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AIBU?

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Original poster

"We don't have the heating on"

750 replies

Christonabike37 · 27/08/2022 16:04

Just reading another thread and seen this "we never have the heating on at night" and I've never really understood what it means, but now with energy prices I need to know if its really what people do.

Our thermostat is set at 15 always, in the evenings we up it to 20 for a few hours. I consider 15 off, and 20 on. Is this the same? Or do people just not have the heating on at all, like your house could be 0 degrees? How cold does it get at night? Surely it gets down to single figures most of the time?

OP posts:
SkirridHill · 27/08/2022 18:55

The landlord installed swanky storage heaters when we moved in which allow you to control the time you get the output, and the temperature level. I only have them turned on in rooms we use regularly, and then only to about 17/18 as it warms up quickly. The heat goes off at 10pm, and comes on again at 7am. No overnight heat.

DD isn't in her own room at the moment so we snuggle under a good duvet and sometimes, if it's super cold, she gets a hot water bottle.

Upwiththelark76 · 27/08/2022 18:56

We have our thermostat at 5 all the time - the coldest our house has ever got is 15. We are not in during the day so the thermostat goes up to 18 when we get home at 6.00pm (from November) Keep it on for two hours . And it’s enough to warm the house and take the chill off .
(small terraced house) no kids

Decafflatteplease · 27/08/2022 18:57

Ours is actually off.

We have the kind of system where you have to manually put on the heating and hot water then turn it off when it's warm enough.

Large draughty 200 year old house

In previous years we do 6am (when DH and I up) to 8am.when we leave the house. I would put in on for an hour in the middle of the day for me (and toddler if not a nursery day). Then on when dc home from school so around 3.30 to around 8pm when dc in bed. We would then maybe do another blast around 10pm before DH and I head up.

This year we will be cutting that down alot! Haven't decided yet but thinking 6-7 am, none in the day then 3.30-6ish teatime.

Never any heating on overnight it makes me feel a bit claustrophobic thinking about it all stuffy. Mind you we have the bedroom window open of a night most of the year 😁

Thick winter duvets for DC plus blankets, wheat bags etc. We have a down winter duvet.

PhoebusItMeansSunGod · 27/08/2022 18:57

We dont use a thermostat, we just turn it off and on as needed. Never have it on overnight as I can't bear it.

felulageller · 27/08/2022 18:58

I feel the cold so like a warm house. But our heating is off as a default. We have a switch that switches it on for an hour. This blasts out heat and heats the house well.

It goes on once a day in summer. Twice in spring and 3 or 4 times in the winter.

I've hardly ever in my life been in a house where the heating was left on at night, and I used to live in the coldest part of the UK!

RelativePitch · 27/08/2022 18:59

We used to have the heating on 21 between 6pm-10pm (to be revised) and then it would come on at 6am the following morning. No need for heating at night as the house would still be quite warm. My alarm clock shows the temp and I've never known it to dip below 16 at night.

Twillow · 27/08/2022 19:02

Ours is also on 15c at night (although heating has been set to off since April). Effectively it's off at night as the house retains warmth from the previous evening. Some people I believe just leave their heating set to, for example, 21C permanently 😳

Cotswoldmama · 27/08/2022 19:03

I've never had the heating on at night. We have an old heating system and its either on or off no thermostat! It's chilly first thing in the morning but otherwise it's fine!

Blueink · 27/08/2022 19:03

I only put mine on for short periods during the day (in the winter) and completely turn it off at night. The exception was for a very cold snap last winter, I had the heating on at night for no more than 2 weeks.

Novum · 27/08/2022 19:05

We have the heating turned off overnight. It's on a thermostat of around 23 till about 10pm and that's fine for the rest of the night, but we're in the South where it rarely gets bitterly cold. Then it's set to come on again at around 6am, or later at the weekends. Neither DH nor I likes heating on at night, it feels quite oppressive.

Blueink · 27/08/2022 19:07

Those saying you have heating on in the summer, even for an hour, are you outside the U.K.? I’ve not put mine on at all since April.

vivainsomnia · 27/08/2022 19:07

Never have had heating on at night even during the colder months. I hate sleeping with heat on.

I go to bed with 2 water bottles and have a lovely warm duvet. Heating is on when I get up.

Highwind · 27/08/2022 19:10

Our heating has been off completely since March. I will turn it on in the evenings (if it’s really really cold) to about 17 degrees but not until probably early November…. Tbh If I wasn’t worried about damp I would leave it off all winter too.

It will still be Off overnight in winter. My husband likes the house cooler and I adore being in giant fluffy dressing gowns and fluffy slippers. I have bought a heated throw for the winter too.

If it is really cold, I stick a Hot water bottles on the toes and I am golden.

