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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
MissingNashville · 27/08/2022 19:27

AlecTrevelyan006 · 27/08/2022 19:16

that's what bedding is for

Show quote history

I’ll be sure to tell my family, including the dogs, that Alec from mumsnet doesn’t approve of our night time heating preferences. I’m not expecting any fucks, or woofs, to be given. 😉

GG1986 · 27/08/2022 19:27

Ours is off the whole of summer, we just turn it on when we need hot water or washing machine etc. In the winter we set it to around 20 during the day and at night turn it completely off and have blankets on top of our duvets.

Ellami · 27/08/2022 19:28

We used to be 21c when heating was being used, but cut that down to 20c and then 19c last year. We also switch off radiators in unused rooms or on the landing, as heat rises. Heating is timed for two hours on a morning, plug in room heater if needed midday (I work from home) and three hours across tea-time/evening.
Night time it’s set at 15 or 16 and really only clicks on in the very early hours when it’s very cold outside as we’ve spent a lot of time making sure we’re as insulated as possible.

I grew up in a freezing old farmhouse in the north, toilet water always iced over in morning, got ready in bed etc….unlike others, I don’t wear it as a badge and I absolutely don’t want to go back there again. It was miserable.
Trying to work indoors below 17/18c would make me miserable and also trigger my asthma.

jmh740 · 27/08/2022 19:28

In winter I usually set the heating to go off overnight about 30 mins after the kids have gone to bed.

Crumpleton · 27/08/2022 19:32

The rads in the bathroom are set to warm up when the water runs hot so basically while having a shower, makes for a warm towel.
Even in the depth or winter my choice would be the rads off in the rest of the house, not sure if it's a coincidence but every time the heating comes on I get a sore throat so prefer tucking up under a blanket on the sofa, much more cosy.
Rads off in the bedroom as I like to climb into a cold bed and warm up...
Can see the annual battle of the thermostat with DH looming.

Saz12 · 27/08/2022 19:33

Mine is set to 5 C as default, and 20 C mornings and evenings. But we’ve thermostatic valves on all radiators so bedrooms are closer to 17 degrees. This winter I’ll probably use wood burner more and CH less though. Radiators on a frost setting in unused or “walk through” areas (eg upstairs corridor).

AlecTrevelyan006 · 27/08/2022 19:33

MissingNashville · 27/08/2022 19:27

I’ll be sure to tell my family, including the dogs, that Alec from mumsnet doesn’t approve of our night time heating preferences. I’m not expecting any fucks, or woofs, to be given. 😉

Show quote history

i neither approve nor disapprove - do what you want in your house

i just think it's pointless, and expensive, to have heating on overnight

fortunately my wife agrees

MrsLargeEmbodied · 27/08/2022 19:35

not on currently
but never on overnight - or only about once a year.
radiator off in bedroom, use hotwater bottle/dh/dog for warmth

AgentJohnson · 27/08/2022 19:36

I second not turning the boiler off, it won’t save you much money and could make it inefficient or cause essential parts to malfunction in the long run, which will cost you in the long run. Our boiler was just serviced and the engineer was very helpful in giving advice. I suggested turning down the boiler but he said that it was optimised and setting it lower would cost us in the end.

Goldencarp · 27/08/2022 19:36

We don’t have a thermostat and just switch the heating on in the morning and the evening. It goes off at 10pm and comes on again at 6am. Never ever had the heating on at night.

lljkk · 27/08/2022 19:37

frost setting at night. We have lots of insulation so that's fine.

Xenia · 27/08/2022 19:38

Interesting. I wonder if this is a new thing? I didn't realise anyone ever had central heating on at night! yet this thread is asking the opposite as if I am the weirdo as I and indeed my parents have never had it on at night ever. I thought most people had a timer so it went on an hour before you get up so you got up in the warm and then goes off and then comes on before people get back from work or school and off at bed time. That is my settings.

If it is a cold day I might switch it on for the full day sometimes and off when we go to bed but that is rare.

Our system does not have a thermostat although you can turn individual radiators down or off in each room if you want to do so.

IvorCutler · 27/08/2022 19:39

MissingNashville · 27/08/2022 19:27

I’ll be sure to tell my family, including the dogs, that Alec from mumsnet doesn’t approve of our night time heating preferences. I’m not expecting any fucks, or woofs, to be given. 😉

Show quote history

🙌

Quizzed · 27/08/2022 19:39

I never sleep with the heating on. I find it far to stuffy and end up having to get up and switch the heating off. The only time I keep it on over night is if it snows to stop the pipes freezing. I don't understand how people can sleep with it on and what a waste of energy and money.

MrsLargeEmbodied · 27/08/2022 19:39

i am the same as you @Xenia

Feelfreetocallme · 27/08/2022 19:40

Sarahconnor1 · 27/08/2022 16:11

My heating is off at night regardless of temperature, timer is a useful thing.

I honestly have no idea why heating is needed when you are in bed.

Incase you have to get up for the loo or feed the baby..

MrsLargeEmbodied · 27/08/2022 19:41

my house warms up very quickly, from recollection.
i need to set it for perhaps when i get up, or just before, come the winter/autumn

SilverGlassHare · 27/08/2022 19:41

Ours is off all summer. In winter, it’s set to come on for a couple of hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening. It’s not set to come in at night, no matter how low the temperature drops - but it’s well insulated and never gets very cold. We sleep with the bedroom window open and under a king sized 4.5 tog duvet - when it’s particularly cold, I have a wool blanket over my half of the bed. I sleep in a large t-shirt in winter, DH in boxers.

I get a headache if it’s hot in our bedroom at night.

MrsLargeEmbodied · 27/08/2022 19:42

i also have a quilt on the bed on top of the duvet, which is great

Fairislefandango · 27/08/2022 19:43

I have my heating switched off at night and on thermostat during the day. I don't have the heating on at night however cold it is. It's switched off entirely throughout the summer. From October to April/May I have it set to 18° during the day. This isn't based on economy, but on how we like the house temperature to be.

Fairislefandango · 27/08/2022 19:44

Incase you have to get up for the loo or feed the baby..

Why would you need it to be warm for the 2 mins it takes you to go to the loo?

Feelfreetocallme · 27/08/2022 19:46

Fairislefandango · 27/08/2022 19:44

Incase you have to get up for the loo or feed the baby..

Why would you need it to be warm for the 2 mins it takes you to go to the loo?

Don’t like being cold.

middleager · 27/08/2022 19:48

Heating usually on from October to March, one hour in morning then of an evening, upping the hours in the coldest months.
Never had it on of a night. I can't get my head around that idea, but possibly as I had no heating growing up?
Room about 14 degrees before heating in the morning.
We both wfh but layer up. It is 16/17 degrees generally in the day without heating.

BorgQueen · 27/08/2022 19:48

My heating is set to 14 degrees from 9.30pm to 6.30am in the winter, then on timer at 19 degrees throughout the day.
I think the only time it ever came on in the night was when it was minus 10 outside.
My controlling thermostat is a free standing one and it’s kept in the living room, which rarely drops below 16 - if I put it in my unheated kitchen the heating would be permanently on!

Ousliie · 27/08/2022 19:53

I had a thread on here last year about my house getting to 9 degrees when I ran out of heating oil

It isn’t a badge of honour, it feels like your bones will never get warm again. I’m dreading this winter but storing wood already