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AIBU?

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Original poster

House temperature during the day

89 replies

settlethisone · 06/12/2023 15:57

Currently our thermostat is set so that the heating comes on and warms to 19 degrees for two hours 6pm-8pm and an hour in the morning 5-6am.

Our house loses heat quite quickly. We rent so not interested in fixing it for now. No kids yet.

Thermostat had dropped to as low as 14 so I have just had to put it on, because it feels freezing. I’m working from home today and feel chilly.

DH thinks it’s more normal to have heating off entirely in the day. I’d agree but I thought room temp is minimum 17-18 otherwise there’s health repercussions. what do you think?

YABU - team DH
YANBU - nooo that’s freezing

OP posts:
Soozikinzii · 07/12/2023 09:17

We are retired so home in the day which is when it can rack up . I have an excellent silent night heated how which I use in the day and just put the heating on in the evening . Unless we have visitors of course then i quickly turn up the thermostat !

Gallowayan · 07/12/2023 09:18

@ pinkspeakers I'm not sure if it's normal to "have it off in the day" You would have to test this via an AIBU poll.

keye · 07/12/2023 09:20

DH thinks it’s more normal to have heating off entirely in the day.

Not if you are in the house and cold Sad

Mumaway · 07/12/2023 09:21

We are absolutely not allowed to put the heating on in the day. We have it on 1hr in the am, 3 in the eve. Just wear lots of clothes, move around and wrap a blanket round your legs when working. Hubby has a usb heated waistcoat.
It's usually 13-14 inside in the day, 18-19 when heating on

hazelnutlatte · 07/12/2023 09:25

We don't let ours go below 15, even at night or when we are out. We have an air source heat pump though, so it takes forever to heat up. In the evenings we turn it up to 18-19, and if I'm home during the day more like 17-18.

PuttingDownRoots · 07/12/2023 09:32

I use the method of "if its too cold the heating gets a boost". Not just looking at clocks and thermostats.

The thermostat currently says 16.5. I know from criss referring with a thermometer its more likely 18-19. Its warm.
Heating is due on at 6 but we are out tonight so I'll have it come on at 8 instead. If necessary it will go on for an hour in the afternoon.

I'm not sitting down though! I WFH but my job requires me moving around plus its mostly housework today (I work for myself, a task was started at 8am but takes 6hrs so nothing to do for a bit)

SomeCatFromJapan · 07/12/2023 09:47

We are absolutely not allowed to put the heating on in the day.

Now allowed by who?

keye · 07/12/2023 09:50

@Mumaway

We are absolutely not allowed to put the heating on in the day.

Who is your boss

Growlybear83 · 07/12/2023 09:55

I do realise that a lot of people have to be careful with their bills, but how can so many people possibly manage with their houses at such low temperatures? 😮

Whatelsecouldibecalled · 07/12/2023 10:05

Ours is low as 14 and I won't put heating on as kids at nursery I WFH and will sit next to a plug in heater. We simply can't afford to heat the whole house.

When kids are home (1 and 3) it's on at 17. They wear jumpers socks slippers and often fleece onesie once out of bed but still in pjs. No health repercussions yet.

Heating is off at night.

Southwest12 · 07/12/2023 10:15

Mine is set to come on overnight or during the day if it drops below 14. I have thermal socks and a big oversized fleece lined hoodie for during the day, and fingerless gloves if my hands get cold when I'm sat at my desk.

Evenings the heating kicks in from 6-10pm set at 18. Very rarely is it higher. Even doing that it's still around £6-7 a day in gas and electric.

MrsSkylerWhite · 07/12/2023 10:16

Ours is 16 in the day, 18 in the evening when we’re sitting about. No young children.

Jessie278 · 07/12/2023 10:40

Mines on at 25 all day cannot deal with the cold at all.

LadyDanburysHat · 07/12/2023 10:46

You hardly have your heating on as it is. When I worked out of the house the heating was on 1 hr in the morning and then 5-6 hours in the evening.

