9 degrees inside - is it now a false economy to not put heating on?

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I'm trying to get by without putting heating on. According to the smart meter, it's currently 9 degrees in the sitting room (north-facing). The house feels very cold, but if I sit in the kitchen (south-facing) in many layers, with scarf and fingerless gloves on etc, it's not unbearable for WFH. In the evening I can use blankets / hot water bottles etc while watching tv and have two duvets on the bed at night.

However, at what point will temperatures of this level start to damage the house - or me? I feel achey all the time which I think is from being 'tense' in the cold, if that makes sense. I also have a constantly red and running nose / scratchy throat although I don't really feel ill.

I'm not using the tumble dryer so drying washing inside most of the time, although do try and keep windows open for air circulation... but then that makes it colder! I don't think we have any damp but I'm worried about the house constantly being cold - is this an issue in itself?

Is it going to get to a point where it's a false economy not to put the heating on because it will possibly be doing damage to the house, or should I carry on trying to hold out if possible and just carry on layering up? I realise this probably sounds a bit daft but I really don't want to store up even bigger problems!

Buy a spin dryer. They're about £190 but absolutely worth it.
They spin much faster than the spin on a washing machine and will get your laundry to "touch dry" and the water is condensed into the tank below, which you empty down the drain rather than having that water evaporate into your house. A load only needs spinning for 5 minutes so it's a really cheap way to get clothes dry and then they just need hanging to get that last bit off.

I’ve decided that putting the heating on will be cheaper than the repairs to the house for damp etc.

I wfh sometimes but don’t put the heating on just for me but more for the house and family as a whole in an evening

I have rheumatoid arthritis and, currently, covid. Alexa tells me it's currently 15.2 degrees inside and I'm absolutely perishing, despite being covered in blankets and wearing an Oodie type thing and gloves. It was 8 degrees yesterday morning so I put the heating in for half an hour to take the edge off, I felt absolutely rancid so had no choice.

We have a dehumidifier and have found that dry air stays warmer longer with it, and also we've been able to dry washing without opening the windows (we have no outside space) using laundry mode.

We're trying to save the govt money for when it gets really, really bad - we're in the far north and December - March can be absolutely brutal. But I can feel the cold affecting my joints and health generally already. Covid isn't helping - it's my seventh time with it, I'm immunosuppressed from my RA meds, so I'll likely get it again before winter's out.

The dehumidifier is cheap to run and is a godsend. If you can stretch to one OP I recommend it. The amount of water it takes out of the air is shocking. We had issues with mould and cold damp upholstery previously but not any more.

Can you put the heating on and work out how much it costs per day, so you can make an informed decision?

You’ll end up with a damp mouldy house

I agree and mine is probably 13+ years old and under £100 from Screwfix or Toolstation. Not a fancy one but cheap to run and pulls litres of moisture from the air which alone makes it less cold. Excellent for drying clothes too. Stick it on an airer and 24 hours later it's dry which is great as I do a load a day.

Please can you give a source for this?

My flat was at 16 earlier and I was starting to feel unwell so I’ve made the decision to keep it at 18.

One or even two hours a day won’t be enough to heat your house sufficiently. It’s hardly going to raise it a couple of degrees unfortunately.

Look at it this way.

Prices, with the cap, are roughly double what they were last winter.

If you’re still in the same home as last winter, with the same appliances and heating system, you could use half the energy you used last year, and still be paying roughly the same as last year’s bill.

So if you had your heating on for 8 hours a day last year, you could use it for 4 hours now with very little difference in your bills (I say very little because the rise in standing charges will mean it’s always a bit more).

Does that help you to contextualise it a bit?

Your house is much too cold now for you and for the house. If you could afford heating last year, you can afford it now - just at a lower temperature setting, or for less time. Please don’t harm yourself by panicking.

