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?

@reallyagain

It's not just the room he works in though, he also wants it in in the living room when he's in it and to heat the whole house before we go to bed so he's not cold before he goes to bed. I tell him to put an extra layer on like I do - in his words he shouldn't have to behave like 'a miserly arsehole'

Suggest he gets his wallet out instead and pays 3/4 of the bill

Large 4 bed Victorian here and only £120 p/m with heating on most of the day through winter.

You definitely have a faulty meter! Get that sorted and let him have the heating on. Nothing worse than feeling cold.

@reallyagain

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

I never really liked the idea of electric blankets, don’t know why but I always had this weird idea that they were for really elderly people. Also heard too many horror stories about fires etc. Anyway I got one as a gift last Christmas and wish I'd have bought one years ago. It's the one that you put under the fitted sheet and it's amazing. I used to dread going to bed in winter as our bedroom is freezing but I look forward to it now. I bet if you just bought one and put it on the bed without him knowing he'd love it once he seen how great they are!

Also £660 per month surely you should ring BG and make sure your bills are correct as I don't see how it can be if yours is a 3 bed. Thought you were going to say you lived in a castle with 7 bedrooms to be paying that much per month!

I’m a bit like your husband I’m afraid. No desire to layer up, use hot water bottles, heat pads or heated blankets at home. I’m working from home. I wear jeans and a blouse, usually bare feet. I put the heating on about 8am and it’s on until bedtime. I’ll maybe try and remember to turn it off about an hour before bedtime as I like my bedroom cool, so have the big fan on all night Apart from keeping me cool I think I now find the noise quite soothing. I also have windows open while the heating is on as I like a bit of fresh air too. I put it at 21 but find myself giving it a few boosts throughout the day. We have hive which I think actually costs us more as we can turn it up from our phone so easily.

Husband wanders about house with shorts on too. He says he likes this as feels it’s a bit of luxury he didn’t have as a child as his mum was always trying to save money so put the heating on rarely. We have a five bed detatched. I think our gas and leccie averages about 300 a month but we do have a hot tub and have the tumble drier on quite a bit so that definitely hikes up the bill. Your bills are v high x

£660 a month is a huge huge amount, 19 degrees isn't hot. We're a 21/22 family here.

I'd check your meters every day to see what's happening, somethings wrong somewhere

@Maddison12 I always thought they were for old people too but recently bought one and I love it.
Definitely be wary of the fire issue though. My DP recently attended two house fires on the same night on the same street - both caused by electric blankets.

I have not read to whole thread but , what about a portable Calor Gas heater . He can buy the heater and tank of gas . He can also shift it around with him .
There is a website .

@reallyagain

It's not just the room he works in though, he also wants it in in the living room when he's in it and to heat the whole house before we go to bed so he's not cold before he goes to bed. I tell him to put an extra layer on like I do - in his words he shouldn't have to behave like 'a miserly arsehole'

If he doesn’t want to behave like a miserly areshole he can pay the extra for the heating bill

Or put layers on or get a small heater for where he works and warm the bed up with hot water bottles!

@Mulberrygirl3

I’m a bit like your husband I’m afraid. No desire to layer up, use hot water bottles, heat pads or heated blankets at home. I’m working from home. I wear jeans and a blouse, usually bare feet. I put the heating on about 8am and it’s on until bedtime. I’ll maybe try and remember to turn it off about an hour before bedtime as I like my bedroom cool, so have the big fan on all night Apart from keeping me cool I think I now find the noise quite soothing. I also have windows open while the heating is on as I like a bit of fresh air too. I put it at 21 but find myself giving it a few boosts throughout the day. We have hive which I think actually costs us more as we can turn it up from our phone so easily.

Husband wanders about house with shorts on too. He says he likes this as feels it’s a bit of luxury he didn’t have as a child as his mum was always trying to save money so put the heating on rarely. We have a five bed detatched. I think our gas and leccie averages about 300 a month but we do have a hot tub and have the tumble drier on quite a bit so that definitely hikes up the bill. Your bills are v high x

This is ridiculous. Wasting energy just for the sake of it

We’re in an old granite property with high ceilings, in Scotland, and the heating definitely needs to be on. When we are both in work it’s set to come on 6-8 then 5-11. If one of us/oath of us is at home it gets bumped on again at 8. We have two bedrooms, huge kitchen, living room, utility room, and bathroom, and average about £160 a month for gas/electric over the year. Right now we are heating the rooms (except utility) and not the halls. DP works in the spare room and I am in the kitchen.

@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

That’s a hell of a high bill. My mum pays that for her the bed Victorian house, but she runs a business from home. My monthly bill is £250 for a five bed semi. Silly question I know, but have you tried switching providers?

I have voted YABU as I LOATHE being cold. I also refuse to sit inside with a huge jumper on for me jumpers are for outside.

Having said that I will wear a cardigan and I am often found under a blanket to keep warm.

I find a house at 19 too cold need it around 20-21 to be comfortable. Dh would like it around 17 so we compromise on 19 and I wack it up at times to be cosy.

We heated a 4 bedroom house for less than that last year though so I genuinely think you should query the bill. The meter and look at how to change it. A heater for his room is a must. even if he starts out saying no.

for me, I don't want to sit inside in thermals and jumpers and 4 layers. If I do that how I will keep warm when I need to go out in the cold.

I do expect to wear more than a cotton shirt though

Somethings wrong with your meter, you could have your heating in 24/7 and it shouldn’t cost £660.
I like in a large 6 bed detached and pay £300 per month, work from home so heating on quite a lot.
Also very odd to be sharing bills and arguing about them, why don’t they come out if a joint account?

