Is your heating ON or OFF?

Skintmama

I put the heating on (first time) for two and a half hours this morning and then I am afraid I lit the fire We get up at 6am and it is so much easier if the house is warm! Our house is north-facing and really is draughty and cold without heat now.Trying to save on using oil, so the fleeces have gone over the windows and doors and we will usually manage with just the fire from the afternoon onward. We don't put the heating on at night as we have an oil-burning stove which gives out some warmth and we have our hot water bottles, pyjamas and duvets.

I have huge admiration for those managing without any heating at all as I cannot even think when I am cold. On the plus side I do then do the housework and cooking/baking to warm me up! This house is a hopeless design from the point of view of keeping it warm as it is detached, long and thin - definitely something to think about if we move on again.

WantToBeSE

Evening All
I had to come home from work this morning after only 1 hours work, as i am ill So i got home and put the heating on. It's been on most of the day, which is highly unusual for me, but i refuse to be cold and ill.
It's off now though.
The boys have gone to their dads house for the weekend, so i am going to keep the heating off tonight (am feeling better now), wrap up in a cosy duvet and PJs, and snuggle under the duvet and watch a film

robgoingcrazy wrote: »

JackieO wrote: »

My house is a small mid terrace too, unfortunately my neighbour has just been evicted so have a cold house on one side.

I guess my bills aren't huge, really, as I don't go mad. But when you consider all I made from self employment last YEAR was £1800 and my working tax credits on top of that, nobody else's income coming in, heating has become a luxury I can't afford. I'm probably officially living in poverty though you wouldn't know it to look at me, certainly in fuel poverty. But I've been told I can't get free loft insulation because although I'm on WTC, I'm not eligible for child tax as well or disabled so like the dentist, prescriptions etc, I'm supposed to pay for it out of my meagre income...

Feel quite toasty at the moment, apparently it's 4C outside but am just not feeling it because I've been acclimatising myself, think I'll only put it on if I have visitors or if it drops to freezing or below outside. For sure, not using the heating is the biggest money saving measure of them all :beer:

I am mid-terrace, but one of my neighbours hasnt been home since September, so no heating from there either. When i had neighbours on both sides i was spending less on heating.

In regards to the self-employment, are you able to earn more than £1800 a year? i am self-employed and earn about £5000 a year (almst) and dont have another income coming into the house.
Its hard isnt it.
I am now debt free, which is how i afford heating. When i was in debt i really struggled to afford the heating.

Hope you are doing OK.

115K

I feel for the people who are worrying about using heating because of financial reasons.:( We are in a mid terrace and it really does help to keep the heat in, in fact over the past hot summer I slept downstairs on the sofa bed for a few weeks as it was stifling.

We are living upstairs at the moment as it really has felt properly cold today.

Byatt

I've had to make the decision to put my storage heaters on (just the 2), as well as supplementary heating in the form of a log burner and convectors. Last night I found my mattress had even more mould on it and a storage box has started to get mould along with all the contents. Very sad about the loss of some of my cushions and blankets.

My house is 300 years old, made of stone, brilliant in summer because it's cool, but does take time to warm up. I use a dehumidifier as well, but even the salt in the kitchen pig is sopping wet.

I'm in fuel poverty but no longer get help because of the changes so will have to cut back on food for the next couple of months at least as I need to heat this place. Also I have a long standing disability and as I've got older I feel the cold more. I'm at risk of heart/stroke issues so need to keep warm. It's really a worry. I wrap up, even wear a woolly hat to bed sometimes, use slankets and hot water bottles.

I'm self employed also, and usually make a pittance so it's the WTC that keep me going. Rent is half my income, plus the general rates, water rates, electric, and so on, I just hope for a mildish winter.

MrsE_2

WantToBeSE wrote: »

My house is a TINY 2 bed terrace, so takes about 15 mins to heat up

My house takes a good 3 hours from cold.
Last December I came back from Mexico after snow & a cold snap, the heating had been off for 2 weeks, it took 24 hours for it to warm up!
I think it prob felt worse to us going from the carribean to what felt like the artic in 13 hours :-(

nannygladys

:)Hi everyone
Well at the moment Im wrapped up in an old sleeping bag in my front room with no heating on. I have the heating on when visitors come but Im in a similar position to many people, I work part time (well 30hrs) and still have all my bills to pay, but it was my choice to cut working hrs from fulltime stressy job to part time, don't have to think too hard job - trouble is its only about half the ft salary but that's OK its worth being in an sleeping bag and wearing gloves inside for my peace of mind and a good nights sleep. By the way the house is an ordinary 3 bed semi with good insulation and next week having solar panels put on, so hopefully leccy bill will be a bit less:)

Well back to knitting with gloves on:rotfl:
nannyg

calicocat

Still off upstairs other than maybe an odd hour early evening. House is open plan so it drifts up, and bathroom towel rail seems to push out some good heat. I have turned up the radiator temperature, thinking that this will mean it will heat up quicker, not really sure how it all works as new to me house and had electric before. I do feel like the cost may run away with me so I think i'll take a gas reading and work out how much i've spent already since last bill......I may get a shock.

