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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

not to put central heating on? How long can you last?

33 replies

peonyflower · 18/11/2008 22:18

Have to admit we are relying on a woodburner in sitting room and range in kitchen but rest of house is feeling 'fresh'.

Anyone up for a miser's challenge? How long can you last without putting the central heating on?

OP posts:
BodenGroupie · 18/11/2008 22:32

Errr, last September? And we live in the balmy south (but admittedly in an old, draughty house)

anyfucker · 18/11/2008 22:36

watch out for the Arctic Blast later this week....

littlelamb · 18/11/2008 22:39

Here (Devon) it is still remarkably mild- I have been leaving the windows in the kitchen and hall open a crack all the time to try and combat the condensation and it isn't nearly as cols as I thought it would be. Mainly put the heater on to get washing dry tbh

Spidermama · 18/11/2008 22:41

I've got rid of the old gas boiler altogether about four months ago and we have just a Rayburn now which burns wood we find. It's a great feeling and the house is lovely and warm. I'm so glad to be off the gas central heating treadmill.

anyfucker · 18/11/2008 22:41

< nips round to littlelambs house to clean the joint out....>

littlelamb · 18/11/2008 23:20

Nah, anyfucker, they're locked and frankly I have nothin worth taking anyway- one of the benefits of living in a building that looks properly ghetto from outside is that noone is ever going to think to rob it, though its very nice inside really

Alambil · 19/11/2008 01:38

Mine's on for 2 hours a day - one in the morning, one when Ds goes to bed. I use the fire in the living room to take the chill off, then it goes off.

I use the heating to dry clothes though, so sometimes it's on for longer in the morning but not that often (usually use airer)

boredveryverybored · 19/11/2008 05:46

I haven't turned mine on yet. I live in an apartment in a big converted victorian house, and it is surprisingly warm. I think the other three tenants have their heating on, and I'm stealing their heat. Have genuinely not felt cold at all yet

Geepers · 19/11/2008 07:53

I have a friend who refuses to put her heating on as they are 'economising'.

Her house is FREEZING. It is warmer to stand outside than to sit in her front room and is the unhomliest place I have ever been.

I think know she is talking shit when she says it's warm enough. I am a windows-open-all-year-round kinda person, but even I kept my coat on in her house yesterday. The house being cold gives it a horrible atmosphere and I feel really sorry for her child who wanders around dressed for summer time because of her mother's cluelessness.

FourArms · 19/11/2008 08:43

I am trying to consider how long I have mine on for. A long cry from our last house which had a thermostat so I left it on 24/7.

Now I put the boiler on, and then set the timer on the cooker for half an hour, I usually find by then it's warm enough to turn the heating off. The only downside is that the upstairs doesn't get that warm as those radiators heat up last. However, I've got an elec blanket which is lovely and cosy when I get into bed.

I also find I can get the windows open for a couple of hours between 12 and 2 to ward off any condensation problems upstairs.

Geepers - poor child My house is certainly colder than it would have been a couple of years ago, but not freezing. I've got a top and a fleecy jumper on, and find that I'm fine (usually cold blooded!). I suppose I wouldn't have worn a jumper in the house in the past, but this year, we all are.

Lucifera · 19/11/2008 09:06

I'm such a wimp (and get cold very quickly) we've had it on since September. Like BodenGroupie we have a draughty old house, and radiators are not that efficient either, so when it's cold I'm usually wearing a down gilet too!

candyfluff · 19/11/2008 09:13

im gonna go put mine on now im sooooo cold today

Jun · 19/11/2008 09:17

I've had the heating on a while, house feels quite toasty this morning so feeling a bit guilty. I'm sure I could economise a little if only DP would learn to close doors.

After years of freezing my bits off at MIL's place she now has the heating on for my DD. It's like Xmas day everytime we go round.

candyfluff · 19/11/2008 09:19

there is nothing worse than a cold house .my grandparents house was always cold it was horrible going to visit them

onthewarpath · 19/11/2008 09:49

I have got the heater on early in the morning otherwise I just would not get out of bed. I turn it off just before going out for the school run and turn it back on when they are back home. The rest of the day I am buisying enough arround the house to keep myself warm.

glaskhamhasoneintheoven · 19/11/2008 09:59

we had a broken pump so only got our heating on 2 weeks ago now... since then heating comes on at 5pm, stays on overnight, and turns off at 9am... dont need it the rest of the day. Though we've got an electric blanket, and my mum has given us a single one for one of the DC's so we only need to buy one more single one and could probs cope with 4-6hrs in the night without heating on too!! will save about £1 a day in gas!!

kiddiz · 19/11/2008 10:02

Put ours on a couple of weeks ago when mil came to stay as she was feeling the cold. I was trying to not put it on for as long as possible because we are struggling to pay the bills as it is. I have switched it off again now but I'm freezing this morning so I may put it on for an hour to warm up a bit!!!!

WorzselMummage · 19/11/2008 10:03

We have ours on for an hour when we get up and an hour in the evening then it goes off all night, i have another couple of blankets on the beds.

Mil has her heating on all the time and her house makes me feel ill, it's so hot !

Original poster
peonyflower · 19/11/2008 21:51

Glaskham - heating on all night???
What about the baby polar bears?

OP posts:
Twinklemegan · 19/11/2008 22:01

Oh fgs, not another competitive freezing thread. If you live in some parts of southern England I'm amazed you'd ever need the central heating at all!

Up here, well quite frankly one gets sick of sitting shivering all evening with two jumpers, two pairs of socks and numb feet & hands so I'm afraid we are using one storage heater and a portable gas fire. We must be really soft eh?

GreenGables · 19/11/2008 22:03

I will join you in principle.

I have heating on for 30mins each day, but I don't use any other form of heating (unless you count the purposely using the oven to cook meals...) does that count as being 'off' do you think?

tortoise · 19/11/2008 22:03

Still haven't put it on here. I don't think it has been that cold yet (Somerset). If i am chilly i put my halogen heater on and am soon warm.
It is pretty chilly upstairs but once DC are in bed they keep warm! I am ok i sleep downstairs!

TheYearOfTheCat · 19/11/2008 22:07

Our house is so cold. I have the heating set to come on for 1 hour, 3 times a day, and I am still having to manually switch it on and have the fire burning in the evening.

My DH says that other, normal people, have their heating on all the time. Do they?

The house would be so much warmer if we had a curtain on the front door, but my DH won't let me put one up because he says it will make the house look like an elderly person's home.

Don't even get me started on his insistence to keep the draughty floorboards uncovered. [absolutely freezing]

GreenGables · 19/11/2008 22:08

Twinkle I rather take heart from knowing that I am not the only one who isn't putting the heating on, because i can't afford to. Where is the competition in that?

Twinklemegan · 19/11/2008 22:09

TheYearOfTheCat - we have a curtain over the front door and it's held in place at the bottom by a home-made draught excluder. Who cares what it looks like if it helps keep you warm - and it does makes a difference to our draughty old front door.

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