How to live without heating - save £000s

HertsLad

Qyburn said:

I think your "Summer clothes" comment is right to the point. Some people use central heating as a way to maintain Summer temperatures in Winter, and expect to dress the same all year round. That's their choice of course and modern houses and heating can allow that if you aren't worried about their fuel bills.

Exactly - absolute madness in my opinion. I see people popping outside in shorts and a t-shirt to put rubbish out when conditions are freezing and I am wrapped up in clothes as in the photos I posted here. I know it's personal choice but shouldn't everyone consider the environment, carbon, global warming, scarce energy and similar factors? Mind you, I use money saved to fly out for ski holidays and other trips, so perhaps I am as bad in a different way.

mumf

Qyburn said:

HertsLad said

I don't know what you consider to be dressing up, or what you wear to tolerate temperatures as low as 15C.

I suppose by "dressing up" I mean thermal underwear or extra outer clothing. In 15C I'd be wearing a fleece top over a woven shirt. Trousers as well, and socks. 

I think your "Summer clothes" comment is right to the point. Some people use central heating as a way to maintain Summer temperatures in Winter, and expect to dress the same all year round. That's their choice of course and modern houses and heating can allow that if you aren't worried about their fuel bills.

From my point of view I'm just more comfortable at a lower temperature.

Those comments are spot on. I have neighbours who live in shorts and T-shirts year round. We wear clothes. 

mumf

Qyburn said:

HertsLad said

I don't know what you consider to be dressing up, or what you wear to tolerate temperatures as low as 15C.

I suppose by "dressing up" I mean thermal underwear or extra outer clothing. In 15C I'd be wearing a fleece top over a woven shirt. Trousers as well, and socks. 

I think your "Summer clothes" comment is right to the point. Some people use central heating as a way to maintain Summer temperatures in Winter, and expect to dress the same all year round. That's their choice of course and modern houses and heating can allow that if you aren't worried about their fuel bills.

From my point of view I'm just more comfortable at a lower temperature.

Those comments are spot on. I have neighbours who live in shorts and T-shirts year round. We wear clothes. 

pseudodox

I avoid visiting certain friends in winter as I find the over-heated atmosphere in their homes makes me feel ill.  They will not visit me because the expectation that they should wear a warm jumper or fleece indoors is not acceptable.  I do notice that people with what to me are uncomfortably high indoor temperatures seem more liable to colds & sniffles, which I rarely suffer with. 

My house is now hovering around 16-17C and even sat watching TV I do not feel cold, so no heating here yet.  I am usually fine down to around 12C.  Just started wearing a fleece layer over my shirt.  I grew up in cold draughty houses so just don't seem to feel the cold.  But I do appreciate the issues with those with medical or mobility problems needing to keep warm.  As temperatures drop I will layer up, although not so much as HL as I am not planning to save enough to go skiing.  But I don't wish to create energy bills any higher than is essential to enjoy life & show consideration to the planet.

MultiFuelBurner

HertsLad said:

Qyburn said:

I think your "Summer clothes" comment is right to the point. Some people use central heating as a way to maintain Summer temperatures in Winter, and expect to dress the same all year round. That's their choice of course and modern houses and heating can allow that if you aren't worried about their fuel bills.

Exactly - absolute madness in my opinion. I see people popping outside in shorts and a t-shirt to put rubbish out when conditions are freezing and I am wrapped up in clothes as in the photos I posted here. I know it's personal choice but shouldn't everyone consider the environment, carbon, global warming, scarce energy and similar factors? Mind you, I use money saved to fly out for ski holidays and other trips, so perhaps I am as bad in a different way.

Conversely some might have very efficient housing and heating. I know ours for the size of house is very cheap to heat to 19-21oC in winter on the lowest flow rate for the ASHP.

Combined with a choose of smart/TOU/Beta tariffs from Octopus we expect to spend £1500 this year (depending on what El Niño decides to deliver on our doorstep)

I commend your money saving and what you do on your own and believe this will help some get over the winter when they simply cannot afford heat. But to put that in perspective with airport travel/parking/holiday and everything else that just about one holiday a year and for one week of sunshine it's not worth living in the conditions that you do (for us)

HertsLad

MultiFuelBurner said:

Combined with a choose of smart/TOU/Beta tariffs from Octopus we expect to spend £1500 this year (depending on what El Niño decides to deliver on our doorstep)

I commend your money saving and what you do on your own and believe this will help some get over the winter when they simply cannot afford heat. But to put that in perspective with airport travel/parking/holiday and everything else that just about one holiday a year and for one week of sunshine it's not worth living in the conditions that you do (for us)

Your £1500 is relatively low but it's still money which could be spent on something better, from my perspective. When people here say, or imply, I suffer or live in harsh conditions, I suggest it's simply not true. Another mistake is for anyone to think I wear as many clothes as in my photos, all winter. No, those photos were taken in December last year when the temperature in my house went down to 1C, It's rare and doesn't last very long. In general the temperature hovers around 8C for most of the time, so I'm wearing a lot less. Also, that's only 4C lower than a few people here say they are quite happy with, without taking any special measures. So all they, or anyone, needs to do to move from 12C down to 8C is wear extra layers. I have said what my favourite garments are but wear whatever you like if it enables you to stay perfectly warm at 8C. Try it in a few weeks time!

