Have you put your heating on yet?

eadieb

Ours has been switched off since April and (as I told my 16 year old this morning) is not going on till November. Our boiler is currently only on heating water but when I flick the switch, we can set a temperature for the heating to come on at. I think that by delaying any use of the heating i will save on bills. There have been about 5 days this autumn, that I would happily have had it on but if I did that, I would get used to the nice cosy temperature and recklassly have it coming on each day. As it is, its not been that bad, just need a jumper on in doors.

sarahemmm

samasama wrote: »

Ahh the luxury of turning heating on.

If I want to warm the house I have two fires to be lit, fed, clear out.

Only light them when the kids are home (however cold it is) and even then it's only for a couple of hours in the evening so they're warm at bedtime.

Electric blankets are a godsend, and other than that we have jumpers!!!!!

That reminds me of my childhood in a Welsh farmhouse. It had 3 foot thick walls, which the wind whistled through. Heating was 2 wood fires, a Pithers coke stove and the Aga - funnily enough we spent a lot of time in the kitchen!

Now I'm far too nesh for that life...

magentalady

I don't understand the way that some people get so stubborn and competitive about putting the heating on. I know so many people who proudly declare 'I refuse to put my heating on until at least December!' Fair enough if it's a money issue of course, but I've head it from people who can most definitely afford it - it's like it's a macho thing or something. Am I supposed to be impressed that they live in a freezing house?

I live in Scotland and went to uni here too, and when I was a poor student we didn't often have the heating on, but even when we did we lived in such a horrible draughty flat that it hardly made any difference. I spent nearly all my time in huge hoodies and thick ski socks, even in bed!

Now that I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford it, I'd rather just put the heating on whenever I'm cold, and not pay attention to what month it is. I don't need to be able to walk around naked, but I don't want to feel like I need to wear outdoor clothing to feel warm in my own home either.

It's awful that being warm enough in your own house has become a luxury for some people, and one that they can't always afford.

Torry_Quine

magentalady wrote: »

I don't understand the way that some people get so stubborn and competitive about putting the heating on. I know so many people who proudly declare 'I refuse to put my heating on until at least December!' Fair enough if it's a money issue of course, but I've head it from people who can most definitely afford it - it's like it's a macho thing or something. Am I supposed to be impressed that they live in a freezing house?

I live in Scotland and went to uni here too, and when I was a poor student we didn't often have the heating on, but even when we did we lived in such a horrible draughty flat that it hardly made any difference. I spent nearly all my time in huge hoodies and thick ski socks, even in bed!

Now that I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford it, I'd rather just put the heating on whenever I'm cold, and not pay attention to what month it is. I don't need to be able to walk around naked, but I don't want to feel like I need to wear outdoor clothing to feel warm in my own home either.

It's awful that being warm enough in your own house has become a luxury for some people, and one that they can't always afford.

I agree that if you can't afford it then that's hard. However I put the heating on when I need it. It seems strange to me that people are talking of wearing heavy extra layers, fleeces and hot water bottles in order not to put on heating. I haven't put mine on yet although it won't be long but the layers will come into play when it gets really cold which it will. Also why do so many seem to be heating the bedroom as unless the temperature is way below freezing I would never have heating on in the bedroom

By the way I'm in Scotland

emsquared

As yet we genuinely have not felt the need to put the heating on and we're not being martyrs though we certainly do have to be careful money wise. Ours is an infuriatingly small cluster home rental but mercifully do have double glazing (our immediate neighbour to one side does not). Anyway we're in the south, it's gas central heating albeit approx 15+ year vintage technology.I would expect the heating will go on as we get into November as the temps fall into the single digits. We're thankful that the place is not as costly to run as some places we've lived in.

littlerat

We put the heating on when it's cold. Simple as that. Been on once or twice since end of september and several evenings recently.

Our house does have double glazing but council house so limited what else we can do. Basically... nothing.

We also do have windows open (not wide, but we all hate a lack of fresh air - seriously, I have NO idea how people keep them shut all winter), brother comes home in the evening so that means doors open, doors open to let the dog out, tend to outdoor pets, all lowers it.

Utimately though I suffer at times with the cold (always got something warm on my feet by now and are still cold), Dad has arthritis so can end up quite bad if he gets cold.

Thankfully our new boiler has cut costs down since our old one finally broke. No thermostat here by the way either - supposed to have had one, but considering they've been saying that for 8 or 9 years...



Never seen the contest side though. "Yay, I'm colder than you, I win"... oook then.

seven-day-weekend

We put our heating on when the room is cold. We do wear suitable clothes, but don't want to sit in the house in duvets and scarves. Don't see the point, unless of course you can't afford to turn the heating on, which is a different matter. We have mains gas central heating.

We're in our early 60s and live in the Midlands (England).

Our son's flat is all electric and although he has just had some new electric radiators installed, he only heats the room he is in and only when it is very cold, as he can't afford the luxury of heating the whole flat.

londoner01

None of the options provided cover my situation, although it's a relatively simple one:
"No, because I haven't needed to"

fluffymuffy

We have 18 inch thick solid stone walls and no insulation. We can't have any cos it's a Listed Building. We have oil heating and run it on constant from 6:30 am to 10:30pm keeping the house at 15 degrees. Any heating we need on top of that is by the wood burning stove and the air-source heat pump. These cost very little to run.

BarefootLizzie

wow.... only me and 4% of us are not putting heating on til we can see our breath. Most people seem to have their heating on already, lucky folks!

I'm concerned for those on very low incomes [those on low wages as well as state pensoins or benefits] and just can't afford to keep warm enough.

My place/life is money saving experted to the max in all areas of my life, including with reducing heating costs through the right price plan for me and very low useage, maximising insulation and changing my behaviour... [I live a very 'eco' lifestyle thats not for everyone, but it saves me money too]

I have to wait until its pretty desperate for heat as I'm on benefits, and its eat or heat in winter. In rented accomodation, you can only do so much and once you've done everything your landlord is willing to do or will allow you to do, you're on your own with the energy bills

I'm lucky in a way, as I'm not in desperatly poor health (although I am on benefits recovering from a serious health issue) or have vulnerable adults of kids living with me, its just me. But its bloody depressing to go through for a third winter, and I try to be in warm public places as much as possible on really cold days when I can't afford more heating...

It sickens me that vulnerable people die because they are afraid to heat their homes as they fear not being able to meet the bills for it...