Using hot water bottles at night, and to be honest I think I am going to relent and buy a onesie!!!!!. Only problem is that working night shifts i'll be wearing one during the day.....will just have to refuse to answer door unless I know who it is....lol.

They do seem to be great for keeping you warm though, and would mean I wouldn't put heating on downstairs as much..........I couldn't sleep in one, but it could be fab for when sitting around the house as that's when you get cold.

MoonJelly

I have the heating on 2 hours in the morning (get up time) and 2 hours around bedtime. My house is from the 1950's and its got original vents to help "air" the house. I found them and taped bubblewrap over them and it has made a tremendous amount of different. During the day I live in my barbour jumper and multilayers of clothing...and drink lots of hot tea!

moments_of_sanity

calicocat wrote: »

Still off upstairs other than maybe an odd hour early evening. House is open plan so it drifts up, and bathroom towel rail seems to push out some good heat. I have turned up the radiator temperature, thinking that this will mean it will heat up quicker, not really sure how it all works as new to me house and had electric before. I do feel like the cost may run away with me so I think i'll take a gas reading and work out how much i've spent already since last bill......I may get a shock.

Using hot water bottles at night, and to be honest I think I am going to relent and buy a onesie!!!!!. Only problem is that working night shifts i'll be wearing one during the day.....will just have to refuse to answer door unless I know who it is....lol.

They do seem to be great for keeping you warm though, and would mean I wouldn't put heating on downstairs as much..........I couldn't sleep in one, but it could be fab for when sitting around the house as that's when you get cold.

My DH bought me a onesie from Primarni, £11 from memory but it wil easily save me more money in the long run as I hardly ever put the heating on, and then only if the kids are really complaining. They also have onesie (also from Primarni) and they put a t-shirt or long sleeve top on underneath.

I answer the door in mine and now my postman seems almost disappointed if I am in normal clothing! I even answered the door to my DD's boyfriends Dad, I invited him in out of courtesy and he accepted......I did have to apologise for being in my onesie but he just smiled and said it looked very snugly! :rotfl:

robgoingcrazy

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Evening All
I had to come home from work this morning after only 1 hours work, as i am ill So i got home and put the heating on. It's been on most of the day, which is highly unusual for me, but i refuse to be cold and ill.
It's off now though.
The boys have gone to their dads house for the weekend, so i am going to keep the heating off tonight (am feeling better now), wrap up in a cosy duvet and PJs, and snuggle under the duvet and watch a film

robgoingcrazy wrote: »

I am mid-terrace, but one of my neighbours hasnt been home since September, so no heating from there either. When i had neighbours on both sides i was spending less on heating.

In regards to the self-employment, are you able to earn more than £1800 a year? i am self-employed and earn about £5000 a year (almst) and dont have another income coming into the house.
Its hard isnt it.
I am now debt free, which is how i afford heating. When i was in debt i really struggled to afford the heating.

Hope you are doing OK.

I think the quote thinggy has got very muddled, lol.

Yeah, I should be able to earn more, it's just a finished re-training in 2012 and been slowly building up a new business so the first year was tough.

Unfortunately I have about £5000 of credit card debt (currenly safely stowed away on interest free deals) but also a £5500 career development loan which is due to start paying in January. I've deferred it the maximum number of times.

I had a really good summer but since Septmber the market for my business has totally nose dived. Still get the same numbers to my website, but people have just stopped making enquiries. Very frustrating.

Saw a great job I could possiby apply for to combine with the self employment today. Ticked every requirement until it got to car owner/driver essential (which I am not, couldn't afford to run a car or pay for lessons - so no car means no job!)

So the heating has to stay off for now, though I keep quite active I did some cleaning before and felt very warm, think the living room is about 12C at the moment but it's not too bad.

I'm finding the experiment of doing without the heating really interesting, in years gone by I just put it on, as that's what you did in winter...

It's the people with kids and the older ones I feel for