Is your heating ON or OFF?

jackieb

Did anyone watch Electric Dreams on BBC 4 last week? A family's home and lifestyle reverted back to the 1970's and they had no central heating until nearer the end of the decade. The children were usually holed up in their rooms in the evenings but it was too cold without the heating, so they played board games downstairs instead.

canidoittomorrow?

We haven't put ours on yet, aiming for Nov 1st at the earliest. Mostly because we are trying to get the bill down but also because everyone instantly gets sick the second the rads come on. I think people stop opening windows so the heat doesn't get out and then we all end up sitting around in stale warm air all day, uuumm lovely germs!

Primrose

It's probably not easy to do if you don't have a fuel monitoring device but it would be interesting to calculate how much money you actually save in fuel costs over a year by putting on a extra layer of clothing, rather than flicking the ON switch when it gets chilly. I think for many people now that is starting to become the first line of defence and as long as you can keep moving about to keep your circulation going, it's probably a healthier option.

kymbogs

Our heating is off. We live in West Yorkshire and it was pretty nippy yesterday morning - upgraded the girls (2 and 1) from raincoats with cardis to their winter coats.

Our house is an old mid-terrace with no carpets downstairs, the living room can get a bit breezy as the floors are the original floorboards and they have a fair few gaps!
We had the windows and boiler replaced in early 2008 and it made such a difference.

I feel a bit mean not having the heating on and having two toddlers but they don't seem to feel the cold very much! The hardest bit is getting them to keep their socks on!

Our bedroom however gets incredibly cold, it's an attic bedroom. I'm going to put bubble wrap over the small velux window though not sure if it can make a big difference...

Also hoping our bills in general will be lower this winter as I have just started a full-time degree course so out of the house a lot more than previous years, and the girls keep warm at nursery - too warm in fact!

Sorry for the rambling and messy post, I've done my back in and am dosed up on codeine!

LJM

def off isnt cold enough here yet for heating slippers and a jumper are fine and cheap

foxgloves

Still holding out here. Actually haven't felt too chilly in the evenings. Have dug out the fake fur rug & have that on sofa if it does get cold. Haven't really got a day we're aiming for. We said we wouldn't put it on until October but when October came, we didn't feel any chillier so it's still off. Reading the gas & electricity meters every week is proving a good motivator. I've never bothered before except for when Npower send me one of their rubbish estimated bills, but now I'm noting down the readings & working out how many units we've used over the week, it's made us very conscious of how those tiny little plastic dials spinning around translates into losing our hard earned pence. Read gas meter last week while partner was running the bath & it was spinning around like a fruit machine!!

Gina_of_course!

Not put the heating on yet, I do have a way of keeping warm., its not a good way though..... have a hysterectomy! These 'glows' are like wearing a ready brek fluorescent over coat.....

Nicoll

DH put ours on yesterday, house was so hot when I got home and the hot water went on the same time, which normally only goes on for half an hour in the morning :mad: Think our heating bills will be much higher this year as DH now works shifts so he's home different times to me and I know he'll have the heating on all day whilst he sits half naked playing on his computer..... I know I'll get frustrated. Luckily his new job is more money but I wasn't planning on using that for gas bills.....:mad:

lambanana

I was absolutely freezing this morning, hubby said he was too. I'm off work sick and he told me to shove the heating on if I want to BUT I'm resisting...I'm wrapped up in fleece PJs, fluffy dressing gown and a fleece blanket with a laptop heating my knees...also have fluffy socks and slipper boots on...I'm warm enough with all of that but not enjoying getting up and moving around!

Seakay

Not put heating on here in Cardiff yet - managed to hold on until November last year.
Having chimney swept so will be able to use wood burning stove in the front room.
My sister cracked and put the heating on in the evening at the week end but she is in Essex and it's definitely colder there - (interestingly, her garden always seems to be 2 0r 3 weeks ahead of mine as well, even though I am in a sheltered city and she is in an open rural area)