To think that 17 degrees is not warm enough?

[Maybebaby10]

Staying with a family member who is refusing to agree that 17 degrees in a drafty living room is too cold!! I have a small child here with me and the said family member decided to sleep with the window open as they like the breeze. They also do not like to shut their bedroom doors so draft under our door into the ‘make shift’ bedroom all night. We are in England and it’s freezing at the moment. I am fuming and freezing but don’t want to ruin the day.

I couldn't sleep with my room at 18 degrees, I'd find it way too stuffy. My window is open until I go to bed, and the radiators in the room are always off.

What I don't understand is why people who like it hot think that people who don't are miserable in some way. I'm miserable in a stuffy house! We have two of us who like it cool and two who like to live in an oven. They use fan heaters so they can heat up the room they hang out in and leave the rest of the house comfortable for the two of us who don't.

I know that this wasn't for me, but I do find 17° outside cold.
Once the temp goes over 30, i can wear shorts and t shirt, but anything under that and i need layers.
28° in direct sun is ok, 28° in shade us cool for me x

I do need a hat st 17° absolutely, and I would be in an outdoor coat aswell

It’s really tricky because 17 in my DP’s house is really cold - they have a big house, big rooms, high ceilings, lots of glass - and every degree higher they put the heating on is x thousand pounds more a year.

17 in my flat is suffocating - normal sized rooms, great insulation, 9ft ceilings, rugs on the floor, new construction with eco credentials blah blah. We sleep with a window cracked all year round because the building retains heat so well it’s suffocating other wise (and we have powerful a/c in the summer).

You just have to dress according to how you feel rather than the number on the thermostat. Roll up a towel to use as a fraught excluder, out more clothes on, there’s not much else you can do.

That genuinely surprises me. It needs to be about 5 before I think about a hat and 17 wouldn't be coat weather for me. Our house is currently at 16.9 according to our weather station, and I'm in a long sleeved t-shirt, pinafore dress, indoor slipper boots. It doesn't feel cold in the house to me.

4 degrees outdoors, I did have a hat and coat on to walk the dog this morning, because there was a strong breeze.

Wow, that genuinely shocks me.

Wow, I pay £130 a month gas and electricity with the thermostat set at 20 and the heating on for at least 5.5 hrs a day.

I have thermostat permanently set to 21° and frequently crank it up to 23/24°. I have a Victorian house with high ceilings and a lot of glass. Think I pay about £280 a month.

I came into my living room this morning and found it cold - it was 18.5.
Immediately whacked the heating on to 23 when it will cut off when it reaches that and come on again if it drops below.
New build, but not that new, it must actually be around 16 years old.

I find this home colder than my previous one which was a Victorian house.

Cold for a summer day though, warm for spring. Its all relative - if you work outside year round then I expect it does feel a lot warmer compared to the many many days in the year colder than that!

Yes, my glasses steam up and everything

Some people are more comfortable in colder temperatures for sure but there are people that would be more comfortable in a warmer house but don't heat it properly, either because they can't afford to, or because they feel its wasteful, or unhealthy to heat it up. The latter are probably somewhat miserable, even if they don't admit it.

https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/information-support/adults/sleep-environment/

Overheating during the time you're asleep increases restlessness and decreases sleep quality. Temperatures above 20°c are associated with increased risk of SIDS in babies. Low temperature is only a risk below 16°c for babies and below 12°c for adults.

I wonder if all the miserable people are in damp houses/ buildings rather than well insulated but also well ventilated buildings kept at 17-18°c.

Damp, drafts and poor ventilation are unhealthy, but 17°c in a good quality environment is healthy and comfortable for all but the elderly and those with relevant health issues or those who are very sedentary (whether working at the computer all day or with reduced mobility).

Yes! Me and my kids are in long sleeves and I’m in a jumper and socks at 22. We sleep with thick fluffy blankets too. My house is uncomfortable at anything less (high ceilings don’t help). My husband however could happily live at 18 and is often in tshirt and shorts but he also wears them out in winter and is double my size. I think body proportions and health play a part too. He runs hot and me and our small kids run cold.

Seriously! Im in full long clothes, and thermals at that temperature.

I would say you're incredibly unusual to need thermals at 17 degrees. That's a normal summers day where I live.

I'm in the NW - 17 is a pretty normal summer temperature where I live!

I'm in Finland, 17 is definitely on the cool side for summer

Im.dame location. Im frozen cold 90% of the time. Im moving to a warmer climate next year, in June

Yes! I dress according to the weather so when it’s “cold” I’m in layers at home and outside. This is helpful when I go to friends/shops/shows etc as I have layers to take off when I’m too warm.

I’ll often find myself in a T-shirt when other people are still in jumpers!

I think it’s easier to warm up than it is to cool down though. There’s only so many layers you can remove before you are down to skin.

My kids kick their duvets off in our house (about 18/19 degrees upstairs at night so I’d personally not be worried about my children.

add an extra layer if you’re cold but try to remember that the joy of Christmas is being with family.

There’s no right or wrong. If I’m hosting, I ultimately want my guests to be comfortable.

I am always very cold and really struggle in winter. I love hot weather. I try and regulate my temperature first and foremost. But even if the fire is lit and the temperature inside is over 20 degrees, I’m often still wearing a couple of layers and a fluffy dressing gown with a blanket over me on the sofa! Whereas OH will be walking round in t shirt and shorts saying he’s sweating 😅

It annoys me when people make blanket statements of “20 should be more than fine” - it’s a good middle ground but some people will find that uncomfortably warm, while someone like me would ideally have it warmer.

17 is too chilly for me. We put it on at 21.5 and then adjust up or down as needed.
On the other hand I loathe hot stuffy bedrooms and have the window open even in winter, but with two thick duvets.

I run cold, have a health condition which means I struggle to remain warm, even if I feel warm and toasty my body temp never goes over 36. Always been like this. Our house is an old cottage near the coast, so chilly. I have the heating and fire on, thick duvet, blankets and very warm cats! Currently staying with DD in modern house, their heating is 18, and I would be cold, but appreciate that they are young and can regulate their body temperatures far more effectively than me. So I arrived with a ton of toasty things, my long skinny hot water bottle, my normal water bottle, two oodies, thermals, and my heated throw. I’m very comfortable. It’s a compromise, I wouldn’t ask them to turn the heating up, it’s their house and I’m a guest. Likewise when they visit me they know the house will be warmer than they prefer, so turn up in lighter clothes than normal. All about respect and compromise x

Ooft, 17 is too cold for me. My house is always warm though, as it’s better for my health condition (if expensive). I hate visiting people who have cold houses, just feels so inhospitable. If I have to wear my coat just to feel comfy, it’s too fuckin cold! My ex MIL always had her house Baltic, one of the many reasons to try and avoid going, lol.