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 awful getting changed in a cold house. Children feel it much more too.
Aside from that there's the issue of consistently low temperature leading to damp and mould.

We have a big house that we can't afford to heat at the best of times. In the winter we just go to bed early.

Heads up: I did try to do without heating altogether one year (we live in the south, and it was a mild winter) but it was a false economy - the house got really damp.

We did a few months without a boiler last Winter. It was horrible. We survived but several rooms started to get mould. It's definitely easier to think it's doable when it's Summer but the reality is utterly miserable. I started to worry for my DDs health. I know nobody is talking about turning the heating off indefinitely but I think it is worth looking at saving in other areas before heating.

There is definitely a temperature that you shouldn't go below: I think it is 16 degrees, during the day. Keeping warm uses up a lot of the body's energy and can make you ill.

I have tried not having the heating on and it can sometimes make me feel ill. Sometimes, I can't think straight. Having shawls round my head and layers - topped off by a dressing gown, still leaves my face cold and leaves me prone to sinus trouble. I don't think having no heating on for two days or so will work. It will mean lying in bed, too cold to move and get a hot drink or to fill the hot water bottle.

For those with money, saving a few hours of heating a day, might be manageable, but for many other surviving with no heat won't work.

A tip most will know but just in case one person doesn't. www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-5077265/Can-tin-foil-radiators-cut-energy-bills.html

Same here (including black mould), a couple of years back.

Interesting that PPs are saying heating is needed to stop damp. When I was growing up (1970s) in a house heated only by a Gas Miser fire in the living room, with no central heating or double glazing (immersion heater for water), damp wasn't a problem. I can remember waking up with ice/frost on the inside of the bedroom window. Mum would lay a towel on the sill to catch it melting off. No damp problems though.

Whereas my ex would regularly leave the heating on all night long (would not replace his broken timer and would go to bed pissed most nights and forget to turn the heating off) and his place was mould central with paper peeling off the inside of the gable end walls because it was so damp.

Can anyone explain?

We’re in a similar position. Can afford it if we need to, but honestly we’ll be much more conservative this year! Socks, jumpers and heating less rooms. I refuse to hear the kitchen or spare room / bathrooms for example.

Be careful with your use of an oil filled radiator as even the eco ones are expensive to run and don’t cost just pennies to run. Most eco ones are 1.5 kw per hour that means at todays prices 1.5 x 28p per hour so 42p an hour. If the rates rise in October by as predicted that becomes 53p per x 1.5 = 79.5p an hour to run ok the thermostat will kick in when it reaches its setting but at 1.5kw on a cold winter night it will stil be on slot and even on just 5 hours on it will be costing over £120pm. It would be better to just use the radiator tvrs at a higher setting in the toddlers room as gas is 3 times cheaper than electric so will always be the cheaper option. A guide for your TVR settings to show what the numbers actually mean for heat.

My DM in her 70s lives all by herself in a massive, old, draughty, 6 bedroom house. Very rarely have I known her to put the heating on in the past 10 years. She's a massive fan of thermals, layers and being active. Always in the garden most of the year. She'll put the heating on when she has visitors or the DGC are staying overnight. She does have a medium sized outdoor swimming pool though which has to have the pump going every day in the summer so that's when her bills go up, but amazingly not by that much.

@Blondeshavemorefun we bought it two years ago and it was advertised as 5p an hour to run but as it’s on a thermostat it’s not on all night. It comes on when the temp drops below 19 then shuts off again.

Even with the increasing prices, it’s still cheaper than having the heating on just for my daughters room.

Ventilation. Single glazing doesn't just the heat out, it lets some cold (fresh) air in. It also depends on the exact positioning and construction of your house. Our old house was a standard 1970s build with cavity walls and we never had any issues with damp.

Where ours def wasn’t cheaper

like @Proudboomer said could add £120 to bill at new prices

We shall be using our heating, but will be much more careful, ie DH will be putting a jumper, slippers rather than like last year, turning the heating up while in a t shirt!

I will be checking my home insurance, for their rules re heating in winter, as otherwise should we be unfortunate to have a burst pipe they may not cover it.

I agree.
I also grew up in a house without central heating, Damp wasn't an issue- but we had no double glazing, windows were not such an air tight fit as they are in modern homes.

I would just aim for a cheaper Christmas to be honest than leaving the heating off. Growing up in houses with minimal heating isn't fun and the children will remember being cold and having to put extra clothes on (obviously you should do that already).

That's it though most won't have any option.

Exactly.

People will be forced to cope without heating this winter but the op considering this as the preferable option over losing out on experiences and treats - that's a different situation and I think it's reasonable to point out the reality of that choice and how it threatens the fabric of your home and the health and wellbeing of the people in it.

I've got a similar house op and it's a new build. Since we've been here the fuel bills have been minimal as the insulation is good. and in a similar situation, where we both earn good money but if bills are 500/600 a month that's our fun money gone plus anything we put into savings 😠

So I'm hoping we can do the same.

I use the heating quite sparingly anyway but yes, much less this year. I had a (stupid) rule in my own head last year that I could only put the heating on if it had been off for 12 hours at least. I know it makes no sense but it made me start thinking about it a lot more - and I could tell you when I had it on yesterday and for how many hours.
This year I’m thinking November minimum and then 2 hours max a day but none at all if it’s not too cold.
I’m just worried about the rooms that I spend a lot of effort keeping mould free staying that way but I think windows open if it’s dry however cold (and doors shut!) and dehumidifiers only if it’s damp persistently and I can’t keep windows open for at least a few hours in the day.
I didn’t use the heating much last winter but I did use my dehumidifier.

Absolutely. And as I've said this plan may well fall to pieces as soon as colder weather hits. But I think there is an in between of how much energy we've used in the past and just not using it at all, so hopefully we'll be able to make some good savings just by being more conscious (and when I say savings I mean still spending more than previous years, sigh...)

I just feel awful for the people who don't have a choice.

Seen your child is three. Stick the heating on. He won't remember pantomimes or Christmas at his age. Young children like that need heating.

@QuandaleDingle it just feels a shame doesn't it to give up those other things, although I appreciate sacrifices will have to be made and we're just fortunate we can in reality afford it with some cutting back.

I got my final pay rise to the top of the scale at work this year and DS gets his nursery funding from next month so I was very much looking forward to using this bit of extra money to actually be able to properly save for Christmas and a holiday! But there you go.

Thankfully we don't struggle with damp at all in our house, our old house was a different story. And we're in the midlands so the climate isn't too drastic. So hopefully can make a few cut backs without being miserable, but not go completely without.