How to live without heating - save £000s

[Deleted User]

Anyone who has been without a CH boiler for any length of time soon realises just how cold the interior of a house can and does become without any form of heating.  I had that happen to me about 3 years ago and it was extremely unpleasant even though we were able to use expensive electrical heating for a while.  When the boiler repair was going to take at least a week we took ourselves off for a few days on a mini-break.  Coming back to an unheated house was no fun even with multiple layers!

To the OP,  there are many folk on here who are already making similar choices to what you are doing - we are just not doing it to the 'Bear Grylls' lengths that you obviously are.  Very few (you might be unique) are doing what you are doing by dispensing with heating altogether but many are indeed turning down our thermostats (mine has gone down to 18C from 20+C),  turning down the CH flow temperature, layering up and using more localised heating (such as heated throws) to keep ourselves warmer in what is now a cooler house temperature.  These things I have been doing since late December have made a huge impact on my overall energy usage  There does come a tipping point where any lower temperatures becomes downright unpleasant.  Not sure how much lower I can go or would want to go.

Each to his/her own I guess.   

PennineAcute

If individuals are struggling and only heating one room, then I doubt they would have a spare £100 to kit themselves out.

Yes, kitting themselves out in thermals and whatver may work for them, but when single person's UC is around £80, to find £100 is going to be hard.  Pension credit is around £160, so over half of one week's Pension Credit has to be found.  If this works for the person, then okay.  If it does not, then they can now not afford to heat the only room that they can currently afford to heat.  This does not bear thinking about.

We are in times where people are going to suffer.  For a lot of people, money now needs to be spent wisely.  Is it wise spending money on something that may work?

EssexHebridean

HertsLad said:

EssexHebridean said:

- spending a four-figure sum on something which is pure frippery is simply not an option.
 - suggesting - however obliquely - that others are foolish for not doing the same, is completely inappropriate.
 - trying to convince people that everyone else should be doing the same with scant regard for differing situations is not a good - or responsible - approach. ;

As before, you are mis-representing what I have said. None of your accusations quoted above is valid or what I said.

Individuals living with heating one room could buy all the garments I suggest for £100 if as lucky as I was in making use of some pre-owned items, e.g from eBay or charity shops. So your claim of a 4 figure sum is absurd.

Millions of people rely on heating only one room. I explained why I think it's worse than heating no room. It is highly unlikely that these people are heating the stairwell so if dressed in far less clothes than I wear, then if they fall, they will get colder far quicker than if wearing more layers. So your warning is invalid, dangerous and offensive if it deters people from trying to keep warm by wearing more layers with good insulation properties.

How ironic that you accuse meof misrepresenting your views when you have actively chosen to selectively quote my post to make it appear I said something I did not. The actual quote, in full, is below

EssexHebridean said:

Skiing holidays - in fact, holidays at all are a luxury, not just for people in tight financial situations but for everyone - but if you're struggling to afford to meet even your basic outgoings then spending a four-figure sum on something which is pure frippery is simply not an option. 

Altering posts in this way in order to support your own viewpoint is exceptionally dishonest. 

[Deleted User]

I think this thread is fascinating. I wasn’t sure whether to post on here or your off grid post... first time post on these boards I normally stay on Old Style!

I think if you are happy living this way and it gives you a sense of satisfaction beating the system (or leaving it altogether if you go fully off grid), then good for you. I am with you on seeing it as a ‘game’ and a bit of fun.

We live in a rural farming community where a lot of people don’t have GCH and rely on fires only. We sort of practice at off grid living up here as the power goes off a lot, so there is an abundance of candles, headtorches and hot water bottles in the house! 

We don’t use the GCH at all, and yes I have children. The ‘main’ stove in the sitting room is lit at lunchtime and we light the kitchen one as well on a weekend. The children have hot water bottles in bed (all of our water is boiled on top of the main stove, don’t really use an electric kettle anymore). I do use a washing machine, but will definitely look at hand washing more, so thank you for inspiring me. Our laundry dries on a rack that hangs above the fire.

So whilst I couldn’t do without our fire (& yes I scavenge most of the wood and chop it myself, I am having a small coal

Delivery this week to supplement) I really appreciate the point you are making about reducing energy consumption drastically.

