Is your heating ON or OFF?

kizzie_nikita

JennyW wrote: »

10c in your home? :eek:

You must be freezing.......that really can't be good for your health

Yeah, that's what our thermostat said! it's pretty bloody cold.Jobless at the moment and just can't afford to have the heating on for more than 2 hours each day! (just the one room) Does creep up to 13-15 sometimes though

bluebag

kizzie_nikita wrote: »

Yeah, that's what our thermostat said! it's pretty bloody cold.Jobless at the moment and just can't afford to have the heating on for more than 2 hours each day! (just the one room) Does creep up to 13-15 sometimes though

Goodness me, those sort of temperatures are quite dangerous, you have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
http://www.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk/your-health/health-promotion/older-people/documents/Keepingwarminwinter2008-09.pdf

I know your jobless but is there something you could cut back on to heat one room to 16 or so... even that's not ideal but better than 10!

Popperwell

I have only been using the thermometers around the house these past few weeks and the average temp seems to be between 14c-18c but as yet I have not seen go lower than 10c(that is bad enough. It never gets higher than 20c.

At least when Mum was alive her pension allowed us to be cosy...that will never happen again. Even if just because the utility companies are increasing prices so much that their lowest price is too expensive to use.

bluebag

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Heating is definitely ON! Its very cold here this morning.

I know its stating the obvious, but i really wish it wasnt so cold, i just cant afford to maintain (or increase) the amount of gas usage it will take to keep us warm over a cold winter
Of course, i WILL afford it, the money will most likely come out of the grocery budget, or somewhere else.

Sorry, just feeling a bit sorry for myself this morning

Same here, I have to afford it somehow. Less of something else.

Popperwell

bluebag wrote: »

Goodness me, those sort of temperatures are quite dangerous, you have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
http://www.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk/your-health/health-promotion/older-people/documents/Keepingwarminwinter2008-09.pdf

I know your jobless but is there something you could cut back on to heat one room to 16 or so... even that's not ideal but better than 10!

I love the way charities and government departments tell us what we should do but cannot actually do anything to reverse the situation even Age UK just goes through the same tips we already know...try to have warm meals and hot drinks, wear more clothes, thermals, hats, socks and gloves. Even coats indoors...you still have to pay for what you use...

Not forgetting even if you can get help the Winter fuel allowance it doesn't help now(and it is obviously too cold for many now!)If you get a cold weather payment it has to be a certain temp for 5 days in a row...and hard luck if it is warmer one day by 1 degree and they don't kick in until late November and the utility companies charge more per unit when they know people will need
to use the heat the most...and again I hate those standing charges...

The booklet is interesting that you link to and tells us the dangers but really it is pretty useless as most of the advice given is vague...and the help isn't much and for many with on going health problems are by the media, politcians and some sections of the population.

And they keep putting the age where you can be helped further back...you are lucky to survive until 75 to hopefully receive more help.

WantToBeSE

I am snuggled up in bed writing this on my laptop. I have my hot water bottle and fleecy blanket and i'm as snug as a bug

I had the thermostat on 16, and over the last few days it had started to come on a few times, but today it kept coming on every hour or so, so i had to turn it off.
That said, i havent been all that cold really.

bluebag

CupOfChai wrote: »

Hello everyone, still not had to put heating on, just relying on my trusty jumper and slippers haha. Although I am a Northerner in the South which probably helps a bit, my parents have said they have got their heating on.

Anyhoo I have questions about the electric heating again. Am I right in thinking I have to go and turn the input dial up from zero to make it take heat in from the electricity at night, then turn that back to zero when it isn't the cheaper night rate anymore? And do I go and turn the output dial up to make heat come out of it, then down again to zero when I want the heating off for a bit? They don't have timers you see, just the two dials and an on/off wall switch.

I hate these stupid things, why can't I buy a house with a combi boiler... *grumblegrumble*

The wall switch turns it on, it should only charge up the heater during the off peak electric period automatically.

The input dial controls how much the heater charges up. It will only charge until it is full.

The outut dial controls how fast the stored heat comes out of the heater. if you open it the heater will lose all its heat quite quickly and you will not be able to store more heat in the heater until the next off peak charge session.

Most users don't open the output at all, or sometimes when the heater is nearly cold to get the last bit of heat out.

You must remember to shut all the output dials before the night time charge up,to allow the heater to hold the charged heat.

There is always some heat from the heater when it is charging.

Never ever put anything on a storage heater.... never!

babyshoes

Finally gave in and put our heating on today, it was 13 in our bedroom. I have a nasty cold and after I got out the shower this morning it got sore to breathe, so I think it is going to my chest - despite the industrial strength medicine I've been taking. The cold air was definitely not helping so we put the heating on to 18 for a few hours and now it is lovely. I can type without feeling the need for my fingerless gloves that I've been using for a while! Still wrapped up in warm clothes with a blanket though!

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Heating on but Madam needs to get active with housework, walks, Bed is f lurite place with fleece orange blanket with electric blanket on.

kizzie_nikita

bluebag wrote: »

Goodness me, those sort of temperatures are quite dangerous, you have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
http://www.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk/your-health/health-promotion/older-people/documents/Keepingwarminwinter2008-09.pdf

I know your jobless but is there something you could cut back on to heat one room to 16 or so... even that's not ideal but better than 10!

That may be why my house mate gets really bad feet when it's cold. I just read that any temp under 12C starts making your blood thicker which makes your blood pressure worse, which may in result be why he's got such painful/pooling feet when it's cold!

Unfortunately, we're really money savvy as it is, we only spend £25 a week on food so £12.50 each, we don't go out, make our own meals, do lots to save/not waste money, but as per the circumstances at the moment, it's just impossible to use the heating anymore than we do, i mean we don't usually put it on for more than an hour which would raise it from around 10C to 14C, but today our hands/feet were so painful i could barely type on the pc so we put it on for another hour.

We're livving in quite an old end house, so i guess it doesn't hold heat as well either as if i wanted a room to be 18C i'd have to have the heating on for hours on end as an hour after turning the heating off it's freezing again. It's times like this you wish you was living back at home with your parents as we always had the temp at around 21C!

What can you do, when your cold and can't afford to have the heating on much? Nothing, wrap up and wish the summer comes quicker!