I do think you should try other things first! Like layers etc

Not point going around in a t shirt with the heating on.

That said, you do get cold sitting still and working

I live in a 4 bed Victorian terrace, 5 people and we are paying £170 a month for gas and electric. We also overuse as DH and dc love lounging around in shorts whilst I have a hot flush!
I think you need to check your bill!

Is he putting the heating on because he isn't dressed appropriately for the season/temps/weather or is he genuinely cold?

Everyone is different some of us run hot some cold.

I've not got my heating on yet as I haven't felt need for it, especially as at points I'm still flinging the duvet off of a night!

I've a fan heater I've been popping on occasionally but generally speaking I'm fine and I'm mostly in a tee and leggings still and warm enough, before I put the fan on I put more clothes on first (it's usually when I'm awake middle of night when temp at it's lowest so that means I've warm pjs on and bed socks etc and I only put the fan heater on if I'm still cold). Sometimes a hot drink is all I need to heat me up and feel comfortable again

I live alone so only myself to suit now but I also am on a low income (disabled and on benefits) so I'm mindful of the increased prices too.

in his words he shouldn't have to behave like 'a miserly arsehole'

Then he's being a dick!

He'll REALLY have to behave like a "misery arsehole" if you end up thousands in debt due to unnecessarily high heating bills won't he?!

Tell him to grow the fuck up!

It's November and he should be wearing layers and warm clothes anyway and not wasting money/the environment on unnecessarily heating parts of the house he's not even occupying!!

Numpty!

He could also perhaps use a heated throw/hot water bottle etc as it's clear it's just him not warm enough.

Not being cold for the few minutes where he's getting changed for bed and getting into bed (by which point he should be warm and toasty or soon will be!) is a ludicrous reason for running up a high bill!

I'd be buying him a halogen or fan heater for his Xmas! Halogens are lovely, heat a room a treat and also provide a psychologically warming glow. Only reason I haven't got one at the moment is last one broke and I could only get hold of a fan heater at the time as halogens were sold out locally at the time I must rectify that as I prefer the halogen.

Equate it to a weekly spend that he enjoys, a takeaway or an outing

That's a good idea! If it's thousands that equates to a fortnight somewhere warm and sunny!

£660 a month is insane! Is he having it on all day every day from august to may?!

I'm on a prepay meter in a 2 bed high ceilinged Victorian tenement flat and I'm gonna be £50-60 a month AFTER the price rise in winter when I put it on - and I am home ALL the time! Your monthly is more than my annual spend! In the summer I'm £20 a month Ish

He just had a shirt on?! That's spring/summer attire not winter in uk! He's an idiot!

Won't do an electric blanket and won't wear pjs either - no way should you be out of pocket for such mind numbing idiocy!

I do think you perhaps need to get your system checked too as that sounds possibly faulty

Is it electric storage heaters? Cos they do cost a fortune and heat sod all! We had them 2 flats ago that's when I first started having halogen heaters as I simply couldn't afford the storage heaters AND we were still cold even with the heating on! They were crap!

I’m with BG for heating on a prey payment card as I hate getting a big bill
4 bed 2 bathroom
I have it set at 16 but frequently put it up to
21 if I’m feeling cold
We pay around £70 a month for the gas and 60 month for electric with EDF
Me DH and adult son

Ours is on 19 from 8 am to 8pm and then on a frost setting of 12 over night. I would happily have it at 16 but DH feels the cold

@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

How much ??

That is just not right. My house is a bit bigger and a bit older, no double glazing, no cavity walls; just a well-insulated loft and some thick curtains. My gas bill for the whole YEAR was £650. So you are effectively paying 12 times more than a roughly comparable house.

I think you need to get your meter checked and raise this with your energy supplier, something is really wrong here.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Do you have underfloor heating? I've heard it can cost an absolute fortune.

It doesn't have to. I'd say our heating bills were pretty much the same before and after we fitted underfloor heating. But after we had no cold spots (and my feet were warm).

@Autumnleaves4

Somethings wrong with your meter, you could have your heating in 24/7 and it shouldn’t cost £660. I like in a large 6 bed detached and pay £300 per month, work from home so heating on quite a lot. Also very odd to be sharing bills and arguing about them, why don’t they come out if a joint account?

In fairness to the OP perhaps they do come out of a joint account but oddly enough if the bill is higher it involves putting more money in the account to pay it. Hardly rocket science.

I can understand your husband, I hate cold houses. Our thermostat is set to 21c plus an electric heater in the room used during the day.
17-18c sounds absolutely miserable to me and no amount of tea or sheep skin would help.

Could you have a gas leak somewhere?

My mum had very high bills and we found out she had a leak which was causing it.

in his words he shouldn't have to behave like 'a miserly arsehole'

He can pay for it then!

I dug my thermal vest out today. Sexy...

How would you even work out who owes what for the bill? Track times/dates/units?

There’s no way I’d accept my DP stopping me from having the heating on.

Your bill can’t be right, did you rely on estimate bills for a while then submit a reading? I’d assume you’d underpaid then if/when a reading was taken, you ended up owing. Or if it’s a smart meter, the readings weren’t updating correctly (mine took 2 months before if was fully connected and I ended up owing a few 100 so my DD went up)

If the house is that cold, that you do actually use £600 worth of heating p/m I don’t think a jumper will make much difference tbh!