Do you have pets? I think people have made plenty of strong arguments for putting the heating on a bit but just to give you another reason I looked up the temperatures that cats are ok with 😁

It is recommended that cats have an indoor resting place that is 15 degrees or above (altho they prefer 18-20) and anything below 10 degrees they are at risk for hypothermia (!)

Honestly, if 9 degrees is too cold for a creature that has its own fur coat*, I’d say sling the heating on 😁

(*yes I know it’s a probably a false argument, but some people would treat their cats better than they treat themselves)

I have spoken to so many people who are refusing to put their heating in despite being able to afford too, it seems like people are competing with each other for ‘who can survive to lowest room temperature’. If you can afford to put it on then put it on.

I put mine on for a hour a day, my house is pretty warm due to being insulated and having lots of windows (sun heats it during the day). I have a tumble dryer for my washing and when it’s in it heats the house a little. I use hot water bottles at night. So far I haven’t really been cold but if I do feel cold and it’s effecting me I will out the heating on.

I am putting the heating on put very low set it at 17 today will put it up to 18 when it goes dark , radiators in rooms that aren’t being used down to one rooms being used three. If it’s sunny my back room heats up lovely, been rain constantly for over a week. Heating on from 12.30 until 7.30 Wearing thermal underwear and lots of layers, blanket to watch the tv. But going to bed at 8pm as have a tv in bedroom and have always been happy to go upstairs 7.30/8pm in the winter. Don’t forget to double spin the washing really helps, also I’m only doing washing if it’s going to be a dry day, Friday looks good for drying we’re I live this week will do a few loads on Thursday night and have it on the line by 8.30am hopefully it will just need a airing when I bring it in at 3pm.

Unless you have your back to the wall financially ,please put the heating on! This is a dangerous temperature and could cause serious health problems .At a minimum 2 hours morn and 2 hours eve.Probably more ,This is what pisses me right off that in the 21 c people are quite literally freezing and worried about bills.Also running the risk of frozen pipes which will cost a lot more and cause a lot of damage !

Exactly.

I was hoping to hold out till December, but when it gets down to 10C it's just too cold.

I think you'll be damaging both yourself and the house under 10C.

You are affecting your health by letting the temperature get so low.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63602501

If you are really worried about money then buy a small heater and have it on regularly to keep one room warm at least. This will help keep the bills down at least, we worked out it is much cheaper to use a fan heater than it is to heat a whole house if you are working in one room.

Why not just have the radiator on in the room you are sitting/working in? That's what we've been doing, putting the heating on but turning off most of the radiators

OP, what you could do is set the heating lowish, say 17c and that way it'll kick in when it's getting cold within the hours it's on timed. At the same time take meter readings today and then in a weeks time and then calculate the cost of what you've used. That way, you'll know roughly what it's costing you to have some heat while trying to be careful at the same time.

If you decide not to have heating on unless it's very cold outside, then try and get hot food and drinks in you, also doing something like star jumps every hour to keep you're circulation going - I know that sounds silly but important to look after yourself the best you can.

I understand for some they're absolutely at breaking point but there must be other families where it's a choice to sacrifice heating over making sacrifices elsewhere. It's not a choice I can fathom at all.

This isn't the Winter of Competitive Misery.

FFS put the heating on before you make yourself ill, or start to damage the house through damp. It will cost you more in the long run if you allow either of these things to happen.

Stop being so ridiculous and put the heating on

Below 15C you’re storing up issues for your own health and for your house itself.

This - I think 15/16 inside is as low as we'll go in waking hours.

Having said that back room is currently 14 degree (10 out apparently ) but doors open for ventilation with air dryer being on and it doesn't feel bad - but its not really damp at minute having had window open and then de-humifies on and house mostly empty just me and the cats - moisture will build back up over night again.

I was going to recommend you look at this.

Why on earth have you not put your heating on if you are already feeling the ill effects, also your house will soon become damp and mouldy if kept unheated! It doesn't need to be on full blast but you really do need to keep the chill off for the sake of your own health and to keep your house in good condition....