How to live without heating - save £000s

Max68

EssexHebridean said:

Max68 said:

Maybe we should go back to the days of our grandparents and just put a coal fire in that would help the planet!  Maybe go even further, shut down shops and get everyone to make spears and nets to fish and a few seeds to grow things in their back gardens, if they have a garden!  Ok yes I'm being sarcastic.  Many of us remember times before computers or mobile phones but would we all go back to typewriters, walking to a red phone box to make a call, if you can find one, or getting rid of TV's and reading a book in candlelight?  If you are used to something that's fine but it' extremely hard to go back.  My mum probably grew up without heating but would I want her care home to turn off the radiators now?  Of course not.  What about people with medical conditions?  Are we expecting people with IBS to take off several layers of clothing to visit the bathroom for the umpteenth time a day?  I'm all for doing bits to help but don't fancy going back to the Stone Age to do it!   

For me - the real question would be "how many of those people who actually experienced living with minimal heating because that was all that was possible would choose to go back there now?" I know my Mum (late 70's) wouldn't swap her central heating out for anything, and thinks we're positively mad for planning to fit a multi-fuel burner when we move ("But the MESS!") 

It's all well and good people waxing lyrical about the past, but it should be remembered IMO that people weren't choosing to live in a particular way then, for the most part - it was because that was all they had!

Couldn't have put it better myself.  I am sure if you asked all those who only had an outside toilet would they go back to that?  Would be very surprised if anyone said yes.  I am sure in the future generations will be questioning the use of Neanderthal toilet paper in the early 21st century when you can use the three sea shells instead! (you have to have seen Demolition Man to understand that)

I admire Hearts Lad, he is happy doing what he is doing and credit to him if that's his choice, and that's what it should be choice.  For sure I've cut back, had to due to the prices and I'd love a holiday but it's my choice to spend my pennies on being as comfortable as I can be at home. Must confess though I am waning.  I'm actually colder now than I was in the cold spell in December and have relented on putting the heating on in warmer conditions.  Suspect my will has been broken by months of trying so you can imagine that's the same for a lot of people which is worrying.  Just fed up to the back teeth of dark nights and low temperatures.

Sea_Shell

Max68 said:

EssexHebridean said:

Max68 said:

Maybe we should go back to the days of our grandparents and just put a coal fire in that would help the planet!  Maybe go even further, shut down shops and get everyone to make spears and nets to fish and a few seeds to grow things in their back gardens, if they have a garden!  Ok yes I'm being sarcastic.  Many of us remember times before computers or mobile phones but would we all go back to typewriters, walking to a red phone box to make a call, if you can find one, or getting rid of TV's and reading a book in candlelight?  If you are used to something that's fine but it' extremely hard to go back.  My mum probably grew up without heating but would I want her care home to turn off the radiators now?  Of course not.  What about people with medical conditions?  Are we expecting people with IBS to take off several layers of clothing to visit the bathroom for the umpteenth time a day?  I'm all for doing bits to help but don't fancy going back to the Stone Age to do it!   

For me - the real question would be "how many of those people who actually experienced living with minimal heating because that was all that was possible would choose to go back there now?" I know my Mum (late 70's) wouldn't swap her central heating out for anything, and thinks we're positively mad for planning to fit a multi-fuel burner when we move ("But the MESS!") 

It's all well and good people waxing lyrical about the past, but it should be remembered IMO that people weren't choosing to live in a particular way then, for the most part - it was because that was all they had!

Couldn't have put it better myself.  I am sure if you asked all those who only had an outside toilet would they go back to that?  Would be very surprised if anyone said yes.  I am sure in the future generations will be questioning the use of Neanderthal toilet paper in the early 21st century when you can use the three sea shells instead! (you have to have seen Demolition Man to understand that)

I admire Hearts Lad, he is happy doing what he is doing and credit to him if that's his choice, and that's what it should be choice.  For sure I've cut back, had to due to the prices and I'd love a holiday but it's my choice to spend my pennies on being as comfortable as I can be at home. Must confess though I am waning.  I'm actually colder now than I was in the cold spell in December and have relented on putting the heating on in warmer conditions.  Suspect my will has been broken by months of trying so you can imagine that's the same for a lot of people which is worrying.  Just fed up to the back teeth of dark nights and low temperatures.

Steady on there!!!!    🤮😉💩

Max68

Ha ha, sorry!!  

HertsLad

Max68 said:

For sure I've cut back, had to due to the prices and I'd love a holiday but it's my choice to spend my pennies on being as comfortable as I can be at home. Must confess though I am waning.  I'm actually colder now than I was in the cold spell in December and have relented on putting the heating on in warmer conditions.  Suspect my will has been broken by months of trying so you can imagine that's the same for a lot of people which is worrying.  Just fed up to the back teeth of dark nights and low temperatures.

You say you are waning. I assume you still use some heating but are still at least a bit cold.  I am sorry to hear that. Why not try some of the garments I have suggested? I.e. if you can suspend hang ups about wearing multiple layers in the home.

As I have said several times before, I am toasty warm 99% of the time without any heating whatsoever. I am never cold, just 'temperate' some mornings for a few minutes before my clothing warms up.

