To think that I could just not use the heating much at all this winter?

[Socathe]

I live with my DH and three year old DS in a new ish four bed detached house. I know that there are many who will not be able to afford to heat their homes this winter and for whom it will not be an option.

We are very fortunate in that we could just about afford to heat our home as we usually would. However, it would swallow up all of our extra money - we would be doing it at the expense of other things, such as a holiday next year, a normal Christmas, meals out, the pantomime in December, finishing our house renovations, those sorts of things.

I know these things are luxuries and we are very fortunate to be in a position where we have luxuries we could give up in order to afford heating. But AIBU to think that we could just try not to use the heating much at all this winter, so we don't have to give up these other luxuries? In previous winters we've had it on for 5-6 hours a day, I'm thinking of trying an hour a day to start and see how we go. Thicker duvets, boot slippers, oodies etc.

Am I being unrealistic especially with having a 3yo? What is everyone else planning on doing?

It's what I do - I grew up without central heating so I'll always use extra blankets - wearing a woolly hat indoors will keep you toasty, always works for me

I love it when the first post on a thread says exactly what I wanted to say. I bet if I did MN poster history there would be a big correlation between posters on the 'my energy is going to cost me HOW MUCH?' threads and 'Anyone who doesn't shower at least twice a day and who reuses towels and rewears clothes is a disgusting minger/my heating is set to come on at anything under 25 degrees year round.'

But yes OP, taking into account even if you use half as much energy your bill will probably be similar to last year's given the increase in the standing charge, but of course you wouldn't be unreasonable to try and limit how much more it goes up by. Obviously there's a line where saving money becomes uncomfortable - it won't be worth shivering for months for one trip to the pantomime. But lots of people could save a fortune by making very very minor changes to their lifestyle - turn heating off early, and use hot water bottles, fleecy pjs and hoodies, turn radiators down or off in unused rooms or corridors, only set heating to come on when it's actually cold, use the slowcooker, and microwave where possible instead of the oven, if you do use the oven leave it open once you've finished cooking and turned it off so the residual heat warms the room etc etc.

@FayeGovan

Yep, I’m in the north of Rngland. We have bloody freezing winters. Endless days of damp freezing fog. Or get snowed in every year. And there is no acknowledgement of a the north/south difference anywhere.

My mil used to do this. Last year on xmas day it was 10degrees in her living room. I could often see my breath in the air when I woke up in the morning.
I wouldn't do it with young kids.

It is a horrific situation.
I dread to think of my bills.
Houses get damp if not heated, especially where I live in Scotland.
My 89 year old fit and mobile)mother lives with us, and really feels the cold. I have a small heater in her room, electric blanket , hot water bottle etc, but she feels cold in the downstairs- large airy rooms and walking around during the day is uncomfortable cold- she needs these rooms heated.
It is a very sad situation.

Do people think you can get used to cooler temperatures?
Years ago I went to Tunisia in February. It was about 5 degrees when we left the U.K. and about 20 degrees when we got there.
We spent the daylight hours in shorts and t shirts and felt lovely and warm, but the locals were all wearing jeans jumpers and jackets. So clearly we were used to colder weather than them.
Perhaps cold water showers now will train my body to get used to colder weather.

DH is older than me and disabled, so fairly immobile so I do need it on but I've bought hot water bottles, extra fleece blankets, thermal underwear new slippers , hat, gloves and jumpers. The thermostat will be at 16-18. I will leave soups out for him while I'm at work. The dog and cats can keep him warm!😂

This is just fucking wrong isn't it?! The OP is using language like "extremely fortunate" because she can just about to afford to heat her home this winter (at the sacrifice of a normal Christmas), whilst PPs are all full of advice on how to survive a cold snap without heating your home / how to stop your pipes freezing.
What the actual fuck is happening here? So many hard working people cannot afford the basics. I am so angry with the state of things 🤯

Without trying to bring politics into it, and I'd really rather not, is the idea that wages will eventually bring us up to make 6k per year feel affordable? Or is it supposed to come down after the war is over? Or are we going to have to have a big push away from gas in particular. I know they want us to have heatpumps, for example.

