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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

my house is 16c - is that too cold?

121 replies

tfkyt78y · 05/12/2022 15:32

I work from home but try not to heat the house during the day so only for one hour in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening. It's 3.30pm and the thermometer on my desk says it's currently 16c. It obviously feels cold and I am under blankets. Not sure we can afford to heat it during the day but seriously does everyone else think that would warrant putting the heating on?

OP posts:
PollyPut · 05/12/2022 15:33

No, not really. Have hot drinks. Keep the door to your room closed so there is no draught taking the heat away, and your body heat warms the room.

CoffeeBoy · 05/12/2022 15:33

I would have to as my house is old and below 18 gets mouldy.

Anotherdayanotherdollar · 05/12/2022 15:34

I would want heating on at that temp, but I'm not the one paying your bill.

Slig · 05/12/2022 15:34

My house is 14 no heating on until 5pm. I work from home.

Have never had it on during the day even before the cost of living crisis.

Thinking of getting a calor gas fire.

RedHelenB · 05/12/2022 15:35

Get the heating on. You'd be playing merry hell if you were so cold at work that you had to operate under blankets. The money you save by not commuting should cover the heating.

TheFlis12345 · 05/12/2022 15:35

Ours is 16 as well, I have layers on and fingerless gloves and feel ok, not toasty but not freezing.

Fairyliz · 05/12/2022 15:35

Can you get a little heater for the room you are working in? I find 16 degrees fine if I am moving around doing housework but too cool sitting at a desk.

Snoopsnoggysnog · 05/12/2022 15:36

That wouldn’t be legal in a UK office so YABU

but only you know what you can afford

InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits · 05/12/2022 15:37

It’s 12.1 here. Heating was on for an hour this morning, it’ll go on again at 6pm for 2 hours which should get it up to about 16.

I am feeling very cold this year but not sure if I’m just getting old, or spending more time at home.

Snoopsnoggysnog · 05/12/2022 15:38

Sorry there isn’t a law but guidance in the UK is minimum 16

Original poster
tfkyt78y · 05/12/2022 15:38

It's just really frustrating because this house is really cold and doesn't keep the heat. How often do people heat their houses? As I said - the heating was on 6.30-8 this morning but has since gone down. Dreading the temperatures going down this week.

OP posts:
YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 05/12/2022 15:39

Mine’s at 16.5 and I’m ok. I mean, I’m not toast but I’ve got thermal socks on, proper Ugg boots, sweatpants, a silk, thermal long sleeved t-shirt and a sweatshirt on and I’m ok. Heating will come on at 6.

MistyFrequencies · 05/12/2022 15:39

Im working at home today too. Currently 16.4 degrees. Im ok with that, no blankets, just hoody and good socks.

NewBootsAndRanty · 05/12/2022 15:39

I'd be chilly at 16; mine's running at 18 at the moment and that's not bankrupting me (yet).

I'm supposed to have it at 21 though (health condition) and that is scaring me.

Tinkerbyebye · 05/12/2022 15:40

I wfh. My heating comes on at 16. I don’t see the point of sitting there under blankets etc and being cold. I wouldn't be able to focus

Original poster
tfkyt78y · 05/12/2022 15:40

Even when we have the heating on full blast, the house never gets above 18c, barely to 17.9c

OP posts:
Itsabitnotcold · 05/12/2022 15:41

No I had ours set to 16 but when it started clicking on I moved it to 15 then 14. We have an electric blanket for bed and wear jumpers and thick socks during the day. Because we keep moving we stay warm but during nap time I put a blanket over us. My toes do feel cold, we have slippers though.

TeaMeBasil · 05/12/2022 15:42

12.4 here, I'm layered up and uggs on, fingerless gloves have been on & off.

I leave it off during the day and pop it on for an hour or so in the evening, warms us and the house through then.

AnyFucker · 05/12/2022 15:48

I have my thermostat set to 16 during the day. I am perfectly warm enough in thick socks, Uggs, trackies and a fleecy top or dressing gown.

If I sit for a while, I have a blanket over my knees. Most of the time I am moving though, doing housework etc and it is fine.

Later I will turn it up to 17/18 for the evening but keep warmly dressed

InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits · 05/12/2022 15:48

I know what you mean OP. Our central heating barely gets us to 16 in the time it’s on. I can tell what time it is by how cold it is because just ten minutes after the heating clicks off at 8pm I can feel the sharp drop. Then it averages out at 8-10 overnight before the heating comes on between 7am-8am. Then obviously the windows get opened and it plummets for the day.

All the surfaces feel cold to touch, the toilet seat is a shock. The walls seem to radiate the cold out somehow.

I don’t know why either.

AnyFucker · 05/12/2022 15:49

I am menopausal though. This time 2 years ago the heating would have been higher, COL crisis or not

snowspider · 05/12/2022 15:51

16 feels ok to me, 12/13 if I had the option I would put heating on and set the thermostat to 14 or 15

rainbowandglitter · 05/12/2022 15:52

Mine is currently sitting at 16. I have a jumper on but no blankets etc and I'm very comfortable. It takes a lot for me to get cold.

maranella · 05/12/2022 15:54

That's pretty chilly, but if you have hot drinks, slippers, blankets and ideally an electric blanket (because as it gets colder outside, so will your house), I think it's bearable if you can't really afford to run the heating during the day. Only you can decide if it's bearable though and if your house is prone to damp and mould it may be a false economy to let it get too cold.

Hoppinggreen · 05/12/2022 15:55

Just turned mine up to 22!
If I couldn’t afford it though I would wrap up warm and deal with it