To be tired of neighbour controlling the temp of my radiators?

[BibiBlocksberg]

Background, I live in a town house that is divided into two flats by addition of a fire door in the hallway.

Everything else is just like it would be in a normal house.

Including heating which has hot water tank & programme panel upstairs in my part & boiler downstairs in neighbours part.

Problem lies with downstairs neighbour turning the temperature on the boiler down to one she is comfortable with.

Which results in my radiators running lukewarm at best. No issues w (bleeding, sludge, rust etc as confirmed by a professional & boiler temp adjustment has been confirmed by neighbour previously.

Each time i report this to LL she has a word w downstairs & temps improve for one or two nights then back to lukewarm radiators.

Nearly 11pm & I’m freezing, wandering around in thermal long sleeve top, jumper, leggings under trousers & scarf & still not warm.

AIBU to be annoyed at my home temperature being subject to my neighbours heating preferences & how would you go about solving this once & for all?

Surely this does not constitute ‘reliable’ heating under LL responsibilities?

Also I'm In Ireland so I'm not sure if it's the same over there but we had an incredibly mild December, and it's only in the last couple of days that we've had a cold spell.

If it's been mild over there and you've wanted the heating up high then she could have been roasting.

This is the time of year when my wife and I have daily battles over heating. She has the house like a furnace, while I feel I am suffocating. She sits on the sofa swathed in blankets while I am in the kitchen diner on my PC and I have to open the doors to the garden to get enough cold air to breathe. I can really empathise with OPs neighbour. I can also see her point of view, as it sounds like they have quite different views on what is comfortable. There is no easy solution, especially as heating bills are set to double in the coming months.

You wear TWO layers of clothing, INDOORS?!?!?! What on earth for? Have you never heard of heating

Please tell me you're being sarcastic @GrannytoaUnicorn?

I agree this is an odd set up, but you have to work with what you have. Ask the neighbour to turn her radiators down, not the boiler, she may not be aware of the impact on your heating. Then turn your radiators up if you are cold.

If this doesn't work, plug in oil radiators aren't expensive, so you could try a couple of these.

But also wear a couple of layers if you're cold. That's normal surely? If I'm cold I always have on a long sleeved top, jumper or hoodie and socks and slippers and use a blanket or a cat when sitting for extended periods so I'm not cold. Uniqlo, M&S and probably other places have 'heat tech' tops in fine, close fitting material that can be worn under clothes to provide significant extra warmth.

You wear TWO layers of clothing, INDOORS?!?!?! What on earth for? Have you never heard of heating?!

You should swing by my house. Sometimes I have been known to wear a base layer, a long sleeved t-shirt or jumper, AND a cardigan on top - all at the same time!!!

Prepared to be amazed.

If bills are included then I would get a load of electric heaters and get the place to a nice, toasty temperature.

The massive increase in bills might spur the LL into sorting out this ridiculous situation.

Check your tenancy contract to be sure you’re not liable to extra and additional payments to landlords for energy. Although energy included in my daughters rent there is a statement that she is responsible for energy which she has been told if the cost of the energy to LL rises that tenants will have to have a supplemental charge on the rent. We have checked and it’s all legal.

I once lived in a flat that didn't have an electricity meter, it was a converted terraced house. We didn't ever have to pay for our electric, the builders had never thought to apply for another meter to be fitted. It was like a sauna, we never used the gas central heating, just electric heaters in every room. The person downstairs couldn't complain, he was growing weed in the cellar, his bills must have been huge.

Who has the thermostat for the house? Surely this should be set and not the boiler temp reduced or you will get lukewarm water for bathing etc.

We are concerned about rising bills l, we already seem to pay huge gas and electric for a 4 bed house so have bought fake Oodies for everyone. They are big enough to go over normal clothing and go in as soon as we get home each day. Our heating has barely had to kick in since Xmas and we are toasty warm, ours is set to go off at 10 pm anyway as hate a hot house at bed time.

Oodies and an oil filled radiator should make it much more bearable.

I think your ll should sort this one with thermostats. If they won’t, then yes electrical heaters.

