Lodger and Heating

Honeylife

Woke up this morning and checked my phone.  A text message from my Lodger (at 2.40 am) asks if there is something wrong with the heating as her radiator is cold and her room is cold and she is cold.

Why did she think I would be reading text messages at that time anyhow?

Last night the temperature got to -2.  The heating went off at midnight. I had a hot water bottle in my bed warming it up, with my fleece pyjamas and socks when I got under my duvet, plus an extra blanket at the bottom of my bed. I slept soundly. The heating came on as usual at 6 am.

Was I supposed to have the heating on all night last night?

This lodger arrived late last year with no duvet even though she was told I don't provide linen.  I loaned her a blanket and warned her to get a high tog duvet as this is an old Victorian house and it can get cold. It took her several weeks to acquire one. I also told her verbally and gave her a written detail of the times the heating is on/off emphasising that there is no heating on at night unless it's Siberian levels. 

She is from the edge of London so should be used to these temperatures. Usually, the lodgers who moan about being cold are overseas students from tropical regions.

But hey was I supposed to have the heating on all night last night? 

propertyrental

It's mid winter and it's (from your post) -2.

Quite apart from the lodger you should be protecting your home and water/central heating pipes from freezing and cracking by keeping the heating on at a 'frost' setting. Usually around 5-8 degrees.

Sure expecting yoiu to be reading texts at 2.40 is unreasoonable, but maybe she sent it for you to read in the morning? Which is what you did. She was awake and cold so.....

I suspect the answer is to either find a new lodger or turn on the heating at a low overnight temperature.

Mark_d

I would be complaining of it got to -2 in my home at night.  Our heating is on all the time when at least one person is home, but the thermostat drops to something like 16 at night.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

would've thought the frost protection would've kicked in, just to take chill off.

Desmond_Hume

I’d think you should also be giving a more defined set of parameters as to when the heating would come on as well. “Siberian levels…” - what does that even mean? Am I to search historical data and see what monthly averages are? It’d be better if you stated either “it’ll be on of the outside temp is X” or even better would be “if the overnight temp drops to X internally, the heating will come on”. 

Honeylife

Mark_d said:

I would be complaining of it got to -2 in my home at night.  Our heating is on all the time when at least one person is home, but the thermostat drops to something like 16 at night.

Absolutely cannot afford to have heating on day and night! I simply put another layer on.

user1977

What was the temperature in the lodger's room? Impossible to tell from what you've said whether it was (objectively) cold there or not.

bluelad1927

Where was the temp -2 inside or outside. The outside temp is irrelevant if the inside of the house is still warm.

It may also be that a particular bedroom for varying reasons may be significantly colder than other rooms

Also if the heating was on til midnight but the house was cold less than 3 hours later either your house is incredibly inefficient or your lodger needs a better duvet

Honeylife

user1977 said:

What was the temperature in the lodger's room? Impossible to tell from what you've said whether it was (objectively) cold there or not.

No idea. Don't have individual room thermometers. Her room is at the top of the House (the loft is fully insulated).  with new windows.  

 

user1977

Honeylife said:

user1977 said:

What was the temperature in the lodger's room? Impossible to tell from what you've said whether it was (objectively) cold there or not.

No idea. Don't have individual room thermometers.

Maybe get one then?

bouicca21

I wouldn’t dream of having the heating on overnight, except in so much as it is set to 15 to prevent frozen pipes.  Last night it was 16 inside my flat and I needed a blanket on top of the duvet to keep warm.  

Is the lodger one of those young folk who think it’s possible to wear a t shirt all year round and have never heard of cardigans or jumpers?  Or is really freezing in her room?  I second getting a thermometer to find out.

Way back in the darkness of time when I were a lass it used to be freezing in my bedroom but that was before the days of central heating when just one room was (over)heated.   I doubt that the temperature in a house that is centrally heated by day really falls to freezing by night, but a thermometer will prove it one way or another.