Guest turning the heating on

[2petrabbits]

Just to be clear I’m not upset about this. To me it’s a bit audacious as I would never do this in someone else’s home and now I’m wondering if I’m the oddball. I’m more amused than upset.

We have our heating on a timer. It can only be changed at the boiler, which is in the utility room, which I do not give guests a tour of.

Last night guest is in bed and we’re getting ready for bed when my husband realises the heating is on outside the schedule. He investigates and sure enough it has been set to “always on”.

It could only have been the guest but I’m kind of surprise:

1. they didn’t just ask
2. they found the boiler
3. they felt brave enough to move it off someone else’s timed setting
4. they didn’t turn it off before bed

our heating bills are really high because my husband works from home and feels the cold easily, so I’m not worried about a scary bill but the guest doesn’t know that?

also, sleeping with the heating on is my pet hate!

Totally different.

If it's switched off at the boiler, you can't just switch your own radiator on, can you?

That poster is really weird about guests, going back years and years. Nothing done for guests is ever enough for her.

That’s my point. Not acceptable to change the boiler, only what controls there are in your room. If cold in bed , put some socks on or an extra layer.

There may not have been an extra layer! I can't tell you the number of hotels I've stayed at where there isn't an extra blanket and it's been difficult to get one brought up. Friends' houses may be the same if the hosts don't feel cold themselves. And once your feet are cold extra socks can actually make it worse by hindering circulation. At that point only a hot water bottle would work, which presumably the guest wasn't offered.

My point is that you can turn OFF your own radiator, but you can't turn it ON if it's switched off at the boiler.

If you mean me, you're totally wrong.

But that’s overstepping cos you’re not paying for it! They should simply have asked and I’m sure the op would have either put the heating on, got extra blankets or indeed a hot water bottle. It’s like going into someone’s fridge because you’re still hungry. It’s cheeky fuckery!

Come on, you've probably seen enough of these heating deniers on MN to know that OP wouldn't necessarily accept to put it on. Plus, it sounds like OP had already gone to bed or to their room or something.

While it's a bit cheeky, it's brought on by meanness and I can see how the guest might not have felt that they had much choice.

I feel the cold easily but that is rude af!!

If I was cold I would speak to the hosts. I once sat in my brother’s house with a coat and scarf because they keep it too cold for me. I did ask them for an extra blanket when I slept over but that’s about it.

Guest should have asked, an electric blanket/throw/ heater for their room might be better. I can’t stand the heating on for too long (peri) and neither can the dog. I’d hate the heating on at night. I need it cold and dark.

Nobody was forcing Op to have it on in her room.

16C - 19C temps have my fingers frozen. My current setting is 25C with a hoodie so I understand your guest feeling cold.

I still would not turn on somebody else’s heating though as I am not paying their bills. It’s rude. I would have just piled the blankets on top of me.

Some homes central heating just turns on everything in one go.

Turning off the heating at night is not mean, it’s very normal. It’s not a little cheeky to reset the boiler, it’s out of order!

Yes, but OP could have turned off her own radiator. I've been in hotels where you can't control your own radiator, but you usually can in a home.

Well I don't have the heating on when I'm sleeping, but I have a hot water bottle and extremely thick duvet. Neither of these were mentioned by Op as things she provided. Also, we know it was night time, but not the exact time and whether the CF planned to go to sleep straight away. I need to have heating just before I go to bed or I will be too cold to sleep.

We were not told that the guest had a whole pile of blankets to use.

And you can do what you want in your own house but you don’t dictate when you’re a guest, you ask the host .

I think you have some obligations as a host. Some things you can be mean with - people can get their own food if necessary, but your guest has no option of bringing their own heating so while you find the guest cheeky, I also find the host cheeky.

OP didn’t know it had been hi jacked until it got too hot.
I’d put a fan heater in your room and put an electric blanket on your bed/ throw. Touch my heating- you die 😆

OP has said that in one of her comments.

How is it cheeky if she doesn’t know the guest is too cold? These guests are adults, they need to grow up and speak up if they’re comfortable. They certainly had enough brass beck to access and re programme the boiler!! You’ve said they were cheeky yourself so no idea why it’s so important to you.

Another thing to consider when you’re a guest who feels the cold, is to always packs hot water bottle and warm night clothes/ socks. My DM had a hot water bottle even in the summer, I get hot at night . You have to take responsibility for yourself as an adult. This would also prompt a conversation when you ask to use the kettle to fill it. No doubt OP would them ask if they needed any more blankets etc.

I'm like this too, we have a thermostat and it kicks in below a certain temperature, but it's off at night. If I accidentally leave it on, not only does the sound of the boiler wake me up but I feel so hot and pull all the covers off