Lodger and Heating

propertyrental

Re-reading my 1st post I now realise your reference to -2 degrees was misleading. You've clarified that was outside, so not really relevant.

Without knowing the night-time indoor temp it's hard to comment on who is being reasonable, but if you want to keep this tenant (otherwise satisfactory) how about a compromise? Increase the rent slightly and increase the night-time thermostat/frost setting slightly.....

Or as suggested lodger could be guided towards elextric blanket, fleece, etc etc

Rodders53

Invest in a device, e.g. clock with a max/min room thermometer built in for the lodger to monitor the temperatures in the room.

Our bedroom, in a modern house within the eaves, last night was a tad under 16C, and only -1C outside.  It's been colder in there occasionally.  In the summer we use air conditioning to cool the bedroom for sleep.  Upstairs heating is on for the bathrooms mostly although all bedroom rad stats are on at a low temperature and they get warm in this weather.

We have a 1 tog king size duvet on a bed with a memory foam topper, and a polyester cellular blanket on the top.  Wife often throws the blanket off and piles it up in between us, while I keep it on.  Occasionally I add an extra old thin baby blanket over my legs and feet or wear socks if I have trouble sleeping due to cold feet.  No bedclothes as such, just underpants for me.  I'm bald but haven't tried or needed a hat so far.

The warmest quilt we own is 4.5 tog.

I think we must be a bit 'odd' if not downright weird

Marvel1

Is the -2 the outside temp or inside?

BBC weather says outside temp is around 4 now, inside it's 11.

markin

Honeylife said:

bouicca21 said:

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.  

I grew up with no central heating in my parents' house and we would dash to the 3 bar fire to warm our school uniforms before we dressed!  No duvets just a ton of blankets on top of us! 

My kids never complained about the cold they had hot water bottles and we INVESTED in hi tog duvets quite early.  My husband would have had a fit if anyone suggested putting the heating on a night!

Its also 2024 now, people expect a warm home and likely had a warm home growing up, If you left the heating on all nigh at 17c it may only come on 10min a night when cold and as you say its 'well insulated'  so won't cost a lot extra.

I would expect a loft room could be far colder, simply for having more external 'walls'.

Albermarle

Marvel1 said:

Is the -2 the outside temp or inside?

BBC weather says outside temp is around 4 now, inside it's 11.

If you read through the thread it is clearly minus 2 outside. I can not imagine many/any inhabited houses in the UK that get that cold inside.

Albermarle

Andyjflet said:

stuhse said:

When we were kids in the late 70s,early 80s there was no central heating in our house or double glazing. When you woke up in the mornings the condensation would be frozen on the inside of the windows. On cold winter evenings we would huddle around a candle to keep warm; if it was really cold, dad would let us light it.

stuhse said:

When we were kids in the late 70s,early 80s there was no central heating in our house or double glazing. When you woke up in the mornings the condensation would be frozen on the inside of the windows. On cold winter evenings we would huddle around a candle to keep warm; if it was really cold, dad would let us light it.

That's over 50 years ago now, not really relevant to today where someone renting a room should expect 2024 comforts in my opinion. 

I think some of the post you quoted was not really written as a serious comment on the OP situation. Especially the last sentence .

lookstraightahead

Why don't you use a thermostat that kicks in when it gets to a certain temperature? I sometimes hear our heating coming on in the night.

You can't compare how cold or hot people get. Don't you have another thread relating to this or am I thinking if someone else?

Honeylife

lookstraightahead said:

 Don't you have another thread relating to this or am I thinking if someone else?

Nope never written on this topic previously. Just never had a request from any lodgers in 20 years to put the heating on during the night! It never gets that cold (indoors) in London. I used myself as a guide and I was not cold, but I was prepared. However,  I don't like to think someone is in my house with icicles on their nose shivering in their bed   

prettyandfluffy

Some good suggestions have been made.  Everyone feels heat/cold differently; I'm always chilly and I can't sleep if I'm cold, I actually need to be warm not just "not cold".  I have found the way to achieve this is: brushed cotton sheets including one under the duvet, a winter weight duvet obviously, pre-heat the bed with an electric blanket for 15 mins (this gets turned off when I get into bed), a fleece blanket over the duvet when it drops below freezing.  My best warming tip is fleece bed socks.  I can't have fleece nightwear or bedding because I seem to generate a lot of static and it would be like 5th November in there! Oh, and we never have the heating on overnight unless the frost thermostat kicks in.

jennifernil

We are north of Glasgow, last night it was -4 here.  Our heating is set to 13/14 overnight now we have smart TRVs,  previously it was just OFF overnight.  The heating somewhere in the house came on about 5am, I heard the boiler click on, did not stay on long.

We use decent tog real down duvets and are never cold overnight, we also have electric blankets, but rarely need to turn them on.
Using thin duvets is just silly.   If you only have a thin duvet, add a fleece blanket.

We have a touring caravan, we only use a summer weight duvet in it, but do have a fleece blanket.  The heating is set to 14 degrees overnight, and does click on and off when it is cold out, but then a caravan does not have the same level of insulation as a house.

Your lodger needs to get a decent duvet, a fleece blanket, cosy pyjamas, bedsocks, an electric blanket if still cold, and stop complaining!!