Money Moral Dilemma: Should my housemates pay more for heating?

Former_MSE_Nick

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

Most of my housemates want to turn the heating on but I don't think it's cold enough yet. I've suggested they wrap up or at least put the heating on a timer but they refuse. If we do leave it on, shouldn't some of them be paying more towards the bill?

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gazman100

Nope. Life in a house share innit?

Seriously though what if someone is away for a few days? Or someone else always has longer showers, or stays up late watching tv? Or has more milk in their tea.... etc.

Andy_WSM

Agree a temperature (I think 21C is the widely accepted "norm" for a domestic property) and set the thermostat and let the thermostat decide when heat is needed. It takes out all the emotion & arguments. THEN if someone feels cold they are not wearing enough and if they're hot the probably want to take their coat & scalf off.

The hard part will be agreeing a temperature, but taking WIKI as a guide then 21C would be a good starting point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_temperature

Yawn

I agree with everything said above. The only exception I would make is if your flatmate actually works from home and therefore needs the heating on during the day, in which case I do think it's fair for them to pay more. Plus, they could claim the work at home allowance (or whatever it's called) for it from HMRC...

vpeake

No they shouldn't pay more. One of the things you give up when you move into a houseshare is your right to choose but it's offset by cheaper living costs compared to living alone. You can't tell other people how to live their lives in their own home, everyone has to give a little and compromise.

I lived with people last year who never wanted the heating on. It was miserable all winter and there were constant arguments about heating. I'd turn it on and then 5 seconds later they'd turn it off. The house was cold miserable and damp and everyone was ill trying
To save a few pennies. I now live in a houseshare where people put the heating on before me and I love it so much.

Don't be that person.

Other_World

@vpeake Are you "that person" you speak of? Multiple people in the house didn't want it on, you did...you were the oddity in that group.

Personally I'd say that the lowest temperature that someone wants is the temperature the house should be - unless not possible for medical conditions or whatever.

It's much easier to add clothes/heat than to remove...


In the 'specific' scenario of multiple housemates wanting it on all the time and refusing a general courtesy of a timer, I'd say they do need to pay more of the bill. Additionally, think of finding new housemates if it's a big enough issue for you...

missbiggles1

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Agree a temperature (I think 21C is the widely accepted "norm" for a domestic property) and set the thermostat and let the thermostat decide when heat is needed. It takes out all the emotion & arguments. THEN if someone feels cold they are not wearing enough and if they're hot the probably want to take their coat & scalf off.

The hard part will be agreeing a temperature, but taking WIKI as a guide then 21C would be a good starting point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_temperature

Setting a temperature is all very well but surely the problem is how many hours you have the heating on for. Many of us wouldn't dream of running the heating all night, partly because of the cost but also because of the discomfort.

pollypenny

It's November. Quite normal to have to heating on. I never turn mine off. It's set at 20, so doesn't come on in the summer and not until late in spring or Autumn, as the lower sun hits the hall where the thermostat is.

If your sharer was wandering around in a t-shirt in December you'd have a case, but not for normal dressing.

Cardew

This has come up in various forms in this energy section; particularly with students.

It is not just the central heating temperature, but electric heaters in bedrooms; boyfriend/girlfriend staying overnight frequently; some staying in property weekends/holidays while others are at parents home; length of showers/baths(metered water!); some use cooker, others don't.

The consensus is everyone pays the same as it is virtually impossible, as well as petty, to attribute costs to individuals.

inkykat20

This happens to me every year. I am quite money conscious and my flat mates will always reach for the heating instead of a jumper - my mum brought me up to be a bit more hardy. I pay for the Gas and Electricity so I just charge them a little more. We reached a decision recently about when (morning and evening) and how long the heating comes on for (1h each time) so now we all pay the same.

Cardew

Andy_WSM wrote: »

Agree a temperature (I think 21C is the widely accepted "norm" for a domestic property) and set the thermostat and let the thermostat decide when heat is needed. It takes out all the emotion & arguments. THEN if someone feels cold they are not wearing enough and if they're hot the probably want to take their coat & scalf off.

The hard part will be agreeing a temperature, but taking WIKI as a guide then 21C would be a good starting point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_temperature

One of the problems with sharing is that people spend far more time in their bedrooms - using it to study, watch TV as well as other activities!!

Most bedrooms have radiators sized so when the living room is at, say 21C, bedrooms are several degrees cooler; and when the heating goes off because the living room is at 21C there is no heating in bedroom. Inevitably people buy a £10 fan heater and the electricity bill soars - we have had more complaints on this aspect of sharing than anything else.