The heating is officially on is yours?

Magnitio

Interesting reading many of these posts. Partly it highlights the massive difference between some of the best and worst houses, from modern, well insulated houses with large south-facing windows that maintain good temperatures without heating to old, single-skin properties that lose heat very quickly. Our house falls somewhere in the middle; it has good loft/cavity wall insulation and double glazing, but was built in the early 70's, so still has areas where I can see with a thermal camera that it leaks heat and the 20+ year old double glazing is not that great.

On the subject of heating, it's set to 17-18 when at home and 15 overnight. Temperature first thing in the morning this week has been mid 15's. Gas usage this month has been half of this time last year.

EssexHebridean

Front room was a toasty 19.1C this morning thanks to a combination of the Storage Heater doing its thing, and the dehumidifier being on for a short time overnight - it would have been a longer time but I forgot that the tapo scheduler only works if the device itself is switched to "on" - doh! 

FreeBear

Magnitio said: Interesting reading many of these posts. Partly it highlights the massive difference between some of the best and worst houses, from modern, well insulated houses with large south-facing windows that maintain good temperatures without heating to old, single-skin properties that lose heat very quickly. Our house falls somewhere in the middle; it has good loft/cavity wall insulation and double glazing, but was built in the early 70's, so still has areas where I can see with a thermal camera that it leaks heat and the 20+ year old double glazing is not that great.

Late 1920s house here. Bit of an oddball construction in that the lower half is cavity, and the upper half, solid 9" brick. Finally got the last few windows replaced with decent DG units this summer which killed some real ugly draughts. Currently in the middle of insulating the walls upstairs, but it is slow progress. Wouldn't class this place as "well insulated" just yet, but getting there.

Of all the things I've done in an attempt to make the place warmer, plugging the draughts has made the biggest difference.

Ally_E.

FreeBear said:

Magnitio said: Interesting reading many of these posts. Partly it highlights the massive difference between some of the best and worst houses, from modern, well insulated houses with large south-facing windows that maintain good temperatures without heating to old, single-skin properties that lose heat very quickly. Our house falls somewhere in the middle; it has good loft/cavity wall insulation and double glazing, but was built in the early 70's, so still has areas where I can see with a thermal camera that it leaks heat and the 20+ year old double glazing is not that great.

Late 1920s house here. Bit of an oddball construction in that the lower half is cavity, and the upper half, solid 9" brick. Finally got the last few windows replaced with decent DG units this summer which killed some real ugly draughts. Currently in the middle of insulating the walls upstairs, but it is slow progress. Wouldn't class this place as "well insulated" just yet, but getting there.

Of all the things I've done in an attempt to make the place warmer, plugging the draughts has made the biggest difference.

Are you insulating inside or outside? Are you preserving period features in the process and reattaching them, if it's inside? 

FreeBear

Ally_E. said:

FreeBear said:

Magnitio said: Interesting reading many of these posts. Partly it highlights the massive difference between some of the best and worst houses, from modern, well insulated houses with large south-facing windows that maintain good temperatures without heating to old, single-skin properties that lose heat very quickly. Our house falls somewhere in the middle; it has good loft/cavity wall insulation and double glazing, but was built in the early 70's, so still has areas where I can see with a thermal camera that it leaks heat and the 20+ year old double glazing is not that great.

Late 1920s house here. Bit of an oddball construction in that the lower half is cavity, and the upper half, solid 9" brick. Finally got the last few windows replaced with decent DG units this summer which killed some real ugly draughts. Currently in the middle of insulating the walls upstairs, but it is slow progress. Wouldn't class this place as "well insulated" just yet, but getting there.

Of all the things I've done in an attempt to make the place warmer, plugging the draughts has made the biggest difference.

Are you insulating inside or outside? Are you preserving period features in the process and reattaching them, if it's inside? 

Insulating the walls internally on a room by room basis. Original features such as the cast iron fireplaces in the bedrooms disappeared in the early 70s. Apart from the picture rail in each room, there is no other period features. No fancy coving, frilly roses, etc. Bakelite switch gear got binned donkeys years back along with the rubber coated wiring.

Still. Trying to preserve stuff like the original four panel doors and timber around the window reveals. Adding a few modern bits like smart light switches and wall to wall carpets over the original floorboards.

Chrysalis

RuthMarianna said:

We have been away since Sunday and just got home. 11.5 degrees in the house. Needless to say the heating is on but we have refrained from putting on the electric fire and wearing Oodies with hot water bottles in the pocket till it warms up. I suspect the money we saved for the last few days having it all off will all be spent getting the house up yo 18 degrees. 

Probably not, if you heating a home whilst you not there, you heating the street with no benefit to yourself.  So you still saved.

Do you think it costs the same to keep an oven running all the time than to only use when you cooking food because it has to heat up from ambient temp?

Chrysalis

Magnitio said:

Interesting reading many of these posts. Partly it highlights the massive difference between some of the best and worst houses, from modern, well insulated houses with large south-facing windows that maintain good temperatures without heating to old, single-skin properties that lose heat very quickly. Our house falls somewhere in the middle; it has good loft/cavity wall insulation and double glazing, but was built in the early 70's, so still has areas where I can see with a thermal camera that it leaks heat and the 20+ year old double glazing is not that great.

On the subject of heating, it's set to 17-18 when at home and 15 overnight. Temperature first thing in the morning this week has been mid 15's. Gas usage this month has been half of this time last year.

My house isnt an insulator, I am probably benefiting from living in a warmer part of the country, plus my room temps of 15-16C will feel cold for many people so they would have the heating on for sure in my house.

Interesting observation though, today I unpacked some new jogger bottoms, got from Asda George, my older pairs are also same brand, but the new set clearly have had some cost cutting, noticeably thinner materia, and also noticeable loss of body heat wearing them, so what you wearing is a factor as well.  Far too late to return them, they were packaged up for months.  But I feel clothing needs a material thickness revealed on product pages.

Mstty

It is amazing what you can learn to live without when you live on your own without other people or pets that shiver at the slightest temperature drop.

Maybe that's the future, save money.....ditch the family lol.

_Jem_

Mstty said:

It is amazing what you can learn to live without when you live on your own without other people or pets that shiver at the slightest temperature drop.

Maybe that's the future, save money.....ditch the family lol.

Totally agree with you being on my own I'm wearing a nice warm jacket, when i was in a relationship it would of been on way before now without wearing a jacket. 

thriftytracey

Not using GCH.  Lighting log burner at 4pm, lovely and toasty. 

Although yesterday, the blooming dog ran off after rabbits in woods so we were 2 hours standing in cold and damp waiting for her.  So chilled when we got home we lit the fire at lunchtime.

I might put the heating on on Christmas Day!  Although, if mild, as it usually is, won't bother.  Also, I find it gets so dry with CH.