My children and I love this life, when the power does go off it’s not an issue for us as we are used to cooking on the woodburner etc. So our fire isn’t just for heat, but for cooking our meals as well (the main oven is switched off at the mains now, if I can’t do it on the fire I use the slow cooker).

All the best in finding what works for you, we are all different and the world would be so boring if we weren’t! 

Another_UK_Emigrant

An interesting thread indeed. I tend to the heat one room approach with a portable gas fire. Though we just wheel it between the living room and office room. I'd say we get through about €100 a year's worth of gas, including the cooker.

I would love gas central heating but retrofitting is just far too expensive.

I should point out that I live in Spain so perhaps it's not such an issue. It can and does get bitterly cold, though. It snows every few years (always shuts everything down) and temps regularly down to 0 at night. That's December to February and usually only in spells. So then the layers go on!

One thing I do notice whenever I go back to the UK in winter is just how warm some people have their houses. I see people in t-shirts indoors in winter and just think it's madness. I remember having a very uncomfortable night's sleep as the bedroom was way warmer than what I'm used to. I haven't been back for ages so I suppose with these steep rises people are turning down the thermostat!

elsien

I wouldn’t want to live like the OP under any circumstances, but it is their choice and each to their own.
And I can see why some posters took exception at the beginning before the OP clarified. 

I would like to say though that their responses have stayed polite in the face of some hostility and I commend them for that. 

mumf

Another_UK_Emigrant said:

An interesting thread indeed. I tend to the heat one room approach with a portable gas fire. Though we just wheel it between the living room and office room. I'd say we get through about €100 a year's worth of gas, including the cooker.

I would love gas central heating but retrofitting is just far too expensive.

I should point out that I live in Spain so perhaps it's not such an issue. It can and does get bitterly cold, though. It snows every few years (always shuts everything down) and temps regularly down to 0 at night. That's December to February and usually only in spells. So then the layers go on!

One thing I do notice whenever I go back to the UK in winter is just how warm some people have their houses. I see people in t-shirts indoors in winter and just think it's madness. I remember having a very uncomfortable night's sleep as the bedroom was way warmer than what I'm used to. I haven't been back for ages so I suppose with these steep rises people are turning down the thermostat!

We have just visited my wife’s very frail parents. Now they are elderly,and infirm,but the house was baking hot ,and not a breath of fresh air. I know they have to keep warm,but no fresh air cannot be good for you? My very young neighbours are working from home ,house sealed up and the boiler is working overtime. Right now it’s 13 c ,with Storm Dudley moving in,but the back door is open for the dogs to come and go ,the windows are open upstairs to blow some air through,and I am fine sitting near to the open door in jeans and jumper.

This idea of living in a hot- house ,warm enough to grow orchids,is a very recent phenomenon ( 50 or so years?) ,but it seems that it is deemed almost to be a human right. Interesting.

PennyForThem_2

Oh wow ASparkyBlonde - yes, yes, yes.  I lived in a suburb of London in the 50's as a child in a house where grandparents, parents, great aunt and married lodgers all lived.  Mainly heated from coal fires and hot water bottles and clothing.  And yes, it got cold.  Pipes froze and burst!

So I have a lot of time for HertsLad - all he is offering is a way of using clothing (mainly) to keep warm.  I do the same, I layer and remove once I get too warm.  I usually have bare feet because double layered trousers mean warm legs and hat and shawl = body warmth.  Yes, I have GCH set to 14 degrees which comes on in morning for 90 mins and in evening for 60 mins.  And a wood burning stove.  I am super lucky that I can accomodate wood burning stove and its wood.

My GCH broke down in the freezing 2 weeks but actually I found it made little difference except when I got up at 6 am - then I did miss that burst of warmth.

But the msg is wear more clothing including hat which will make your body warm.

(My 2 sons sort of laugh at this - one has just bought his first home and said no need for me to worry about his heating bill as he was used to minimal central heating...........not sure how to take this!)

EssexHebridean

My feeling is that what the majority on here are saying is not that having a house heated to a high temperature is a human right, but that being able to afford heat your home to a level where the health of those living in it is not at risk should be.  There's a difference. 

colmel16

HertsLad : 8k views and 134 replies by only giving an opinion and lifestyle choice.

Yesterday.: Charlesworth447  466 views and nine replies on a life or death cry for help.

It makes me sad and we should hang our heads in shame.