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?

You seem to have chilled out a little over it

Husband must be relieved (and warm!)

And ds must be relieved than not going to be 6 months of anger and sulking!

My point was, why is it the person who wants the window open who has to be accommodated? This is one of those marital incompatibilities that can only be resolved by compromise

We both just wear our underpants to bed. I cant make myself any cooler. He can easily make himself warmer with a layer on.

At a rate of 4p per KW per hr

EON currently charging 2.97 per unit. Or does your 4p include the standing charge?

So if it goes on at 6am, and it's on all day until 11pm?

And that assumes it is actually “ON” for 17 hours a day. Most wouldn’t be with thermostats etc.

I'm with your husband on this. It's miserable feeling chilly in a cold room, especially when it's your home which is supposed to be your sanctuary. Just putting on an extra layer doesn't really help. And I also like to wear nothing or just thin pajamas to bed. I would be very uncomfortable in thick heavy pajamas.

@BoredZelda

At a rate of 4p per KW per hr

EON currently charging 2.97 per unit. Or does your 4p include the standing charge?

So if it goes on at 6am, and it's on all day until 11pm?

And that assumes it is actually “ON” for 17 hours a day. Most wouldn’t be with thermostats etc.

Nah I just looked at the current offered costs for new deals.

Re ran with new cost oer kw:-

£550 of gas would cover 754 hours of constant boiler use. Theres only 720 hours in a month (using 30 day months for sums).

Often it's you who sounds very angry with someone you don't know, how odd

Yes it's £37 in the summer roughly and now we have fixed to 67monthly to cover our winter. That was EON based on our annual. usage. We have a combi boiler for hot water and shower. Heating is all gas and a gas hob/electric cooker. I run the dishwasher daily and only use tumble dryer in the winter though.
Our thermostat is set to 19c Nov to March.

@reallyagain

Often it's you who sounds very angry with someone you don't know, how odd

Huh?

Where do I sound angry?!

Just genuinely curious
How it’s a matter of not paying the mortgage / food bill if your husband doesn’t make changes
And yet he’s not willing to?

I mean… where do you go with that?

I feel for you

But then also…. I feel for him because I feel the cold dreadfully and my bill is jaw dropping but it’s not a matter of mortgage OR very high heating thankfully

Your PA 😀 and digs, I can only assume you're angry yourself in some way to bother with that behaviour

Depending on your age you may naturally feel a lot warmer then him.

The one year I didn’t heat the house to save money I caught flu and it lasted a month. When the bill came it had barely made any difference to the cost.

Am putting off turning it on yet this year but we have to eventually. One of the small bonuses of living in a flat is the heat from the other flats improve the temp of mine.

@reallyagain

Your PA 😀 and digs, I can only assume you're angry yourself in some way to bother with that behaviour

Oh dear

Last winter we were averaging £660pm.

Wow! I hope Greta Thunberg isn’t reading this.

I feel your pain as my DH likes the warmth but we have the setting at 21 this is warm for me.Bedrooms lower heat but we have an electric. OVer blanket on the bed and an electric throw which is amazing.We just want a comfortable temperature.2 storey listed conversion with 2 huge single glazed window not allowed double glazed but Velux in all other rooms.We wear layers why wouldn’t you.Our monthly charges are combined gas and electricity are £97 a month.Why spend so much money when it can be so much better spent.You could overpay the mortgage and retire early,go on lovely holidays .Your DH sounds stubborn,hopefully now you are controlling the bill life will be easier.Good luck.

@reallyagain

Vivienne do you mind me asking how much you spend on gas/electric per month? Last winter we were averaging £660pm. Can't really cut back elsewhere to pay for that! It's a 3 bed house albeit Victorian

Bloody hell!!! Mines £78 pm same size Victorian house! Inc electric

But I don't have the heating on all day

Do you have an open fire? Might be time to invest in opening a chimney and getting one?

Thanks ragruggers

Thanks ragruggers

Cold houses are miserable. I’ll put a jumper on but if I’m still cold the heating goes on. I don’t want to walk around with a blanket round me and cold air.

Conversely I’m always hot at night so have the heating off and windows open.

I’m kind of with your husband but 24 is probably a bit too high and I think one layer is reasonable. So he puts a jumper on. If he’s still cold heating can go on. If you’re married I don’t understand the charging him more thing.

It’s lovely to walk around a warm house. Completely understand if cost of this is an issue though. I just think it’s so miserable being cold in your own home.

The price cap is based on a dual fuel bill paid monthly by dd on an annual plan using 12500 kw hours gas and 2500 kw hours elec. The average price is 4p gas and 21p elec inclusive of VAT and standing charge.

I've been with BG for years and sent monthly meter readings so I actually know my usage in kw hours and it varies. BG take one dd per month and bill six monthly for both fuels. I have a smart meter so there's a daily cost online. At the end of my year in mid Oct BG owed me 6p. I have solid 2'thick walls, live in a cottage with dg and the temp in my sitting room is 20° without any heating. But it's damp at this time of the year so I do dry clothes in a tumble dryer rather than increasing the damp air indoors.

You might find it useful to go back to when you last had an bill based on an actual reading to calculate your usage over the period as you might have incurred some costs prior to last year. (Despite having a new gas meter it's still showing calorific value instead of kw hours so each unit is multipled by 39.3 to get kw hours don't ask me what that means as I've no idea.)

@Anonymous48

I'm with your husband on this. It's miserable feeling chilly in a cold room, especially when it's your home which is supposed to be your sanctuary. Just putting on an extra layer doesn't really help. And I also like to wear nothing or just thin pajamas to bed. I would be very uncomfortable in thick heavy pajamas.

Of course putting on extra layers helps Why do you think people wear coats in winter and hot summer, just for show? Also you probably wouldn’t be uncomfortable in bed in pyjamas at night if your house wasn’t too hot.

I’m a bit depressed at the thought of potential gas shortages this winter. Loads of us doing the right thing wearing layers and turning the thermostat down a wee bit being offset by people keeping it on 24 all the time and refusing to dress more warmly for some bizarre reason.

I agree RobinPenguins. There are people who will have medical reasons to need the heating on more than necessary, but there’s a lot of people who can just wear a jumper or thermals. It’s odd that people complain about rising energy costs, but don’t think of why it’s happening.

We are fully aware of the gas shortages and the potential of rationing over winter. I say potential because it’s a possibility, not guaranteed. All it takes is one boat not arriving and that is the supply very restricted for a week, minimum.

We need to be conserving now, it’s going to get colder and worse before it gets better.

@RobinPenguins

I’m a bit depressed at the thought of potential gas shortages this winter. Loads of us doing the right thing wearing layers and turning the thermostat down a wee bit being offset by people keeping it on 24 all the time and refusing to dress more warmly for some bizarre reason.

Totally agree.

Compromise is probably key here. Maybe agree to heat up the room (office?) he’s in first thing in the morning for 30 mins to take the chill off before giving it another blast just after lunch. Then each have a nice pair of slippers, dressing gown and cardigan/jumper. That’s what we do.

Totally agree @RobinPenguins there are some people who seem to think it’s a human right to blast their heating so they can walk around in shorts and tshirt all winter and I really, really don’t understand that mentality. It’s winter put some clothes on ffs.

I'm actually hoping in a way we do get a few weeks of power rations. It will be interesting to watch the people that take 25c heating for granted probably loose their minds.