Is it now the norm not to.switch heatimg on / choose between heatimg amd eating?

[neesbees]

Not on any benefits .
Retitired public sector. Both work.part time to top up pension .

Food prices up., petrol.etc.
A friend came to our house unexpextedly today. ( wealthy , doesnt work) I could tell she was cold and rushed to put heating on for her.
(. I wear dressing gown all.day over clothes so keep warm)
Felt mortified that she was cold in my house.
It caused me ponder.. we just cant afford the heating on much now unless we have guests for.their comfort.
As posr grad level ex.profs in public service role for 30 years we never expected to be making such.choices and often helped people in our jobs who did..and it made me wonder if how we now live is the norm now for average in the middle folk..?
Ie we make choices between heat or eat.. only put heating on when guests arrive etc..

We don't turn radiators on and off, just don't need heating in my bedroom as I only sleep there and I'm under a quilt and blanket when I am. I think by not heating unused rooms people mean rooms you don't sit in in the day or evening.

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

I read some threads on MN about the temperatures people keep their homes and I'm not surprised they're shocked at the rising prices.

Of course, many people struggle to have it on at 17 degrees for two hours a day and eat, but many also are used to over-heated homes and not wearing jumpers in January.

Last year, when schools were closed in January, I was amazed at the number of children and parents sitting about in t-shirts or strapped tops when I did the video calls. I was in a jumper with a blanket over my knee!

Last year, when schools were closed in January, I was amazed at the number of children and parents sitting about in t-shirts or strapped tops when I did the video calls. I was in a jumper with a blanket over my knee!

Yep, it's bonkers that it's so "normal" to heat your homes to 25+ degrees in the middle of winter and to walk around in shorts and t-shirts.

Our heating is off now. I'm wearing leggings, fleece-lined slipper boots, a vest top and a hoody and I have a sherpa fleece blanket over me - I'm not cold at all.

I sound like my dad, but if it's cold, put a jumper on and use a blanket. If you're STILL cold after doing that, then by all means pop the heating on for a bit if you can afford to.

Heating home to such high temperatures surely isn't sensible or sustainable long-term?

@GrealishHairband

Ah ok, we’re a family of 4 in a 4 bed semi with two home workers. Bedrooms aren’t used during the day but I don’t fancy switch radiators off and on multiple times a day. I just use an oil heater in my office and DH does the same but even that I try to use sparingly and we don’t have the heating on during the day. We replaced all of our doors and windows last year and hoped that would make a big difference but hasn’t at all really. We’re on holiday at the moment and I’ve switched the heating off and checking the thermostat now I can see the indoor temp is 11 degrees 😐

Turning a heater on/off takes seconds and is surely better than spending hundreds per year heating rooms nobody is using?

We’ve long struggled with heating bills as we’re all electric. We turned off the hot water tank a few years ago to cut costs and have the heaters on for a minimal amount of time - two of them hardly ever. If it’s very cold during the day at weekends we’re in one room with the heater on. Just thankful it’s been so mild this winter. We’re both post-grad qualified - I was public sector until redundancy.

Kitchen rads always on! Often in there when not cooking, like making coffee first thing in the morning. Hate having a freezing kitchen first thing. When cooking they go off. Assuming people don't have thermostats on all their rads? That's the best way to control heating. So boiler on main stat set at 21, but each room set to an equivalent comfortable temp, depending on where in the house it is.

I’ve had a new boiler installed because our old one was failing, I wear heatgen thermals and several layers, sheepskin bootee slippers and have a heated throw. I wear wool jumpers which I buy on eBay, much warmer than synthetic ones and knitted socks (I love knitting socks!)
We’re retired and have health problems so need to keep warm. I am getting a wood burner as we have good wood supplies around here and that will reduce our heating bill further.
Heating goes on 2 hours in the morning, 3 hours in the evening.
Food-wise I shop at Asda and Lidl, rarely buy luxuries.
The price rises are scary but there’s little I can do other than be economical and frugal 😊

Your situation sounds like a choice between support your adult son or have the heating on. Presumably also if you live in an expensive area you could choose to move to a cheaper one or to a smaller property that is cheaper to heat.

Clearly you'd expect not to have to make choices like this and it's not good that you need to. This really isn't what is normally meant by "heating or eating" though.