Slinky

I grew up in a cold, draughty house where we regularly scraped ice off the single glazed wood frame windows. The only heating was a couple of electric bar fires downstairs and an oil filled radiator supposed to heat the upstairs as it was in the hallway, but didn't. It was miserable and I don't want to live like that again. 17.5C is as low as I want to go, and even at that temperature I'll be wearing layers and gloves as I get cold hands. I found some lovely long socks at a summer show which will certainly help keep my shins warmer in winter, and a duvet coat will help keep the winter winds out at my volunteer job outside.

Another issue with our cold house was it always felt damp with 4 of us breathing in it, I don't know how you'd keep a house from getting damp and mouldy without some decent heating.

masonic

Slinky said:

Another issue with our cold house was it always felt damp with 4 of us breathing in it, I don't know how you'd keep a house from getting damp and mouldy without some decent heating.

I'll be interested to find out what temperature I end up at if using my zeolite dehumidifier to keep humidity at bay while at home. It provides a fair bit of heat as a byproduct of the technology. As I'm elec only, with no fancy heat pumps, it's as efficient as anything else I have, and kills two birds with one stone. I've previously tried to maintain 18 °C, but this will be my first winter of high unit prices, so very tempted to see how low I can go.

HertsLad

Slinky said:

I grew up in a cold, draughty house where we regularly scraped ice off the single glazed wood frame windows. The only heating was a couple of electric bar fires downstairs and an oil filled radiator supposed to heat the upstairs as it was in the hallway, but didn't. It was miserable and I don't want to live like that again. 17.5C is as low as I want to go, and even at that temperature I'll be wearing layers and gloves as I get cold hands. I found some lovely long socks at a summer show which will certainly help keep my shins warmer in winter, and a duvet coat will help keep the winter winds out at my volunteer job outside.

Another issue with our cold house was it always felt damp with 4 of us breathing in it, I don't know how you'd keep a house from getting damp and mouldy without some decent heating.

A few people here seem OK at 12C but you say you get cold hands at much below 17.5C, And I only get cold hands at 1C if I am not wearing enough, especially on my legs. Try buying a pair of down-filled trousers or insulated ski trousers like I wear. Keep the duvet coat on indoors as an experiment. And definitely add two layers of long sleeved base tops and base bottoms, too. At anything approaching 15C, I would probably suffer from heat exhaustion if wearing that much. See how you feel, as a trial, i.e if you are inclined to purchase any of these items. If not, why not? 

Slinky

HertsLad said:

Slinky said:

I grew up in a cold, draughty house where we regularly scraped ice off the single glazed wood frame windows. The only heating was a couple of electric bar fires downstairs and an oil filled radiator supposed to heat the upstairs as it was in the hallway, but didn't. It was miserable and I don't want to live like that again. 17.5C is as low as I want to go, and even at that temperature I'll be wearing layers and gloves as I get cold hands. I found some lovely long socks at a summer show which will certainly help keep my shins warmer in winter, and a duvet coat will help keep the winter winds out at my volunteer job outside.

Another issue with our cold house was it always felt damp with 4 of us breathing in it, I don't know how you'd keep a house from getting damp and mouldy without some decent heating.

A few people here seem OK at 12C but you say you get cold hands at much below 17.5C, And I only get cold hands at 1C if I am not wearing enough, especially on my legs. Try buying a pair of down-filled trousers or insulated ski trousers like I wear. Keep the duvet coat on indoors as an experiment. And definitely add two layers of long sleeved base tops and base bottoms, too. At anything approaching 15C, I would probably suffer from heat exhaustion if wearing that much. See how you feel, as a trial, i.e if you are inclined to purchase any of these items. If not, why not? 

I wear lots of layers, thermals, long sleeved t shirts, thermal leggings etc. As a woman, all these layers are a complete pain when visiting the toilet!  I also find it depressing taking layer after layer off to get in the shower or go to bed. They all get tangled up and annoy me. I loathe the winter and the layering required, I long for the summer with the simplicity of clothing.  How anybody prefers winter astounds me.