When I was on maternity leave or now when working from home it was on. Your DH may be right to say that having it off during the day is normal, but only if you are out all day.

My boiler was broken yesterday and I worked in temps of 13-14. I had a lot of layers, and electric blanket and a hot water bottle and still struggled. It is not normal to sit in temperatures like that. You at least need a heater for the one room you are working in to make it a comfortable temperature. I keep my house at 18 to 18.5 working from home and that still requires wrapping up.

TurquoiseSeasAndSilverSand · 07/12/2023 10:48

Jessie278 · 07/12/2023 10:40

Mines on at 25 all day cannot deal with the cold at all.

Can I move in with you!🤣 I don't even think our house is capable of getting upto 25! Sounds blissful.

Gingerbee · 07/12/2023 10:51

Yikes. I feel guilty. I don't do cold!
Although, we do generate electricity for the solar battery which helps reduces bills.
South facing back garden so get some natural light and warmh. The old lounge and 2 bedrooms face North and are really cold.

I do now regret making the kitchen and living area open plan. It is so much colder.

Airdustmoon · 07/12/2023 10:51

I’m very lucky to live in a well insulated new build house so it retains heat very well (too well in the summer, hence why we’ve now had air con installed in our bedrooms!) thermostat is set to 17 overnight and if we’re mostly out, if I’m working from home or we’re home at the weekend/after school I turn it up to 20. Looking at our app I can see over the last 2 weeks it’s been on between 2 and 6 hours a day (mostly 4-5 hours a day). I don’t think it’s at all healthy to sit at a desk and wfh in 14° temps as some people are reporting on this thread.

coffeeaddict77 · 07/12/2023 11:24

Ours is always around 19 during the day if I'm working from home and maybe 20 in the evening. Heating is switched off during the night but probably doesn't drop below 16 degree as the house is well insulated.

It was only "normal" not to have heating on during the day when people were out of the house all day. If you are working at a desk during the day, no way is it normal for temperatures to be only 14 degrees. Workplaces wouldn't (or shouldn't) get away with those temperatures if people at sat at a desk so why should those who work from home freeze?.

maltichi · 07/12/2023 11:26

YANBU we have a cold house too and ours is on at 20 all day at the moment. I'm not usually a cold person (lots of shops are too hot for me in the winter) but I couldn't cope with anything below 18.

Tigger85 · 07/12/2023 11:38

I have a 1 year old and 6 year old, we have the heating on for a max of an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening set to 16.The rest of the time it's off and we have to layer up, the coldest it has gone down to is 12.5 degrees. most of the time it's around 14 degrees. I can't afford to put it on more often, my ex refused to pay child support and as soon as I got collect and pay going he quit his job. I only work part time because I have no childcare other than my parents who can do a max two days per week. They have the heating on set to 18 when they are here so I have to offset their usage by having it off the rest of the week as much as we can tolerate. You get used to it being 14-15 eventually, a hoody blanket and fingerless gloves make it more tolerable.

peachgreen · 07/12/2023 11:42

I consider myself a warm person but I have it on at 18 all day, 16 all night, with a burst of 20 in the evenings! Life is too short to shiver if you can afford not to (which is a massive privilege in its own right, I realise).

Daisies12 · 07/12/2023 11:42

We rarely put ours above 16, ever. Feels fine, I think we’re just used to it. And we’re never ill, I actually think it’s healthier, I hate over warm places

justasking111 · 07/12/2023 11:44

Heating two hours in the morning and four hours in the evening 18c Have a heater in the office that used to be in the nursery.

We've been lighting the log burner at lunchtime in this cold snap. No mould yet.

I think as a country we are saving a lot of energy which will be hurting shareholders so anticipate a price increase 🙄

justasking111 · 07/12/2023 11:46

Friends have a small tearoom open daily their energy costs are 2k a month, commercial isn't capped, so I'm trying to be grateful.

TheKeatingFive · 07/12/2023 11:47

19 downstairs, 18.5 upstairs. I wouldn't let it drop more than a degree or so from those temps during the day. I HATE being cold. Our house is well insulated though and small.