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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:
MrsLargeEmbodied · 27/08/2022 19:53

i dont understand why the op would not understand!

GerronBuzanDoThaWomwok · 27/08/2022 19:54

I feel v. thick asking this, but bear with me, please 😬
Is a thermostatic radiator control the same as the knob that turns the radiator flow up/down?
Won't children's bedrooms feel damp if there's no heating on for part of the night?
If the central heating is turned on but radiators are turned off in some rooms will this make any difference to the overall bill?
Is there any point having radiators turned to half way position or should I just turn them up to maximum heat as the heating's on anyway and it's the same cost irrespective of how high/low individual radiators are?
Is an oil filled heater cheaper to heat a bedroom than central heating?
Will a plug in electric throw really keep you warm in a cold room with the central heating completely off?
🙃

etulosba · 27/08/2022 19:56

Off-off at night. In our old house there was no thermostat - it was on or off (stupid ancient boiler)

Our boiler was installed inthe early 1970s. I can control it from my phone.

TheOrigRights · 27/08/2022 19:56

Our timer hasn't worked for years, and the boiler is old and noisy.

I haven't had the heating on since April maybe?
Whoever is up first will turn it on when it's needed. We have a 2 bed mid terrace and I'm in East Anglia so at worst it's a little bit uncomfortable for a little while.
We'll turn it on and off as needed.

More of a concern is my garden office. It's wooden so gets very cold. I heat it with an electric heater and until now have been able to justify its use because I'm not commuting. I will probably look into filling in the pitched roof space (although there is a skylight). I don't like the thought of being bundled - I like to move about a lot.

gluenotsoup · 27/08/2022 19:57

Completely off around 8pm, it always has been. We’ve got warm duvets, fleece blankets, warm PJs etc, and I don’t like warm bedrooms. The radiation our room is permanently off, not even on through the day apart from the very occasional hour or so on the coldest of days. We would probably have the fire on though if needed. Comes on again about an hour or a bit more before we get up.

Elllicam · 27/08/2022 19:58

I boosted mine today, we were out early and it was frozen. I can’t stand being cold but I suppose I’m going to have to get used to it.

ImBoilingJackie · 27/08/2022 20:00

Ours is off. It's linked to a thermostat which turns it on when the temperature drops below a certain point, and turns off once it's warmed up.
The lowest and highest temperatures are set by us, so last year, I think it came on at 17 degrees, and turned off at 20. However, bedrooms are generally cooler and I have to have a window open otherwise I get a headache, so we ended up turning it down to 19, which seemed to be the ambient temperature.
Can also set it to be on for an hour at set times.

Not sure what we're doing this year as waiting for our energy supplier to send their demand to us . They've just been in touch to say our tariff (where we are feeding back into the grid from solar panels) is 'unsustainable'. I'm guessing only in respect of their profits to shareholders.

Tulipomania · 27/08/2022 20:00

We never have the heating on at night or in the daytime unless it's below freezing outside.

Heating comes on in the morning from 6 to 8.30 and in the evening from 5 until 10 but is off the rest of the time. I thought this was fairly normal?

MrsLargeEmbodied · 27/08/2022 20:01

I think it is @Tulipomania

Notplayingball · 27/08/2022 20:02

In the winter, we have the heating on through the night. Usually 21C.

Runnerduck34 · 27/08/2022 20:03

We use a timer, so it's off completely between 10pm -7am, we tweak times slightly but that's generally it.
Also used to have it completely off during the day but now we wfh it's on all day from autumn - spring set to around 20 degrees. It's completely off atm.
My friend has hers set to 20 all through the night, was a bit shocked by that tbh!

Blossomtoes · 27/08/2022 20:04

Notplayingball · 27/08/2022 20:02

In the winter, we have the heating on through the night. Usually 21C.

God, your house must be like the tropics.

UpsideDownDownsideUp · 27/08/2022 20:07

Our house is very cold. It goes to about 11 in winter with no heating on. Windows are shit. No insulation. But its rented and grateful for a home so put up with it.

Ours will click on under 16 as if off the kids just wake up cold

WhatsitWiggle · 27/08/2022 20:08

I have Evohome system and one radiator has to be without a thermostatic control. If I set my heating to be on overnight, the bathroom would be kicking out heat constantly!

In the winter, the boiler is set to on from 6am to 11pm with each room controlled separately. It's not on overnight and if bedrooms get chilly, we use extra blankets, wear socks / onesies in bed - heat the person, not the room.

PutinSmellsPassItOn · 27/08/2022 20:08

We rarely have it on and never overnight as it drys the air.. we all wake up feeling ill. Ds lives in his room under his duvet anyway and I've always had a blanket pile on the sofa and now have a heated throw there's just no need. We keep the house well aired with windows open year round and have no issues with damp or mould. Unless it's bitterly cold in which case I'll stick it on to take the edge off the heating stays off.

Citylife · 27/08/2022 20:09

Always have it off at night it gives me a headache if it’s on when I’m sleeping. Grew up that way

buckingmad · 27/08/2022 20:09

Our heating pre cost of living crisis came on for an hour in the morning and 2-3 in the evening set at 17 degrees. Off the rest of the time.

MiniTheMinx · 27/08/2022 20:11

I turn the heating off in April and back on October. Set the thermostat for 18 and leave it. Sleep with windows open. I know.....! but solid walls, no insulation except in the loft. House needs to be warm, dry and ventilated. I have very severe allergies to all mould spores, amongst other airborne allergens.

I might set the thermostat for 15 over night this year, I prefer a colder bedroom but I'm damned if I have time everyday to wipe moisture off the windows. It reminds me of when I was a child and the moisture froze on the inside of the window.

Plumber said it was cheaper to use the thermostat and keep a more constant temperature.

Bemyclementine · 27/08/2022 20:12

Mine is off overnight. It dropped to 12° a few times (that was COLD) but its an old cold house, hearing usually on from 3pm (for the DC. ) although I have it set at 18 but its never really warm.

Afterfire · 27/08/2022 20:12

Our thermostat is set for the heating to kick in when it’s 9.5 degrees or lower literally to stop the pipes freezing. If we wanted the heating on we’d manually turn the thermostat up to 23 and then down again to 9.5 when we wanted it off. We could never afford to have it on a timer etc. The most we’d ever have it on would be 2 hours a day.

With the new energy prices etc we can’t afford to have our heating on at all. None whatsoever.

blobby10 · 27/08/2022 20:13

My hearing goes on at 6pm off at 9pm and back on at 6am for an hour. Hate having the heating on at night as I sleep better in a cold
room and there’s no point heating the house when no one is using it!

LivingDeadGirlUK · 27/08/2022 20:16

Yes we turn it off from 10pm and its set to come on again 6am. I have a duvet in winter and get too hot at night with the heating on, plus the noise of the pump can wake me up as boiler is by the bedroom.

The heating is on with thermostat control the rest of the day though.

Oldcottoneye · 27/08/2022 20:17

MrsLargeEmbodied · 27/08/2022 19:42

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

Simple but most people don't know the simplest things.

Oldcottoneye · 27/08/2022 20:18

blobby10 · 27/08/2022 20:13

My hearing goes on at 6pm off at 9pm and back on at 6am for an hour. Hate having the heating on at night as I sleep better in a cold
room and there’s no point heating the house when no one is using it!

I'd love to turn my hearing off occasionally. I've babies living next to me.

LovinglifeAF · 27/08/2022 20:19

I have ours off at night, I hate being too warm at night. Goes on about half an hour before I get up