Just, without politics, does anyone know what the long game is, if there is one?

With regards the question, I am a bit in denial. We are in a 2 bed flat and the energy bills are very low. But we are due to move house this autumn into an actual house so I think we're going to get a shock. I'm not sure how it's supposed to be affordable. We are JAMs so no benefits and are self employed. It's going to be really strange and because of the order they get paid in, I actually think that it will be the tax bill that we will struggle to pay because it comes last!

It feels a bit like we are living in the Truman show.

We usually have it on 15 then put it 20ish in the evening. I'm going to keep it at 15. I've bought us thermals, DS has quilted sleepsuits, I'll get us all slippers and dressing gowns.

OP it really depends on how well insulated your house is. If it’s well insulated then you should manage once you have the heating on enough to make the temperature manageable without being miserable.

I agree- it's disgusting.
And meanwhile energy companies are announcing record profits.

No heating is unrealistic, especially if you have a three year old who would probably get far more winter illnesses with no heating.

Central heating may be a modern luxury but humans are tropical animals and have used fires for hear since before leaving Africa...

I am going to try to heat water less though. We have an electric shower, don’t need the water tank warm all the time.

It’s crazy that we’re talking about this eh

Friend only had their heating on for 1 hr/day. 6 people in a 3 bed end-terrace (humans shed heat & help heat the rooms). Their house was so cold. I could only tolerate being there for about an hour at a time. I feel pain just reading OP's plans.

Our house is kept around 18. Hardly sweltering. We use blankets when sitting, I drink a lot of hot drinks. I often am wearing 4-5 layers at home in winter (on feet & shirts, plus gloves & hat, 2 prs leggings). But not like living in 10-12 either.

Yep. Mismanagement. Other countries governments are legislating to protect energy consumers from price rises. Meanwhile we have a leader collecting medals and patting himself on the back while his two successor-candidates wander around the country trying to impress 15 yr olds over who is more like Thatcher. I expect both Truss and Sunak will be equally surprised by the onset of Winter.

It’s a very odd way to run a country.

I've had a couple of winters with no heating as I simply couldn't afford to put it on. It's utterly miserable and the house got really damp. Water literally dripping down the walls.

We have electric throws for when we watch TV in the evening. They are much cheaper to have on, than the heating.

We keep ours on at around 13-15 ish. Possibly turn it up to 17 if laundry needs drying. Our house is warm though.

When we've used the oven we leave the door open so the heat will dissipate into the room.

We open the curtains and windows when the sun is shining in that room and then close them again when it starts to get dark.

We tuck the curtains behind the radiators.

We have blackout curtains and blinds.

We keep internal does closed where possible.

We wear thermals tucked into each other underneath PJs. We also wear 2x pairs of socks, with the long johns tucked into one pair.

We have a range of thick and thin blankets and throws in the living room and on the beds. On the beds we have fleecy mattress protectors and sometimes sleep on a thin quilt.

We have hot water bottles.

We live in Yorkshire by the way, doll although we're not really north, we're not in the south of England either.

I think you should still have heating on each day but minimal. I am planning an hour in the morning while my DD is getting ready for school then from 3-5. Hopefully the house will then be warm-ish until she goes to bed. I wfh & will just wear oodie/extra layers.

not having heating on at all will cause damp.

We sometimes only have our heating on for a hour. Reading a earlier post saying they was expecting 700pm Bill's, that ain't happening here. I'm sure we could go without heating but bear in mind if you get near freezing pipes do burst.

I cant offord 700pm and that's my bottom line. On that basis I'm not too worried tbh

You do realise we are going to have the coldest winter on record just to top it off!..

Thanks for all the tips and replies. Definitely food for thought.

Definitely going to give an hour heating a day a go to start with, it may be an idea which is quickly abandoned but it's worth a try!

Peri menopausal here. Heating definitely WON’T be on! 🤣