How to live without heating - save £000s

70sbudgie

You also get used to ambient temperatures. I grew up in a small village in Wiltshire where power cuts were pretty normal and we didn't have mains gas, so we learned to layer according to the weather. (Btw, I am in my 40s, so this was only the 80s). I have lived in other (warmer) countries. And I now live in Cheshire. I have come to realise that I prefer to be cooler rather than hotter, but have learned to adapt to living in the heat previously. The most extreme case was when I was in the Caribbean and I had constant heat rash (and other skin reactions related to the heat) for 3 weeks. Then my body sorted itself out and by the time I came back to the UK 2 months later, I was finding that I'd have to put on a jumper if the ambient temperature dropped below 30°C. It took me a while to acclimatise to the new normal ambient temperature.

Although I won't be going as extreme as @HertsLad I am curious what temperature would be my minimum. I've previously had the heating set at 18°C during the day and 16°C at night. But last winter I found working from home at 18°C uncomfortable. I have already invested in a small portable panel heater to heat me when I wfh so I don't have to heat the whole house. And I will be gradually reducing the temperature of the CH until I get complaints from my family (when I will put it back up half a degree).

I am very interested in the comment about heating the legs and intend to try that with more intent. I usually put a pair of woolly tights on under trousers, but think I will invest in some furry leggings (or similar) for this year.

As has been mentioned previously, we have got too used to adjusting our environment to suit us and think we need to relearn about adjusting our habits instead. I appreciate that not everyone is able to do this, but believe that those of us that can, should. Energy is not an infinite resource. If enough people reduce their demand for energy (whether they do it because there is no reason not to, or because they need to financially) then perhaps we can avoid the energy rationing that the media is threatening.

QrizB

70sbudgie said:

Although I won't be going as extreme as HertsLad I am curious what temperature would be my minimum.

I'm sure you've seen all those "meanwhile in Finland" memes. Like this:

70sbudgie

QrizB said:

70sbudgie said:

Although I won't be going as extreme as HertsLad I am curious what temperature would be my minimum.

I'm sure you've seen all those "meanwhile in Finland" memes. Like this:

I watched a programme yesterday about Simon...(?) visiting Alaska. There was a guy living in a cave (that he had put a front door on) who answered his front door in crocs. He didn't hang around, but said it was no bother because it was only -20°C! He did have appropriate clothing on later in the filming. Whether he was asked to put a coat on, I couldn't tell. There was another lady who lived in a caravan / shack because she couldn't afford land to build a proper house. Seeing that does put things into perspective.

Mstty

It is good to keep your own heat in, we are more than capable with the technology of clothing to go without any heat in the house at all and not look like the Michelin man.

It's not something we are prepared to do....yet but it is interesting how much a human can give off.

Theory. The average human, at rest, produces around 100 watts of power. [2] Over periods of a few minutes, humans can comfortably sustain 300-400 watts; and in the case of very short bursts of energy, such as sprinting, some humans can output over 2,000 watts.6 Dec 2014

http://large.stanford.edu › labonta1

brewerdave

Mstty said:

It is good to keep your own heat in, we are more than capable with the technology of clothing to go without any heat in the house at all and not look like the Michelin man.

It's not something we are prepared to do....yet but it is interesting how much a human can give off.

Theory. The average human, at rest, produces around 100 watts of power. [2] Over periods of a few minutes, humans can comfortably sustain 300-400 watts; and in the case of very short bursts of energy, such as sprinting, some humans can output over 2,000 watts.6 Dec 2014

http://large.stanford.edu › labonta1

Unfortunately the most "at risk" this Winter (if we have a bad one) ,are the older less fit members of the population. I seriously doubt that these self generation figures apply to them, with the result that they are going to need many layers to keep, what natural heat produced, within the body.

Mstty

@brewerdave

One in four pensioners are millionaires.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/pensions-retirement/news/number-millionaire-pensioners-quadruples/

They will be alright .

I suspect the next two in four are decently well off as only the bottom 11% actually get pension credit.

The targeted help required will be those on pension credit. That's apparently 1.4million pensioners

Did you know there are over 12 million pensioners in the UK so when someone broadly says pensioners will die or pensioners need help they may need to qualify that with the bottom 10-25% need help and they imo should get it.

QrizB

Mstty said:

I suspect the next two in four are decently well off as only the bottom 11% actually get pension credit.

... and Pension Credit is getting on for 3x as much as Universal Credit.

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Universal-Credit-And-Pension-Age

As well as the various extra benefits available for pensioners, Pension Credit rates are much higher than Universal Credit rates. For example, in 2022/23 the standard minimum guarantee for a couple in Pension Credit is £278.70 per week (£1,207.70 per month). In comparison the couple rate for Universal Credit, for a couple over 25, is £525.72 per month.
Couples over pension credit age are also exempt from most benefit restrictions, for example social housing sector rent restrictions (the 'bedroom tax'), the benefits cap and also local reductions in Council Tax Support.

Pensioners are relatively well supported already.

Alnat1

Many of the pensioners who are "millionaires" will live in a house that's worth a lot. Asset rich, cash poor.

Many will be reluctant to give up the home they've lived in for years, even if it is much too big for their needs and is costing a fortune to heat. They also see home improvements as not worth it as they won't get ROI in their lifetime.

in_my_wellies

Alnat1 said:

Many of the pensioners who are "millionaires" will live in a house that's worth a lot. Asset rich, cash poor.

Many will be reluctant to give up the home they've lived in for years, even if it is much too big for their needs and is costing a fortune to heat. They also see home improvements as not worth it as they won't get ROI in their lifetime.

My neighbour is 91. Alone in a six bed house. She worked out it would cost £25,000 to downsize to a property more suited to her needs. A large percentage of that is stamp duty. If she were to be exempt from stamp duty because she downsized she would move and free up her house for a family. As it is she says £25,000 will buy a lot of heat. 

QrizB

in_my_wellies said:

As it is she says £25,000 will buy a lot of heat. 

Not this winter it won't.