Living without heating

Robwiz

We have changed the way we heat our house this year to reduce energy waste. We have an air to air heat pump heating the kitchen and lounge to maintain a balmy 18º C between 7 am and 10 pm. We keep the doors closed to keep the heat in.

We have a wood burning stove in the snug/study, which we light if it's cold in the evening. The air temperature hasn't gone above 17º but it feels warmer due to the radiant heat from the stove. Overnight the temperature drops to 13º C by morning, but it' not unpleasant provided we wear jumpers.

The bedrooms are unheated and have been between 10º and 12º but we have electric blankets which are wonderful. We have radiant heaters in the bathrooms which we switch when using the bathroom.

We have humidity sensors in four rooms and we run a dehumidifier upstairs to keep relative humidity around 60% and below 70%.

If we can keep it going we will save the £2000 that we spent on gas central heating last year.

I too grew up in a house without central heating and regularly saw ice on the inside of my (single glazed) bedroom window. It has been interesting how as a family we have adjusted to the lower temperatures – last year 16º in the snug/study was as low as I could bear (CH set back temperature) whereas I'm quite comfortable this year at sitting working with the room at 13º.

Smiley_Dan

Thanks for the temperatures to compare against Robwiz. They are similar to ours although we are finding it a little less bearable.

Do you think your draught proofing that you have said you have done has lowered the minimum tolerable temperature? I hear that many Passivhauses are only heated to the 16-18C range but feel fine because there are no draughts.

In our case there are plenty of holes to patch up still, but I'm also balancing this ongoing work with the fact that mildew has appeared for the first time this year.

Cardew

This comes up every year and we get more and more extreme posts about the room temperature they tolerate before heating is switched on. iirc 8c was the lowest.

I post this article each year:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5372296.stm


Quote:
24C - top range of comfort
21C - recommended living room temperature
Less than 20C - death risk begins
18C - recommended bedroom temperature
16C - resistance to respiratory diseases weakened
12C - more than two hours at this temperature raises blood pressure and increases heart attack and stroke risk
5C - Significant risk of hypothermia

Source: West Midlands Public Health Observatory

Marktheshark

Google heat a room for 8p with tea light candles.
One bread tin, two terracotta flower pots and some tea-light candles and you can make a clever little heat exchanger that takes the edge of any room

As money saving goes, this is as frugel as it gets.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/10449357/Heat-your-home-office-for-8p-a-day.html

teddysmum

Using a laptop, on your lap really helps to warm you up. Provided that the ventilations slots are not obscured, why waste the heat?


Another cheap warmer is a heated cushion or mat (like a mini electric blanket) to put in the chair you relax in. (mine were both from Lidl)

SailorSam

If you're single and there by yourself it's a lot easier than if there were others there that you were worried for.
A few years ago when we had a very cold winter my CH broke and was off for months, they kept trying to fix it but countn't get the parts. I managed, i just made do. I had a gas fire in the lounge; if i was cooking the kitchen would get warm, and i had an electric shower in the bathroom. It wasn't comfortable but not a big deal.

Robwiz

Smiley_Dan wrote: »

Thanks for the temperatures to compare against Robwiz. They are similar to ours although we are finding it a little less bearable.

Do you think your draught proofing that you have said you have done has lowered the minimum tolerable temperature? I hear that many Passivhauses are only heated to the 16-18C range but feel fine because there are no draughts.

In our case there are plenty of holes to patch up still, but I'm also balancing this ongoing work with the fact that mildew has appeared for the first time this year.

To be fair, I work from home most days, so I'm better acclimatised than the rest of the family – OH would prefer a balmy 23º throughout!

It's a combination of the draught proofing and having triple glazing (which definitely eliminates cold spots and increases comfort) and there aren't any noticeable draughts.

I definitely believe that eliminating all the draughts and air leaks is time well spent.

Last autumn we discovered mould on a single leaf wall in a bedroom – this had become the coldest spot in the room since the windows were replaced. This year the dehumidifier has kept the RH below the point at which condensation on the walls is a risk. I plan to insulate the single leaf but there are so many cautionary tales of interstitial condensation that I haven't worked out the best method yet.

Robwiz

Cardew wrote: »

This comes up every year and we get more and more extreme posts about the room temperature they tolerate before heating is switched on. iirc 8c was the lowest.

I post this article each year:

Thanks for posting this. I'd like to see the scientific evidence on which these recommendations are based.

I find it hard to understand the reason for 18º being recommended for bedrooms. Also, it would appear that going out for a walk on a winter day (say 8º outdoor temperature) would appear highly dangerous, yet we know from other public health advice that a daily walk is one of the best things we can do for our general wellbeing.

PlutoinCapricorn

I have done this for many years, but I have a few advantages in that I have a studio flat, I face south so get the low-lying winter sun on my windows and I have heated flats above, below and beside me.

Fingerless gloves, slipper socks, many layers of clothes, a slanket and a woolly hat keep me warm enough, and I also use hot water bottles. I eat ginger just for the warmth.

I have got a halogen fire, and have just got a cute little oil-filled radiator. My goal is to just use them when guests come, but I may weaken on the coldest days.

Mrs_Boo_Boo

Goodness me am typing this at home with my coat still on. We haven't had heating since we moved into our property 16 years ago. It's an old cottage and needs extensive renovation and are doing it up as we can afford it. Yes some people can't do it all at once like some TV programmes would have you believe. We have a wood burner in our lounge,but don't light it every day and lots of hot water.
Best things are electric blanket
hot water
feather quilt and pillows
fleecy PJs
Thermal vests
The cat is the most pampered with a heat pad in her bed!!!


Healthy people do survive without heating.