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?

Heated blanket? And some wooleys and thermals. My DH goes around the house barefoot, no wonder he gets cold and the soles of his feet are black!

Ours is a huge house and it's no where near that amount. I have mine on 90 mins in morning and 2/3 hours evening heats to 19'c That's fine for us.

I suggested electric blanket he won't have it, wears nothing in bed

@reallyagain

Gas central heating albeit last year was with BG

What temperature are you having it on to spend £660 a month on heating?

We're with BG too and as I said, £40 a month for ours.

If you don't have thermostatic valves on radiators, see about fitting them, they are ideal for situations like this. I can see where he is coming from, I don't like to skimp on heating, I see it as a necessity I can afford if I'm working, I'll cut back elsewhere.

At the moment we have it on 6am-8am and 4pm -7pm. During the day we use jumpers and heat pads to keep warm. If it gets really cold ie freezing then we'll put an oil heater on in the study.

But anyway, no way would we stick the central heating on all day, it would cost a fortune.

How much?!!!!! That’s double my mortgage!

What temperature do you heat the house to?!

My gas and electric was about £60 last year for a two bed Victorian end terrace (with double glazing, v poor loft insulation). I worked from home. The house is heated to 18 in the morning and the evenings, topped up maybe once in the day if required. Goes to 19 as a weekend treat. I wear socks, sheepskin slippers, leggings, thermal long sleeved top, wool jumper. Once I have to wear a scarf it's Too Cold.

Do people feel 19 degrees is ok, or what sort of range?

We have a large 4 bed house, 5 of us, 2 of whom WFH full time, heating on constantly from October to March and I thought our gas and electricity bill was horrific at around £300 per month.

£660 a month?!! I have a big and draughty house, am home all day and by no means frugal and spend nothing like that - that is absolutely nuts. Are you sure you don’t have a faulty meter/inverted readings or something? What were your bills the year before?

YABU I hate being cold, it makes me miserable and my body starts to shut down. Our hearing is on thoughout the house all day as we both work from home. I work in the bit with underfloor heating which is lovely and toasty.
I can't abide people who expect you to dress like the Michelin man while your nose goes blue as you breathe in icy air.

If I had to buy merino wool layers, sheepskin slippers, thermal tops, heated throws etc for 5 of us it would probably cost more than our heating bill 🤷🏻‍♀️

Mousetail can they be applied to standard radiators?

I see your point in saving elsewhere but it's not a few quid we're taking about its mortgage levels

(several thousand on top of already paying quite a high amount per month).

"Several thousand more " ???

I'd get that checked.
I mean, I live in a big rambling old house which has high ceilings and isn't the most energy efficient, but there is no way I would accept a bill of "several thousand" let alone "several thousand above an already high monthly payment".

Do you have a smart meter? That can't be right £660 a month. We have an old boiler, big windows, underfloor heating in the bathroom (juicy), very open plan ground floor and use the tumble dryer and spent a maximum of £270 a month last year, which included when Scottish power broke our boiler and we had nothing but fan heaters for days, it would've been cheaper to burn five pound notes. I just don't see how you can spend £660 a month in a 3 bed

Our heating was ~£300 a month last winter and that was us being frugal, only turning it on a few hours morning and night. So I could easily see if you had the thermostat up at 20 all day it would be getting on for £600.
A combination of original single glazing, high ceilings, solid walls and general draughtiness alongside an older heating system makes WFH a fair expense.

we were averaging £660pm

are you sure theres not anything wrong with your meter?!?! How big is the house?
Is it solid wall or cavity. If its cavity get them insulated. Is the roof insulated? Is the boiler working properly. Have you got proper heavy curtains in front of windows and doors. Theres a reason velvet was fashionable historically

He has icebreaker layers of all kinds, he's an outdoors sort

My heating is on from 8am till 10.30pm at 18 degrees, if I'm cold I'll turn it up a degree or two. I pay £98 for gas and electric per month (100 year old extended terrace, four bedrooms, three receptions plus kitchen). £660 pcm sounds insane!

We have different temperatures for different rooms. I'd want my office at at least 19 during the day, but the bedrooms / hallway don't need to be that warm and tend to sit at maybe 17 ish. We had thermostatic radiator valves fitted when we first moved in. 660 a month is insane though, how much insulation does your house have?

Solid walls. New boiler 2 years ago

How on earth does it cost £660pm?

Yanbu, and I say that as someone who feels the cold. I don't heat the house in the day when I'm working/the kids are at nursery. DH brought a small radiator for the room and I take the portable thermostat up with me. I also brought fluffy slippers and put on a jumper before the heating.

@reallyagain

Do people feel 19 degrees is ok, or what sort of range?

We both wfh and 19 is about where we put it. I’ll wear a jumper, plus thick socks, and I’m not cold. We’d put it up if we were too cold.

We brought bottle gas heater as at least we know what we are spending buying the bottles. Would you be better going on payment meter?