Diva66 · 27/08/2022 19:13

Ours is off at night. In winter it comes on about 30 minutes before we get up. It goes off around 8pm.

MintJulia · 27/08/2022 19:13

Heating in our house was normally on from 6am - 7.30 and from 6pm to 9pm. Thermostat at 18 degrees. Otherwise it was off. The residual heat stops the house from getting too cold over night. No ice on the inside of the windows like when we were kids. 😊 And it goes off completely from April to the end of October.

Water heating is on for 20 mins a morning through the winter and 10 mins in the morning during the summer. That's enough for two showers and a bit left over.

This winter will be the same but the room thermostats will be much lower for the evening hours, and I'll be using a log burner to provide the extra heat.

Ihatemyroad · 27/08/2022 19:16

We never have the heating on at night, never. There can be snow on the ground outside but the heating will be turned off by 10pm at the latest. In fact I never have the heating on upstairs, radiators are permanently off.

BUT, and this is key! I live in a new build terraced house with excellent insulation. Even in the middle of winter the temp upstairs doesn’t drop below 16.

AgentJohnson · 27/08/2022 19:16

Our heating is set to 15 degrees which is effectively off because in the four years we have lived here, it has never dropped below 16 degrees. In November I will up the temp to 19 when we are home but we have a smart thermostat and underfloor heating, so it will only kick in on really cold days.

Underfloor heating, triple glazing and blackout curtains help keep our usage down. DD has finally accepted that 20 minute showers are not ok, which given that we have smart bulbs, smart thermostats and smart sockets, really had the greatest impact on our usage. The only things receiving power when we are not home is the fridge, boiler and mechanical ventilation system, everything else is connected to smart sockets which are triggered to turn off when we (our mobiles are no longer in range of our WiFi network) are not home. The router is connected to a smart socket that is programmed to come on an hour before DD comes home, otherwise the geo fencing wouldn’t trigger.

I prioritised moving into an energy efficient home in 2018 and that probably will save us from significant debt because annoying as the price hikes are, we will be ok because our bills were very low before this madness started.

AlecTrevelyan006 · 27/08/2022 19:16

MissingNashville · 27/08/2022 18:54

I like to be warm. And the dogs like it and sleep better with it on. 😂

Show quote history

that's what bedding is for

Greengagesnfennel · 27/08/2022 19:18

Timer. Heating wakes me up so I would hate it coming on in the night.

When I stay with people I always switch the radiator off in the bedroom so it doesn't wake me up.

whynotwhatknot · 27/08/2022 19:20

i was told never to turn the boiler completely off not good for it

Alwayswonderedwhy · 27/08/2022 19:22

We never have it on at night when we're in bed. I can't sleep with it on and there's no need when you're under a duvet.
We set it to come on an hour before we get up.

AgentJohnson · 27/08/2022 19:22

The menopause also has it’s upsides because I can’t bare having the heating on.

PeloAddict · 27/08/2022 19:24

SquitMcJit · 27/08/2022 17:32

People who are saying they don’t have heating on at all/not much - or are planning to do that with what we’ve all got coming up… how do/will you dry washing?

I stick it outside in summer but in winter I usually put on hot radiators (with windows opened for ventilation) and then tumble some of it. But not everything can be tumble dried plus I’m thinking we need to run the tumble drier as little as possible.

Have just bought an electric clothes dryer but it seems a bit shit/pointless tbh - takes hours to not fully-dry one load.

I don’t know how to efficiently dry stuff if the heating is on less. Damp washing just sitting in a cool/cold house just won’t dry.

Dehumidifier. And put a sheet over the heated airer, that helps a lot (it can be one you've washed or just a spare)

Kimbowilko · 27/08/2022 19:26

My heating is off and only heat my water for 15min now. Eon wanted to put my monthly DD up to £450 even though I am in credit. Due to energy efficiency saving, lights off, reduced heating water time, I am currently only spending £100pm. I have stopped using my main oven, use microwave and airfryer. I told Eon I was not going to increase my DD AND I WAS NOT going to give them my money interest free. Lots of people are in credit…. What do they do with our money? We should go back to the days where we only pay for what we use. They are trying to get me to install a smart meter… but I don’t think it very smart!!! I use hive and it auto switches off when I leave home and switches on when i return. Subject to set temperature. I have an old house with no cavity wall, I will not be putting on my heating until it is essential. We should all refuse to pay by DD and only pay for what we use. They now say I can switch to new tariffs which they estimate to being £8,500 per annum…. YES £8,500 I can’t afford that….. why hasnt the French energy costs increased at the s@me rate? I am going to be wearing glove, hats and body warmers this winter…

Daisydoor12 · 27/08/2022 19:26

From end of Oct ish thermostat set at 20 6am to 8pm. If temp drops below -3 15c overnight as a few years ago had burst pipes. Live in an old house with poor insulation.