How to live without heating - save £000s

HertsLad

Ildhund said:

luvchocolate said:

A doctor was speaking last winter about the problem with breathing in cold air....her view was particularly for older people the heart and lungs have to work much harder

I really get the impression that many pundits make statements based almost solely on subjective assessments with little scientific basis. Thank you @luvchocolate for making it clear that this was only the doctor's view, not established fact.

I agree with your stance. One of the most shocking things I ever read were offical documents forwarded to me by my MP after I discussed my approach with him. It was based on studies by UK Universities, Professors and acknowledged 'experts' related to the health issues of living in cold conditions. I guess these documents or pronouncements are taken as the gospel truth and the advice to be followed by almost every UK organisation, including Age Concern. So they then stress the importance of turning up the heating - regardless of affordability - without any consideration of what people are wearing. There's no mention of it. People could be wearing swim wear or multiple layer like me.  As a result, it struck me as drivel, to be honest. Perhaps they are all in cahoots with the energy companies.

Ildhund

masonic said:

The difference in heat capacity or thermal conductivity of moist vs dry air at low temperatures seems pretty negligible according to these charts (and since heat capacity is per kg in the first chart, density also needs to be considered for a volumetric conversion).
  

Fascinating charts - thanks so much for unearthing them 🙇‍♂️

It certainly looks as if air humidity has a negligible effect at ordinary indoor temperatures. I think perhaps there is a neglected difference between humid and damp in this context. We seem to have established that there will be no measurable difference in the perception of temperature in a cold, humid house, but a cold damp house is perhaps a different matter altogether. If there's damp in the fabric - rising, or falling through a leaky roof or coming through the walls - then I suspect that perception will be different. Damp walls, floors or ceilings are bound to give a cooling effect as the damp evaporates, assuming it does. But wouldn't that lead to a lowering of the temperature, so there is no reason to assume that it's just a perception of cold - it will be colder than otherwise. Won't it?

masonic

Quite right. If you have an external water source causing damp, and good circulation of drier air causing evaporation of that moisture, then that could cause a home to be cooler in temperature. It would feel colder because it is colder. An infra-red thermometer would show it.

wrf12345

I just took up the carpet and underlay in one room, small patch of the latter had some damp underneath. Gaps between the floorboards and airbricks outside encouraging some kind of condensation? The floorboards were slightly discoloured in the damp area but have not become damp since throwing out the carpet/underlay and I have now filled in the gaps between the floorboards. Temp is about 12 degrees overnight and humidity over 90 percent. The CH has not been turned on yet so nothing to do with heating wafting up from the pipes. Personally, I don't like high humidity, seems to ruin the summer months and make the winter ones more intense, definitely harder going walking up the very steep hills we have here (nearly seventy, BTW).

HertsLad

The temperature in my house has now fallen to 12C. I added my second layer of base garments, a pure wool jumper and a thinsulate lined hat, to what I was wearing at 15 or 16C. The only items I expect to add below 12C, and as low as 1C, are down-filled trousers and additonal down jackets. As always, with these small adjustments, I remain perfectly warm. 

dealyboy

As I was reading your update HertsLad  I note that the indoor temperature here in North Herts is 15C, I am wearing ...
top - t-shirt, thermal long-sleeve, thermal mid and fleece
bottom - thermal long johns, thick jeans
hat - thermal lined

If it were to go down to under 10C I would put on my winter indoor coat and thinsulate gloves

wrf12345

Is it my imagination or is it getting colder than last year? Or maybe another year older, feeling it more. Just put on my smaller tracksuit bottoms, with another larger set over them - but only early morning and late night. Have some marvellous lightweight but furry boots from Aliexpress which are also necessary, they are not made for outdoors and surprised they survived one winter as only cost a couple of quid. Just reminded me to add my lightweight duvet over the bottom of the bed as my feet need a bit more warmth.

Swipe

It's cooler than last October which was an outlier but it's warming up a bit again next week.

bob2302

Ildhund said:

It certainly looks as if air humidity has a negligible effect at ordinary indoor temperatures. I think perhaps there is a neglected difference between humid and damp in this context. We seem to have established that there will be no measurable difference in the perception of temperature in a cold, humid house, but a cold damp house is perhaps a different matter altogether. If there's damp in the fabric - rising, or falling through a leaky roof or coming through the walls - then I suspect that perception will be different. Damp walls, floors or ceilings are bound to give a cooling effect as the damp evaporates, assuming it does. But wouldn't that lead to a lowering of the temperature, so there is no reason to assume that it's just a perception of cold - it will be colder than otherwise. Won't it?

When someone says that high humidity makes you feel colder, surely the implication is: colder at the same temperature. It's also implied that this is common phenomenon, and not limited to people with holes in the roof or severe abnormal damp problems.


 

Ildhund

bob2302 said:
When someone says that high humidity makes you feel colder, surely the implication is: colder at the same temperature. It's also implied that this is common phenomenon, ...

That was my starting point, asking why it should be so. I was looking at the apparent contradiction between 'high humidity makes you feel colder' in some parts of the world, but 'high humidity makes you feel hotter' in others. The only real evidence presented here is in the charts above, which don't seem to lend much credence to the 'high humidity makes you feel colder' mantra.