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?

Your ds is unlikely to suffer. We had 6 autumn/winter months once without central heating due to the boiler packing up and no money to replace. Me and dh were miserable (although we were both out all day). When we got it fixed, our 6 and 4 year olds couldn't cope with the heat and used to strip off as soon as they were home.

I would be careful .a few years ago we had a new boiler fitted .took about 3 weeks to be installed. House was so damp it was horrid. Nov time pretty chilly. There have been rumours of help from British gas sharing 10 per cent of profits to a secret deal by the govt to give consumers a few years to pay . I would have minimal morning and evening a couple of hours.frozen pipes not fun! A holiday /theatre trip is nice but to me I would maybe have a holiday uk /cinema trip and keep warm .

I'd be very cold at 18 degrees, too. Hypothyroidism means I really feel the cold, and even with the thermostat at 21 I still need lots of layers.

Thankfully my house is pretty well insulated, and I'm on a fixed tariff till Nov 23, so I've got over a year to try and acclimatise to colder temperatures indoors.

@LakieLady you're fortunate with your fix, I'm sure many people are thinking this but in hindsight I would have fixed last September when our energy company went bust and we were moved over. It's hard though, the prevailing advice was to stick on the variable, I guess nobody could really foresee the extent of the energy crisis back then.

What I’m afraid of is that my Nest thermostat might turn the heating on without me realising. It’s set to 16 but I know it’s capable of adjusting itself. It learns when you turn the heating on then follows that pattern. I can’t afford for it to do that! It was designed in a different world where there were no concerns about energy prices, it’s programmed to manage temperature not think about cost.

This.

You're forgetting how icy it gets and how the cold permeates everything.

if everyone is out the house all day then you will keep it shortish but if you work from home etc I don't think it's doable. I will keep ours off as much as I can but am realistic about how much that will be.

Plus it's not good for houses not to be heated at all. You're asking for trouble with damp and condensation, and with burst pipes if it's really cold.

@Socathe these baby/toddler sleeping bags are great for colder weather. The arms zip off.

Baby Sleeping Bag 3.5 Tog -... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FDCQ8SB?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Tbh it absolutely boils my piss

I've been a single mum absolutely broke. I was once declared homeless with 2 under 4 in the past and had to be rehoused in an absolute shit hole. I've been absolutely on the bones of my arse. With absolutely no help from anyone I've slogged and slogged over the years to buy a home and build a successful business. and DH has gone from a min wage job 15 years ago when we first met to a very senior well paid position at a good company.
We are very comfortable at the moment and feel we've earned it.

And basically if we do have to pay the stated amount for fuel we will have as little money again as we did ten years ago it just fucks me off beyond belief

If council tax or food went up 5x there'd be riots so why are people just accepting the energy increase

@torquewench

Ventilation.

in the seventies most British housing stock was set up for little heating. Everyone had single glazing, and no insulation and houses breathed freely.

Nowadays heating is more ubiquitous and our houses have been turned into sealed boxes to try to keep it, and the natural dampness of cooking and living can't escape.

4 bed detached new build too, I find for most of winter just one hour in the morning keeps the house heated for the rest of the day, only on the coldest days do we top up later in the day for another hour.

The way my house feels at the moment I think if I shut the windows we can retain the god awful summer heat for winter 🙈

@suzy14837 - I understand that. However (apologies for slight drip feed): Both houses were built around the same time (there both the same design and I think were even constructed by the same builder), both have "air bricks" for ventilation in living rooms/bedrooms, and also his windows wouldn't close properly (his bedroom transom is always ajar as it's knackered). My parents still live in the same house that I grew up in, albeit now with heating and double glazing, it's not damp. Mum or dad will cook from scratch every night whereas ex lives on microwave meals and takeaways, and will leave doors and windows open most of the time (he actually left his back door wide open for a week when he went away on holiday 😳 but thats for another thread).
(Not being arsey, just trying to get my head round it and pondering 🙂)

I would urge you all to join the Enough is Enough campaign. It's 2022 and these energy giants are raking in huge profits off of our misery.

If you want to be really brave join Don't Pay UK - but do your own research and make sure any potential risks are worth it.

I live in a new-ish, well-insultâtes flat and managed not to put the heating on at all last winter. Warm jumpers, thick socks, heavy duvet and hot water bottle for bed. In the daytime I used an electric heating pad on my belly if I got cold, they are very cheap to run. I didn’t suffer and saved a fortune. Not likely to be do-able in an older flat/house though.

I did this one year when I couldn't afford oil. The result was a very damp house and mould spots. The heating does need to go on to protect the house as well as keeping warm. Each house will have its own temperature need depending on insulation etc.

@user73783

The way my house feels at the moment I think if I shut the windows we can retain the god awful summer heat for winter 🙈

I have been thinking about this too 🤣

We are similar to you in terms of finances. I work from home but am used to hats, gloves in the office in the winter as ours had shocking heating. So I'm thinking 1 hour in the morning, the 1 hour downstairs when the kids get home 5-6, then 1 hour upstairs for the kids bath and bedtime so 6-7 as I'm assuming it will stay warm enough for dd to go to bed at 8. My ds's will go to bed by 7:30. Bath at 6:30. I'll also cut down on my showers so less water to heat.

@AperolWhore

How does eco radiator work?
Does it need plugging in ,if so how is it cheaper?

@RayneDance yes it’s an electric eco oil radiator, it costs pennies to run rather than a traditional electric heater and it’s much cheaper than having the heating on.

Thanks aperol

Do you have to top it up with oil?

It's drying my washing I worry about. We are in a flat. With no outdoor space. If I put the heating on to help dry I need to open a window so we don't get condensation /mould which lets the heat out. or I use the tumble dryer which is hugely expensive. I can't cut down on washing much as we have a dog that sheds endlessly. Drying large items like bedding and towels is so difficult

Star court people have been recommending a heated airer.

In winter I have my heating on for an hour in the morning whilst getting up, and one hour in the evening. My upstairs windows are all open at least a crack 24 hours a day all year round.

Note I'm a healthy adult, living alone, in London, and it's been my choice to live like this.

I have got used to wearing layers, a woolly hat indoors, and sometimes sitting in a sleeping bag with a hottie bottie whilst WFH/watching telly. I genuinely prefer this to giving money to an energy company so I can wear a t-shirt indoors in February.

I've lived in my house for nearly a decade and there is no damp and I've never had a frozen pipe.

I'm just reporting this so people might be reassured that living like this isn't the end of the world, although I appreciate it may feel like a significant downgrade to many, and for some people with health issues it's not feasible.

I can afford to pay for a normal level of heating, but I'm thinking of wearing my skiing base layers (long johns and polo neck) around the house instead of T-shirts and pyjamas, and turning the heating down, just to see how comfortable an option it is.

I'm often amazed at how warm some peoples homes are. My sil has her heating on all day...her house is absolutely sweltering. I only put the heating on if it's very cold for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Unless you are very vulnerable, have a newborn or a very elderly person living with you, then you can manage without the heating on constantly.