Can you pop a note through, ask them to turn off their radiators if they are too hot rather than turn down the thermostats as it’s impacting on you too. Keep knocking everytime

Why don't you go and knock on the neighbours door and tell her to stop disrupting your heat supply? I'd do that every single time

If she's too warm she needs to use her thermostat and leave the boiler alone.

I live in an apartment in France, in the Alps, so it's pretty chilly outside. Heating and hot water is included in the service charge (pretty standard) and there are about 40 flats in the block. The one boiler in the basement sends out the hot water and if I am too hot - I turn down the radiators. I turn them down manually, there are no thermostatic valves. If the 40 households here can manage, I'm sure it's doable scaled down.

You wear TWO layers of clothing, INDOORS?!?!?! What on earth for? Have you never heard of heating?!

Have you ever heard of the environment?
Honestly. I’m always amazed at people who are in little strappy tops in their houses in the middle of winter. You should be in jumpers.

You wear TWO layers of clothing, INDOORS?!?!?! What on earth for? Have you never heard of heating?!
To keep warm, I imagine. Have you heard of the climate crisis, the energy supply crisis, price hikes, the upcoming end of the energy price cap, people who prefer to be dressed warmly?

She shouldn't be turning down the boiler temp - it's dangerous bacteria-wise. The boiler should be kept at > 60 degrees normally (and if it's below 45 then Legionella can breed, which would obviously be very bad.

When the kids aren't here I wear base and over layers, and put on a blanket, but that's my own heating bills, I'm not having it imposed on me!

She should not be touching the boiler water temp - i dont think i ever have! As others have said too low is a liegionnella risk. That is not how you control radiator temperatures. Crazy.

If no controls on radiators are you sure there isnt a wall thermostat in her bit of the house. If she sets it low the heating will barely come on regardless if the boiler is set to come on.

You wear TWO layers of clothing, INDOORS?!?!?! What on earth for? Have you never heard of heating?!

It's freezing here at the moment. Yesterday it had a feels like of -1, we had the heating on, I had 2 t-shirts and a jumper on, was under my duvet.

Your neighbour is quite possibly fed up with the set up as well. If you are saying that your cold all the time and uncomfortable, then she is probably feeling uncomfortable being too hot.
Unless it’s minus temp my heating is turned off at night, I can’t bear being too hot, I get headaches, dry skin, panicky etc.

Either your landlord installs radiator thermostats or you or landlord buys electric plug in radiators or you move.

I know you say it’s legal but it’s a bizarre set up

@seekingasimplelife

I would echo what other posters have suggested - oil filled plug in electric radiators are very effective, especially if you can get one for each room.

Yes, MIL has them in her house and it's always lovely and warm. They're very controllable and you could buy timer switches for them so that they come on and off when you want. (The council wanted to put in gas CH years ago, but FIL refused to have gas connected to the house because "it's dangerous"!)

The arrangement at your flat sounds crazy, OP. Supposing your neighbour was away for a fortnight, she could turn the heating off and you'd freeze.

I do agree about the boiler temp though, should be 60 deg and up,

Pp are right - get oil filled radiators and keep your portion of the house as warm as you like.

I wouldn't ask LL to provide them because they sound like they'd say no, watch the bill and try to charge you extra.

You wear TWO layers of clothing, INDOORS?!?!?! What on earth for? Have you never heard of heating?!

Have you never heard of global warming? Have you never heard of fuel bills!

This is the most astonishing statement I have read on MN for a while.

I would hate to have the heating on overnight. It is healthier not to.

I am equally happy to wear a base layer, thick socks and if need be, a jumper, during the day. Easily afforded by the savings on gas and electricity.

OP should buy an oil filled radiator. Lidl often stock them. The set up is crazy but her neighbour is not to blame for wanting less heating.

Get an oil filled heater - even better ask landlord for one?

Has it been explained to the other flat that the boiler controls your heating too?

Buy extra heaters or oil filled radiators. U don't pay the energy bill therefore it's not like it will impact u.

Sorry I have not read this thread, but this does not sound like it is in line with the Heat Metering and Billing Regulations. This was first published in 2014, with an update in 2020 saying meters need to be retrofitted (unless your landlord has proven this is unfeasible).

So if the council came out in 2018 that would have been prior to the 2020 update so new rules apply now.