Shared house & heating disputes...

Joannag_2

I remember getting incensed over so many issues when I house shared - boyfriends who stayed over and used all our hot water, phone bills, washing up. It all seems so trivial looking back. Try not to worry about something that might not happen and look on the bright side - being at home all day she can take in your parcels and help prevent being burgled (tell your insurer you might even get a discount!!)

minerva_windsong

When I was at university, myself and two other housemates had schedules which meant we were at home most of the day, whereas our other housemate's workload was such that he was out from eight in the morning until six at night every day. The housemate who was out a lot had a habit of setting the heating so it was on first thing, went off all day whilst he was out and then was on until very late at night, meaning those of us who were in all day often ended up feeling really cold, putting the heating back on, the other housemate coming in and complaining his room was too hot and the cycle starting all over again.

In the end we had a house meeting and compromised - we'd have the heating on in the morning in the hope that the residual heat would last most of the afternoon, and the other housemate would turn his radiator down. That did mean our heating bills went up slightly but it was worth it, and we managed to live happily enough for the rest of the tenancy. I'd suggest doing something similar.

Becles

garfield33 wrote: »

Becles – are there any other symptoms of Raynauds I could look out for?

Her fingers and toes will change colour and go purple or white when they get cold. There are some pictures of hands on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynaud's_phenomenon

It's quite painful too and sometimes my hands go into a spasm or I get pins and needles in them.

Sometimes I wear thick socks and gloves in the house when I'm feeling chilly and that keeps me warmer even though I've still got the same amount of clothes on the rest of my body.

happy35

I find my hands go purple and then white in the cold before going numb as do my feet, I have had this as long as I can remember and my mam has always told me that I have poor circulation !!

I think I will have to get myself an appointment with the GP and see what they say

ceridwen

Becles wrote: »

Has she been checked for conditions that make people feel cold like Raynauds?

I suffer from that, and I noticed the comment about you sitting in a t-shirt and she walks in and says it is cold. When a Raynaud's sufferer gets chilled, it takes a long time for their body to warm back up again. There's a number of times here I've come back from walking my dogs and thought our house was cold, but my husband has reminded me that it's me that's cold and not the house.

I've now got a thermometer in the kitchen, and I know if the house temp is around 18°C and I feel chilly, then I need to warm myself up rather than turn the heating up.

Also take precautions to stop her getting chilled. I'm wearing lots of layers this weather, wearing thick socks and making sure I have gloves, hat etc., on before I leave the house. It's much easier to strip layers off if you get too warm, than get warmed up again if you get chilled.

It may be down to different peoples bodies reacting differently to the cold (as per one of them has an illness that causes them to feel a different temperature to others). On the other hand - I've certainly learnt over the years that its a good idea for people sharing the use of a heating system to have a similar build (ie either all slim or all errrr...<cough> more "generously endowed") and coming from similar parts of the country (thinking of people from further north are going to be used to colder temperatures than those from down south).

I've certainly noticed myself that I dont need nearly as much heat as normal at the moment - and it is quite specifically down to the fact that I need to go on a diet at the moment. Once I've been on that diet and got back down again to my usual size - then I know I will have to use more heating again. Some people really do/or don't have more natural "insulation" and do feel a different temperature to others because of it. I often suspected it - but those who didnt want to believe me didnt believe me. Now I'm temporarily a bit overweight:( - I've proved the fact for myself.

I note also the comment about asking her to be checked for thyroid problems....

When I was my normal size I got used to other people suggesting that I was the problem - it happened so often that I developed a repertoire of sharp comments back along the lines of "look in the mirror and then stop telling ME that I'm the problem". Well - they did ask for it - with making comments at me (when I knew very well it wasnt my "fault"). So - be prepared for sharp biteback comments if you decide to go down that path......

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

Becles wrote: »

Her fingers and toes will change colour and go purple or white when they get cold. There are some pictures of hands on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynaud's_phenomenon

It's quite painful too and sometimes my hands go into a spasm or I get pins and needles in them.

Sometimes I wear thick socks and gloves in the house when I'm feeling chilly and that keeps me warmer even though I've still got the same amount of clothes on the rest of my body.

Ive recently been diagnosed with Raynauds and I find I have all of what Beccles has said but also at times my hands swell and are difficult to bend. I also occasionally get face pain and a touch of numbness there too. My father had it so I guess it was only a mater of time.

Really strange thing is though my hands can go cold in a very warm room without warning, and, for the first time in my life I have given in and bought slippers.

garfield33

Hmm… from what you’ve said Raynaud’s sounds unlikely, I’ve not noticed any of those symptoms and she hasn’t said anything. That’s good news for her – it doesn’t sound pleasant at all.

The hypothyroidism query– it is something she has pondered in the past, and I have two friends with thyroid problems – one is underactive and one is overactive, so I’m well versed in all the symptoms of those! Aside from feeling cold, she has mentioned that she finds it hard to lose weight, but that isn’t stone-cold evidence of hypothyroidism.

The north-south thing is interesting. Me and the cold lady are both from the Midlands, if anything she is a few miles to the north of me. The third housemate is also Midlands born and bred but she claims her Asian heritage is the reason she feels cold

Weight – I’d say we’re all pretty similar really, size 12 to 14. It may be down to how active we are, as some have said.

I’d set the timer during the day for her (roughly 1 hour on, 1 hour off) to try to keep a steady temperature going…

This seems to have gone a bit off topic… (not that I mind, it’s quite interesting!)

Savvy_Sue

ceridwen wrote: »

It may be down to different peoples bodies reacting differently to the cold (as per one of them has an illness that causes them to feel a different temperature to others). On the other hand - I've certainly learnt over the years that its a good idea for people sharing the use of a heating system to have a similar build (ie either all slim or all errrr...<cough> more "generously endowed") and coming from similar parts of the country (thinking of people from further north are going to be used to colder temperatures than those from down south).

I've certainly noticed myself that I dont need nearly as much heat as normal at the moment - and it is quite specifically down to the fact that I need to go on a diet at the moment. Once I've been on that diet and got back down again to my usual size - then I know I will have to use more heating again. Some people really do/or don't have more natural "insulation" and do feel a different temperature to others because of it. I often suspected it - but those who didnt want to believe me didnt believe me. Now I'm temporarily a bit overweight:( - I've proved the fact for myself.

that's not infallible. while I always felt warmer when I was pregnant, I don't seem to be insulated despite having the highest BMI in the house. DH and DS3 don't feel the cold - DS3 goes out in the snow without a coat or jumper!

I'm quite sensitive to draughts - is her room draughty?

Hermia

garfield33 wrote: »

The hypothyroidism query– it is something she has pondered in the past, and I have two friends with thyroid problems – one is underactive and one is overactive, so I’m well versed in all the symptoms of those!

I have an underactive thyroid and being constantly cold was one of my symptoms. Pre-diagnosis, I was going to bed in the middle of a very humid August wearing thick pyjamas clutching two hot water bottles and sleeping under two winter duvets! But, I was aware the issue was with me as everyone else in the house said they were hot. Even if someone is ill I don't think that is an excuse for turning every heater in the house up to the max when everyone else clearly finds it too hot!

RadoJo

It is tricky, because your housemate might already be feeling a bit down about her job situation, and sitting at home feeling cold will make the situation even more miserable for her, so I can understand why you might find it difficult to bring up the subject.

If you prefer not to approach the issue and keep the peace, you can at least console yourself that not only has it been particularly cold recently, but hopefully she will get another job soon and not be in the house so much. If your landlord does mention a rise in rent, I would ask for the weather and your housemate's current situation to be taken into account and see if you can perhaps negotiate some flexibility