Splitting bills with Lodger/housemate, can I have some advice?

delmonta

ArbitraryRandom said:

If it were me, I'd say you should pay a base rate for heating to the level that you'd keep the house at if you were away (most insurance requires a house to be kept at around 10-12 degrees to prevent frost damage) - so with standing charge, I'd expect to pay somewhere between 25-33% of the bill 

That's also based on the fact that yes he's there alone, but part of sharing a house is sharing the living costs - and if he were living alone he'd likely be in a smaller property that is cheaper to heat... and have full use of the property. Because even with the TRVs off and doors closed, your rooms will be leaching some of the heat from the rest of the house. 

Thanks good points. Yeah our house never drops that low anyway, it's insulated externally on the back and internally on the front. Even with no heating in winter it tends to not go below 14ish

ArbitraryRandom

delmonta said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

If it were me, I'd say you should pay a base rate for heating to the level that you'd keep the house at if you were away (most insurance requires a house to be kept at around 10-12 degrees to prevent frost damage) - so with standing charge, I'd expect to pay somewhere between 25-33% of the bill 

That's also based on the fact that yes he's there alone, but part of sharing a house is sharing the living costs - and if he were living alone he'd likely be in a smaller property that is cheaper to heat... and have full use of the property. Because even with the TRVs off and doors closed, your rooms will be leaching some of the heat from the rest of the house. 

Thanks good points. Yeah our house never drops that low anyway, it's insulated externally on the back and internally on the front. Even with no heating in winter it tends to not go below 14ish

Not to contradict your experience, but if the house is say 10ish degrees warmer than outside, then there's something heating the house - maybe only cooking and loss from appliances (which is electric your housemate will be paying for) - because no matter how good the insulation, it can't create energy and there's only so much solar gain can do when it's near/below 0 outside.

If you went away for a month and left the house unoccupied/actually turned everything off then you should expect after a couple of days (to let the thermal mass release heat) your house will level out at a few degrees above the average daily external temp - and for your heating to be on a fair bit longer the week you get back for the house to 'warm up' again  

Gerry1

ArbitraryRandom said:

delmonta said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

If it were me, I'd say you should pay a base rate for heating to the level that you'd keep the house at if you were away (most insurance requires a house to be kept at around 10-12 degrees to prevent frost damage) - so with standing charge, I'd expect to pay somewhere between 25-33% of the bill 

That's also based on the fact that yes he's there alone, but part of sharing a house is sharing the living costs - and if he were living alone he'd likely be in a smaller property that is cheaper to heat... and have full use of the property. Because even with the TRVs off and doors closed, your rooms will be leaching some of the heat from the rest of the house. 

Thanks good points. Yeah our house never drops that low anyway, it's insulated externally on the back and internally on the front. Even with no heating in winter it tends to not go below 14ish

Not to contradict your experience, but if the house is say 10ish degrees warmer than outside, then there's something heating the house -

The neighbours each side.

ArbitraryRandom

Gerry1 said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

delmonta said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

If it were me, I'd say you should pay a base rate for heating to the level that you'd keep the house at if you were away (most insurance requires a house to be kept at around 10-12 degrees to prevent frost damage) - so with standing charge, I'd expect to pay somewhere between 25-33% of the bill 

That's also based on the fact that yes he's there alone, but part of sharing a house is sharing the living costs - and if he were living alone he'd likely be in a smaller property that is cheaper to heat... and have full use of the property. Because even with the TRVs off and doors closed, your rooms will be leaching some of the heat from the rest of the house. 

Thanks good points. Yeah our house never drops that low anyway, it's insulated externally on the back and internally on the front. Even with no heating in winter it tends to not go below 14ish

Not to contradict your experience, but if the house is say 10ish degrees warmer than outside, then there's something heating the house -

The neighbours each side.

Unlikely to be consistently through the house, and unwise to rely on in these times... If you were going away for a month, the sensible thing to do would still be to keep the heating on a min temp and possibly stop the water etc just in case (and inform your insurance if required by your policy) - all things the OP doesn't need to do because they have a housemate who will be in the property. 

Maybe the best thing to do is for them both to go away for a week - leave the thermostat set to a min temp, and take meter readings before and after to see what the 'empty' house uses...  

Gerry1

ArbitraryRandom said:

Gerry1 said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

delmonta said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

If it were me, I'd say you should pay a base rate for heating to the level that you'd keep the house at if you were away (most insurance requires a house to be kept at around 10-12 degrees to prevent frost damage) - so with standing charge, I'd expect to pay somewhere between 25-33% of the bill 

That's also based on the fact that yes he's there alone, but part of sharing a house is sharing the living costs - and if he were living alone he'd likely be in a smaller property that is cheaper to heat... and have full use of the property. Because even with the TRVs off and doors closed, your rooms will be leaching some of the heat from the rest of the house. 

Thanks good points. Yeah our house never drops that low anyway, it's insulated externally on the back and internally on the front. Even with no heating in winter it tends to not go below 14ish

Not to contradict your experience, but if the house is say 10ish degrees warmer than outside, then there's something heating the house -

The neighbours each side.

Unlikely to be consistently through the house, and unwise to rely on in these times... If you were going away for a month, the sensible thing to do would still be to keep the heating on a min temp and possibly stop the water etc just in case (and inform your insurance if required by your policy) - all things the OP doesn't need to do because they have a housemate who will be in the property.

Agreed, both sets of neighbours might also be away.  And definitely turn the water off !