

I will clearly say this again, the total amount incurred in 6 months divided by 6 was £660pm. The maths is correct

As I've said a couple of times already BG has been unable to bill us for summer and this is subject to various complaints. Still waiting for it although have since switched. They're blaming a system upgrade issue. This means I can't provide you with a 12 month bill. Believe me that's more of a problem for me than it is for you

Look at the bigger picture:

If this is still due to WFH are you claiming the small tax allowance? (Is it still available?)
And are you setting increased heating costs against commuting costs, and coffees / lunches out during the week?

I haven’t had the heating in during the day yet, and am trying to work out whether an electric heater in one room is cheaper than heating half the house.

Tuftymarmoset, l can only wear silk and cotton. Acrylic/polyester is made of tiny tiny plastic rods that have been cut up. It’s these that irritate my skin. Fleece is made from the same.

It’s a pain in the arse

User do you know the meaning of the word "incurred"? I'm assuming not given your last post

Edge the monthly tax rebate is about £6pm? He still buys pastries and coffee so no savings there. Cheaper lunch will be the only real saving, well offset by increased use of power for pcs etc

What user said @reallyagain. If we were to pay monthly it would be a set monthly payment every month with the summer months subsidising the winter months. DH won't do that and pays the bills as they come in but is forever telling me what we pay and totting up the annual cost. I forever tell him that if he'd set up a monthly standing order, we'd get a discount but he's averse to to giving the utilities money in advance.

I am aware that the hard winter quarter is well over £1000 with the late autumn quarter nudging it. But that's per quarter. During lockdown four adults worked from home; three of us here all the time now and ds for half the year. We therefore have high dishwasher, lighting, washing machine usage. The solar panels help keep costs down - have a think about them op, depending on direction of your roof.

Wow, now I’m a chilly morsel and hate being cold and this has brought some minor bickering in the past with my OH, but what you’re experiencing is insane! Our thermostat is set at 20-21 and I will always put warmer clothes on first if I’m chilly as I’m aware I feel the cold more than most, but I’m also super conscious of bills (my OH is useless on this front!) and would have a heart attack if I had a bill of £660! You are definitely NBU, he needs to layer up, think about the environment and your pockets. I agree with a poster further up in saying to your DH that “this should be the monthly bill for gas and so this is what I’m paying towards it. If you want it warmer then you contribute more to pay for it” Good luck!

Allina yes - I've set out new DD with the new supplier at £180pm which I think should be reasonable (especially given responses here). I'll check on it monthly by taking meter readings

OP what is the average bill per annum? (might provide us with more of an idea). You say that you have checked it out and that is normal and that you are getting a smart meter fitted. Thats good. I would put this in your DHs hands. Ask him to take over sorting out why the bill is so high. Tell him that you are worried that you are paying the wrong rates. Another question, how are you actually affording this? Are you big wage earners?

callme it came out of savings

Sorry OP cross posted for annum bill.

£660 x 6 = £3,960
£180 x 12 = £2,160

How on earth can you say that you think £180pm, will be reasonable when that for a year is basically half of what you paid in 6 months last year?! This would only make sense if the new supplier was way cheaper, but you're insistent your DH is the sole problem. If he changes nothing, why on earth would your bills drop by enough that £180 is sufficient?

Nothing in this thread makes sense!

Wow did you read where I cited the ave temp and hours the house was being heated to?

As I've already explained many many times, I've moved suppliers, and expect usage behaviour to change significantly

@RosesAndHellebores

What user said *@reallyagain*. If we were to pay monthly it would be a set monthly payment every month with the summer months subsidising the winter months. DH won't do that and pays the bills as they come in but is forever telling me what we pay and totting up the annual cost. I forever tell him that if he'd set up a monthly standing order, we'd get a discount but he's averse to to giving the utilities money in advance.

I am aware that the hard winter quarter is well over £1000 with the late autumn quarter nudging it. But that's per quarter. During lockdown four adults worked from home; three of us here all the time now and ds for half the year. We therefore have high dishwasher, lighting, washing machine usage. The solar panels help keep costs down - have a think about them op, depending on direction of your roof.

We have similar size properties and bills to you. As posted previously 4000 sq. feet period house with high ceilings and large windows, underfloor heating on ground floor. Costs just over 4k per year to heat. I work from home.

Fixed rate so monthly bill around £334.

25-30 degress is very high, no wonder the bills are so expensive, I'm sorry your husband won't listen to you! £600pcm is crazy.

I have a similar size terraced house to yours, with a loft conversion, new price estimate from the energy provider averages at £90pcm for gas over the whole year. Heating max is 19 degrees, it isn't on all day in the winter. Mine was very draughty when I bought it, it felt Artic, I've done lots of draughtproofing to help, think thermal curtains and blinds, plugging gaps under doors etc. Is yours similar?

People are allowed to feel comfortable in their own home.

Only if they can afford it.

I'd love to have to have the heating on now, but it's already been on for 45 minutes this morning to get the temperature above 17 (it was 16.2 when I got up) and given the price increases we're going to have to restrict when we have the heating on more than we did already - the thermostat was already set at 18, so I'm not turning that down any further.

Instead I have an extra couple of layers and a flask of tea.

Thanks dolls yes, I'm also getting someone round to look at insulation

24 degrees is a very high thermostat setting. Really hot. I’m sure he wouldn’t go to work and insist that the thermostats are turned up to 24 so that he can walk around in a T shirt.

Why on earth is he starting the day with a cold shower? What a ridiculous thing to do. No wonder he's cold and needs to wack the heating up.

Didge I've no idea, I've suggested he might think about switching to a hot shower instead of a cold shower in winter her but he won't hear of it