To wonder how long the no heating brigade will last when it turns cold?

[womaninatightspot]

I’ve been contemplating how much I can reduce the heating and electric throws. It’s chilly here today, sixteen degrees, but grey and drizzly. I’ve lit the wood stove, I do have a cold so maybe I feel more susceptible to chills.

I feel like I’ve fallen at first hurdle. Definitely going to be keeping one warm room in the house so it’s not just really unpleasant for the dc. I’ve recently paid 365 for four cubic metres kiln dried wood but it’s going to cost 1K to fill the oil tank for 1000 litres. Was a third of that last year.

The average bill was going to increase by £500.
The government are giving us £400 towards the bills. So tbh I'm not reducing my usage at all.

It's certainly cooler here today. Currently 6degrees out and my hive thermometer is showing 16.9 degrees in my living room currently. Am at home today but wearing jumper and have a blanket over my legs.

Am holding off as long as possible

Those who haven’t used heating yet

are you on your own or have kids

we are putting on for our daughter 5. It’s too cold for her esp in am eating breakie

a 30m boost does wonders

maybe if no kids I may not have used yet. Not sure

I think it's a bad idea to not have any heating on. Damp and mould issues will occur.

I'm south and so far we have had an hour in morning since beg Oct.

I've managed to not do the evening yet but I think it will be happening by end Oct. however I will turn thermo down and probably fit less hours.

@GasPanic

No wonder your cold if all you have on is two pairs of socks.

4 of us here. Youngest child is 13. Eldest doesn't feel the cold easily (none of do really) he's the one going to school with no jacket in winter as he's not cold - pretty much lives in shorts. Youngest wears his oodie from now until spring.

To be honest even in normal times we try not to put heating on until the clocks change so not having heating on isn't unusual for us

I've never put the heating on this early.
I have one child

DW works from home and hasn't been able to get warm at all recently despite layering up. She was visibly cold and unhappy.
I put the heating to come on for 2 hrs yesterday.
It was lovely and DW was more relaxed, she stayed warm all day BUT it cost £2.88.
I am going to check that all the radiators in rooms we don't used are turned off and try again.
Otherwise it will be hardly any heating for us this winter.

I work from home three children youngest is 6 now. Our house still hasn’t dropped below 19/19.5c yet the youngest is often running around in shorts still.

I do plan to use the heating for keeping the house ok however but only once the thermostat decides the house is at 17c. I air the rooms everyday and going with the heat the person attitude once we get down to that 17c inside.

I think of above Watford Gap as North, but I guess we're really Midlands.
We've had a one trug fire in the wood burner for about three of the coldest evenings to date.
It is connected to the central heating, so all the house rads have been warm for a short time without having to use any oil, plus we have a Betty drying rack thing above it, so can finish off damp washing from outside.
So far, so good.
I have a heated throw, hot water bottles, fingerless gloves and fleecy robes at the ready…

I think of above Watford Gap as North No, this is wrong.

We had the boiler repaired yesterday. DH turned heating on for first time yesterday afternoon with the thermostat set to 20 (the house was at 15 degrees by then). By the time I got home from work at 7pm the smart meter was showing just over £14!! I turned the heating off again quick!

So so so so glad I live in the SE

for a multitude of issues, but definitely the weather now!

I do find teens don’t feel the cold much

i think if have under 8,s and esp babies some heating is needed

but I’m def using less than last year

I think children actually get acclimatised whatever age.
We've always had a very cold house since she was a baby. Wrapped her up then she was a baby.

I really think it depends where people are. I'm in the southwest, and haven't contemplated putting the heating in yet, and still have the French doors open during the day as it's like a greenhouse in here otherwise. Not intending in putting the heating in until we absolutely have to, but that really depends on how quickly it turns cold/can't get washing dry without

DH put the heating on one morning last week for an hour. Just to test it apparently!

We live in a house with gaps in the leaded windows you can post a coin through, so it can get pretty chilly and drafty. Plan to keep one room warm with a fire in the evening for dc. Washing goes outside still.

Ive also collected lots of old fashioned wool blankets and a vintage eiderdown which are fantastic at keeping us warm in the night.

I’ve just arrived home today, my house is insulated but it’s only 17degrees inside when 15 degrees outside.
the house I left was reading 19 degrees inside and heating not turned on, 9 degrees outside

it really does come down to how well the house is insulated

the colder house is much younger than the 1950s home

as the days gone on the sun has warmed up both homes and no heating needed in either

It really is a range 20.1 here

Very mild day and sun streaming in

I agree about teens not feeling it. Our 16yo has been walking to school in just school jumper, has 3 roof windows open in her attic bedroom and it's still "so hot and stuffy" she's turning on the fan to cool it further.

Her room is noticeably colder than downstairs, which is at 17.6 degrees.

I've had a small fire (3 blocks across the entire afternoon/evening period) the past 2 days as I am wfh with a chest infection and feeling rotten. But just that small amount in the front room was enough. And I'm using hwb at night. All rads are still turned off - but Dh has had to turn on the boiler for hot water twice this week (1hr each time) as the sun hasn't shone enough for the solar panel to do it.

I saw the news last night with an article about Baby-banks for people who are struggling to provide for babies and young children. One of the Mums said that she couldn't afford to put the gas on and heat her home for her children.Heartbreaking.

Is that since the April cap? We didn't have a winter under those rates so the one to compare to is the previous October cap. Average bills have doubled. I have low usage at less than £1200 a year and the £400 still doesn’t cover the increase.

IamEarthymama If you're thinking of permanently switching off some radiators, just be aware that during a very cold spell if they're on an outer elevation and they can freeze and burst. This happened to my parents, we heard a large bang and it was only when I had an odd smell creep into my room next door we realised that it was, and obviously we had no heating whatsoever then. In the event of cold weather, probably best to have those radiators on a very low setting.

It was chilly here this morning (NE England), 6 degrees outside at 7am, 13 degrees in kitchen. It's been a beautiful day, 15 degrees early afternoon so our south facing sitting room is pleasant while the sun shines.

We haven't had central heating on yet, but woodburner has been on for a couple of hours in evening for about the last ten days.

Washing all dried outside so far with an overnight on racks in sitting room to air.

It is getting cold in the bathroom in the morning, especially after getting out of the shower, and we've had the electric blanket on for half an hour before bed.

I've been working from home, with a blanket and hot water bottle which has been keeping me toasty. My body temperature has felt lovely and warm.