MSE Poll: Have you switched off your central heating?

MSE_Chris_O

Poll started 26 April 2022

Soaring energy bills and warmer spring weather have seen many turn off their heating in recent days and weeks. This week, we want to know if you've turned off your central heating yet, and if so, whether it was mainly down to weather or cost?

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Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below.
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MalMonroe

No. Weather's not compliant. 

MovingForwards

Yes it's off, been off for a while as it's warm in Scotland.

luci

I answered Yes, for another reason.

Despite being at home all day, our energy usage in kWh is lower than when we were working and out of the house for 10 hours a day. Then, it was used on a timer. Now, only the hot water is on the timer. The heating is switched on manually when it's really needed, which is not very often, and only for long enough to take the chill off. I think it's only been on 2 or 3 times since the start of the year. It also goes on if we're expecting visitors, as they're not accustomed to lower tempertures and would feel it more.

I live right on the North Sea coast in NE Scotland and it hasn't been over 9c this year so far. Since Covid, and only having visitors outside, we got used to having the patio door is open all day and still do. It only gets closed when it's really cold or windy. We probably wear warmer clothes than most people do. One thing I really noticed made a difference to feeling warmer was switching from wearing a synthetic fleece to a pure wool jumper.

tony_c_4

I haven't needed to use the heating at all this winter.
It is cheaper to keep myself warm by wearing an extra layer or two than to spend money on warming a space.
Luckily my flat faces SSE and gets morning sun ,plus the property has double glazing and is well insulated so internal temperature never drops below 16c and is usually over 18c.
I usually put the heating on for brief periods on colder nights but this winter i haven't needed to here in London NW1 where it seems to have been a mild winter with daffodils in bloom in early march.

Torry_Quine

I can't answer as I don't have central heating.

griffb

I don't turn it "off" as such. It's on a thermostat - if it gets chilly it will come on, if it's warm it won't

mark_cycling00

I turned the morning heating off a long time back and switched the evening off a few weeks ago. 

Remember that humidity has a huge impact on how warm you feel. 15 degrees at 40% humidity is totally different from 15 degrees at 70%. It wasn't been very rainy recently so feels warmer

Thermostats should really incorporate moisture readings too - maybe that innovation will come along soonb

FernyFern

We’re rural and the central heating run on oil.  A tank of oil has increased from around £550 to over £2,000 and that’s if you can get a quote.  They may be able to deliver within a couple of weeks and will charge whatever the price is on the day.  We switched the heating off at the end of February.  It’s cold up here on too of a hill.  We heat one room with a stove and have an electric fleece if it’s very cold, or it’s necessary to sit in another room.  I’ve got really good thermals too.  We’re classed as comfortably off.  I really worry about how people who are less comfortably off are surviving at all.

PegasusPJ

There should be an option for both warm temperature and cost.
We've switched it off earlier than normal (as in at a lower temperature threshold) because of cost. I would normally have kept it on as it get a bit chilly still.

belle_de_jour

FernyFern said:

We’re rural and the central heating run on oil.  A tank of oil has increased from around £550 to over £2,000 and that’s if you can get a quote.  They may be able to deliver within a couple of weeks and will charge whatever the price is on the day.  We switched the heating off at the end of February.  It’s cold up here on too of a hill.  We heat one room with a stove and have an electric fleece if it’s very cold, or it’s necessary to sit in another room.  I’ve got really good thermals too.  We’re classed as comfortably off.  I really worry about how people who are less comfortably off are surviving at all.

Also rural with oil fired central heating/hot water.  The hike in oil prices and the difficultly in getting a price/delivery date seems to have been completely ignored by the media.

Anyhoo, central heating still on for a couple of hours morning and evening and probably will be for a few more weeks and have reduced the amount of time the water heats on the timer.  If pushed I might hit the override button for an extra hour.