I have reduced heating even further this year, to exclude both bathroom heating and any use of an electric blanket. Both came about from shortage of electricity and I then realised I can cope without.

Max68

HertsLad said:

Max68 said:

For sure I've cut back, had to due to the prices and I'd love a holiday but it's my choice to spend my pennies on being as comfortable as I can be at home. Must confess though I am waning.  I'm actually colder now than I was in the cold spell in December and have relented on putting the heating on in warmer conditions.  Suspect my will has been broken by months of trying so you can imagine that's the same for a lot of people which is worrying.  Just fed up to the back teeth of dark nights and low temperatures.

You say you are waning. I assume you still use some heating but are still at least a bit cold.  I am sorry to hear that. Why not try some of the garments I have suggested? I.e. if you can suspend hang ups about wearing multiple layers in the home.

As I have said several times before, I am toasty warm 99% of the time without any heating whatsoever. I am never cold, just 'temperate' some mornings for a few minutes before my clothing warms up.

I have reduced heating even further this year, to exclude both bathroom heating and any use of an electric blanket. Both came about from shortage of electricity and I then realised I can cope without.

Thanks Hearts Lad but it's a mental cold.  I'm tired of wearing loads of layers as it is, just tired and fed up with the whole situation.  Need spring to kick in,.

christmaslights

Max68 said:

Thanks Hearts Lad but it's a mental cold.  I'm tired of wearing loads of layers as it is, just tired and fed up with the whole situation.  Need spring to kick in,.

I’ve enjoyed reading all these posts.The ‘mental cold’ thing is interesting. I think that’s what is starting to affect me as well.  I can live with a minimal amount of heating, and when I started to do this back in December it seemed like a challenge and a bit of adventure, but it doesn’t make me happy doing it and I’m tired of it now. Overcoming the challenge of the cold does seem to make HertsLad happy and that may be one of the reasons why he’s been so successful at it, but I would much rather be comfortable. One of the reasons, I guess, why I will never be tempted to climb Everest - or even walk up Snowdon ( I took the train). 

HertsLad

christmaslights said:

Max68 said:

Thanks Hearts Lad but it's a mental cold.  I'm tired of wearing loads of layers as it is, just tired and fed up with the whole situation.  Need spring to kick in,.

I’ve enjoyed reading all these posts.The ‘mental cold’ thing is interesting. I think that’s what is starting to affect me as well.  I can live with a minimal amount of heating, and when I started to do this back in December it seemed like a challenge and a bit of adventure, but it doesn’t make me happy doing it and I’m tired of it now. Overcoming the challenge of the cold does seem to make HertsLad happy and that may be one of the reasons why he’s been so successful at it, but I would much rather be comfortable. One of the reasons, I guess, why I will never be tempted to climb Everest - or even walk up Snowdon ( I took the train). 

Yes, the 'mental cold' thing is interesting but I'm not sure I understand what is meant. I too am a bit fed up with winter and look forward to the arrival of Spring and Summer. I say that because it's dreary outside on too many days, and especially due to the short days of December, in particular. I don't think my outlook would be improved if I heated all the air in my house and wore fewer clothes. I find it a bit of a treat if I visit a pub, hotel or similar place and can sit in front of a log fire. Not because I need warming up but due to the aesthetics or something like that. No way would I be persuaded to set up a log fire in my house, though. It strikes me as far too expensive and messy, even before the issue of heating just one or two rooms which I have mentioned before, and rejected after trying it.

Today it is 13C in my house. I am wearing about half the clothes I needed at 1C in December. But I am still wearing 2 layers of thermal base garments, top and bottom, plus the down filled trousers which I rate so highly. That's why I think it would be easy for many people to be perfectly comfortable if they limited heating to only 12C or 13C to save a significant amount of money.

I now think I may be MORE sensitive to the cold than an average person. I say that because the friend I went skiing with in January was wearing a fraction of what I was, and still said he wasn't cold. I know I would have been cold, and was, when wearing a similar amount decades ago,

Green_hopeful

Whether we feel too cold or too hot is interesting. This year like a lot of people we have been more mindful of our heating, although because we have an elderly relative staying we haven’t cut back as much as we might. What surprises me is some days our bedroom/office is 13 and it doesn’t feel cold and other times I feel cold and it is 18 degrees. 

I think some of it is we are used to the directional heat from the radiator and so if the heating doesn’t come on then it feels cold, some of it is draughts making it feel colder and some of it is how much we have moved or perhaps eaten, I guess a sort of metabolic self heating. So sitting still for long periods makes me feel cold. 

I wonder if the scientists know what makes us feel warm or cold. 

Swipe

If the sun has been out all day and my living room gets up to 22C then the rest of the house feel much colder than usual after I've been in there for a few hours. Most cloudy days I only heat it to 18C and the rest of the house to 13C.

HertsLad

I wonder if there will be a return to sub zero temperatures, next week. My house is currently around 7C. I just did a search on the effects of breathing in cold air- just about my only residual concern. Here's a screen shot of what I read. It's better for you than breathing in warm air, the oxygen content is higher and the risk of infections is lower. I already learned on this thread that the risk of mould is lower, so it all points to a win-win situation.