We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
How to live without heating - save £000s
Options
Comments
-
Hearts Lad, Serious question, if you put the heating on would it actually work? Just been trying to help my neighbour because like us all he has tried to cut back on heating and his boiler has frozen up this morning, I saw him pouring warm water over a condensation pipe, although he isn't sure if it is that. Not sure of his layout but he has a three year old combi and has had a total revamp with extensions this summer and this condensation pipe that runs outside. My boiler is a 22 year old Potterton with just a small flume that pokes out of the wall. Have just put it on and thankfully it works. So I guess it all depends on the layout of the house etc but pipes etc do freeze so was wondering if your layout is the type that won't freeze up in case you did want to use it? Obviously now my neighbour is having to get an emergency plumbing and heating engineer out as they are a family of four with two small children so as well as the energy bill they will probably now have a call out/repair bill as well. Would it have happened if they weren't trying to cut back like everyone else? Who knows? One of the downsides to the heating the person rather than the house dilemma.0
-
Mstty said:At some point are there some pictures of the gear you wear round the house and ifnit looks bulky etc.(blue face etc)
Also I want to believe you completely but would you also post your energy usage if you have the bright app or a bill.
That may put some of the people thinking this is a lie to bed once and for all.
I will upload energy bills a.s.a.p.2 -
Max68 said:Hearts Lad, Serious question, if you put the heating on would it actually work? Just been trying to help my neighbour because like us all he has tried to cut back on heating and his boiler has frozen up this morning, I saw him pouring warm water over a condensation pipe, although he isn't sure if it is that. Not sure of his layout but he has a three year old combi and has had a total revamp with extensions this summer and this condensation pipe that runs outside. My boiler is a 22 year old Potterton with just a small flume that pokes out of the wall. Have just put it on and thankfully it works. So I guess it all depends on the layout of the house etc but pipes etc do freeze so was wondering if your layout is the type that won't freeze up in case you did want to use it? Obviously now my neighbour is having to get an emergency plumbing and heating engineer out as they are a family of four with two small children so as well as the energy bill they will probably now have a call out/repair bill as well. Would it have happened if they weren't trying to cut back like everyone else? Who knows? One of the downsides to the heating the person rather than the house dilemma.
All they need to do is put a heater in the room like a £12 3kw fan heater, that's all a heating engineer will do, just have the fan heater blowing towards the cold water supply and boiler and in very little time it will be fine, 2 hours max.
SW/Devon lat50.3*, Longi half cut cells 2x 400w + 2x 420w S/f & 4x 150w SW/f PV. 5kw Reliable Inverter 21kwh LFP battery bank, built to charge E-MCycle E-Bike, and power 90% of my home1 -
Max68 said:Hearts Lad, Serious question, if you put the heating on would it actually work? Just been trying to help my neighbour...2
-
HertsLad said:Sea_Shell said:Fun !?!?!
This thread proves that there really is nowt so "odd" as folk.Living as you do - when it doesn’t affect anyone else - is great if that’s what you want to do, but you’re no better than anyone else for doing so, IMO. Is it going to seem odd to the vast majority? Yes, personally I’d have to agree that it seems a strange idea for someone to choose to wear layer on layer of clothing in their own home when they can perfectly well afford to pop some heating on. And for those who don’t have a choice about being able to heat, I imagine it feels entirely incomprehensible that anyone would be choosing not to!As for 90% of people being able to do what you do - I’d doubt that. Most people have others in the household who may well not have the same resistance to cold that you clearly do. Others have health conditions that preclude it - remember this sort of thing was pointed out early in this thread when you were being (in a lot of people’s opinion) somewhat bombastic about the ability of anyone to live that way and (again in many people’s opinion) rather cavalier about the way you were giving advice. Personally I’m what would generally be considered to be a fit healthy person - but I do feel the cold, particularly in my hands and feet. I’m currently in my 19° heated living room yet my finger tips are cold, and my feel still slightly chilly in spite of thick wool socks and well padded slippers after being out for a walk (in sturdy boots) this morning. Could I live as you choose to? Possibly, but would I choose to? Absolutely without question not!Re posting the photo by the way - I think to follow forum rules you would need to blank out or blur your face anyway so you are not identifiable. So probably no issue with any “discredit”. In any event I’m assuming that these clothes aren’t visibly “dirty” or presumably you wouldn’t be wearing them!🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her0 -
Thankfully the neighbour has got his boiler working and has got someone around later to insulate the outdoor condensation pipe. hardergamer, many thanks for the tip above, I'll bookmark that in case he has the issue again.3
-
Max68 said:Just been trying to help my neighbour because like us all he has tried to cut back on heating and his boiler has frozen up this morning, I saw him pouring warm water over a condensation pipe, although he isn't sure if it is that. Not sure of his layout but he has a three year old combi and has had a total revamp with extensions this summer and this condensation pipe that runs outside.2
-
hardergamer said:Max68 said:Hearts Lad, Serious question, if you put the heating on would it actually work? Just been trying to help my neighbour because like us all he has tried to cut back on heating and his boiler has frozen up this morning, I saw him pouring warm water over a condensation pipe, although he isn't sure if it is that. Not sure of his layout but he has a three year old combi and has had a total revamp with extensions this summer and this condensation pipe that runs outside. My boiler is a 22 year old Potterton with just a small flume that pokes out of the wall. Have just put it on and thankfully it works. So I guess it all depends on the layout of the house etc but pipes etc do freeze so was wondering if your layout is the type that won't freeze up in case you did want to use it? Obviously now my neighbour is having to get an emergency plumbing and heating engineer out as they are a family of four with two small children so as well as the energy bill they will probably now have a call out/repair bill as well. Would it have happened if they weren't trying to cut back like everyone else? Who knows? One of the downsides to the heating the person rather than the house dilemma.
All they need to do is put a heater in the room like a £12 3kw fan heater, that's all a heating engineer will do, just have the fan heater blowing towards the cold water supply and boiler and in very little time it will be fine, 2 hours max.2 -
Re posting the photo by the way - I think to follow forum rules you would need to blank out or blur your face anyway so you are not identifiable. So probably no issue with any “discredit”. In any event I’m assuming that these clothes aren’t visibly “dirty” or presumably you wouldn’t be wearing them!1
-
Can you give us a quick recap of how you get (and store) the power and hot water that you do use? It's lost in the history of the thread... somewhere.
I did see you have solar tubes for hot water, but if they work on sunny winter days like today, what about next week when it's going to be cloudy?How's it going, AKA, Nutwatch? - 12 month spends to date = 2.60% of current retirement "pot" (as at end May 2025)0
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.5K Spending & Discounts
- 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
- 598.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.9K Life & Family
- 257.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards