Lodger and Heating

markin

Norway, Sweden, Finland, Canada, low population and lots of hydro power, meaning power is 5-15p, the walls are usually around 6in stud walls, 6in of insulation and good windows help but its cheap enery or cheap firewood that gets them past winter. 

The weeks of Cold -25c / -40c  has meant lots of burst pipe this month in Sweden and Finland.

Honeylife

Emily_Joy said:

I really appreciate all suggestions, but somehow it feels badly wrong. I honestly cannot stop thinking why on Earth in places like Poland, Finland or Northern Canada when it is -40C you can wear just a cotton jumper indoors and get into a warm bed without hot water bottle and in the UK when it is "just" -5 outside you just cannot get the house warm. The answer probably is that the walls there are usually a foot wide in private sector, and in old apartment blocks they could be as deep as 2 feet. It is of course has nothing to do with the OP. Sorry for the rant!

Heating is Cheaper in those countries! Considerably cheaper than in the UK.  Have been to Canada in the deepest winter and have been astonished that heating is not even a conversation topic.  They go down into their basements and it's all toasty and warm there. My BIL was astounded at the rates I was paying in the UK!  The windows are triple-glazed over there, and they aren't subject to the UK's local Councils' Conservation Department telling them can't have domestic windows that are not "in keeping" with the area's history and style!

I mean I could put the heating on day and night, then double up on the rent charged for the lodger. You know that "Greedy Landlord" moniker!  My lodgers had absolutely no idea of costs until I started leaving the Utility Bill on the kitchen table, so they could see the massive increase. And we consume less than last year as I cook less and the heating comes on later in the morning and evening.

It's not about being Frugal it's about budgeting with the income you have, so - either pay more or wrap up more.  

BobT36

^ Exactly. So if say 1/3 people wants it on at night, JUST them (because of lifestyle) when it's not "normally" on. Simply measure night-time usage of gas or whatever heating fuel, and charge just them for it. 
If they want it at abnormal hours, pay! Or wrap up. But at least give some control rather than preventing the option altogether. With a smart meter or whatever you should be able to get accurate figures. 

Daytime "normal" use split it between you as you usually do. 

Emily_Joy

BobT36 said:

^ Exactly. So if say 1/3 people wants it on at night, JUST them (because of lifestyle) when it's not "normally" on. Simply measure night-time usage of gas or whatever heating fuel, and charge just them for it. 
If they want it at abnormal hours, pay! Or wrap up. But at least give some control rather than preventing the option altogether. With a smart meter or whatever you should be able to get accurate figures. 

Daytime "normal" use split it between you as you usually do. 

By this logic everyone who is not at home when the heating is on during the "normal" hours should not pay either. Perhaps it would be more reasonable to split the bills evenly. No matter who needed the heating when.

snowqueen555

Buy the lodger an electric blanket, they are a life saver and only use 50w an hour.

I think the question needs to be more about what the the temperature is inside their room, not what the temperature is outside. How cold is acceptable?

Cloth_of_Gold

ArbitraryRandom said:

BobT36 said:

pieroabcd said:

Keeping the door closed makes wonders to preserve the heat. You can't heat up the universe (or cool it down in summer). I've seen it in my bedrooms now that it's winter. The difference is really like night and day.

As for duvets, I bought 2 x 13.5 Tog and 2x10 Tog. The only 2 times that I used the 13 tog ones (when it was definitely cold) I felt that I was about to die suffocated, not for the weight but for the unbearable heat. After half an hour I had to get rid of them.
I have thick memory foam toppers on every bed, so that can make a difference, but the 10 tog ones are just perfect for me.

Thick Sherpa blanket from Bedsure, plus one or two additional thinner blankets (added / removed as necessary) over the top of a flat sheet. Been using that all winter and been lovely and warm, but not too hot. 

BIG difference from using a duvet and getting that "stuffy" feeling. 
In the summer I swap to just a sheet and the thinner blankets, then just the sheet. 

I find the synthetic sherpa style blankets horrible for getting to hot and sweaty... plus they aren't very nice after they're washed and that nice wooly texture felts into cotton balls. 

But I've got a couple of lightweight pure wool duvets that are brilliant. I only need both when it's properly freezing (used them for maybe a 6 nights so far this year) and they seem to naturally regulate my temperature at night. After getting them I could understand why sheets wool is recommended as an insulation material in houses. 

I'm with you on the wool duvets. We have two that you can tie together. In warmer weather we just use one and in colder weather we get the other one out and tie the two together. They are excellent. https://www.devonduvets.com/

BobT36

Emily_Joy said:

BobT36 said:

^ Exactly. So if say 1/3 people wants it on at night, JUST them (because of lifestyle) when it's not "normally" on. Simply measure night-time usage of gas or whatever heating fuel, and charge just them for it. 
If they want it at abnormal hours, pay! Or wrap up. But at least give some control rather than preventing the option altogether. With a smart meter or whatever you should be able to get accurate figures. 

Daytime "normal" use split it between you as you usually do. 

By this logic everyone who is not at home when the heating is on during the "normal" hours should not pay either. Perhaps it would be more reasonable to split the bills evenly. No matter who needed the heating when.

Not really, I'm just saying the householder sets a reasonable "Standard" of which everyone pays a bit, then if any of the lodgers wants it on outside those standard hours, SPECIFICALLY for them (such as someone up at night), they can pay the extra cost of doing so. 

Honeylife

During the COVID lockdown when I had two student lodgers at home 24/7, we all worked and studied in our rooms (well I was in my Study) and no one asked for extra hours on the heating. When my Adult son lived at home he worked shifts as a health professional and left the house when it was cold and returned when it was cold. No requests for extra heating. He had just hot showers and invested in good thermal underwear! 

Think this lodger has some warmth issues, she may have cold intolerance, a medically recognised deficiency, and perhaps my place is just not suitable. 

I suggested to her that this may not be the right place and I would be fine if she wanted to give notice to find somewhere with more appropriate heating for her comfort.  Her response was, "I can't look for another place in the middle of winter!" 

Resolution:  she is getting an electric blanket at her own expense.

Emily_Joy

Honeylife said:

Emily_Joy said:

I really appreciate all suggestions, but somehow it feels badly wrong. I honestly cannot stop thinking why on Earth in places like Poland, Finland or Northern Canada when it is -40C you can wear just a cotton jumper indoors and get into a warm bed without hot water bottle and in the UK when it is "just" -5 outside you just cannot get the house warm. The answer probably is that the walls there are usually a foot wide in private sector, and in old apartment blocks they could be as deep as 2 feet. It is of course has nothing to do with the OP. Sorry for the rant!

Heating is Cheaper in those countries! Considerably cheaper than in the UK.  Have been to Canada in the deepest winter and have been astonished that heating is not even a conversation topic.  They go down into their basements and it's all toasty and warm there. My BIL was astounded at the rates I was paying in the UK!  The windows are triple-glazed over there, and they aren't subject to the UK's local Councils' Conservation Department telling them can't have domestic windows that are not "in keeping" with the area's history and style!

I mean I could put the heating on day and night, then double up on the rent charged for the lodger. You know that "Greedy Landlord" moniker!  My lodgers had absolutely no idea of costs until I started leaving the Utility Bill on the kitchen table, so they could see the massive increase. And we consume less than last year as I cook less and the heating comes on later in the morning and evening.

It's not about being Frugal it's about budgeting with the income you have, so - either pay more or wrap up more.  

When the temperature outside drops below 4C, the heating is a bare necessity, not a conversation topic. The cost is irrelevant - if you need to heat the house by more 40 degrees above the outside temperature, you cannot do it without insulation, as all will be blown away, no matter how much you heat. I am not saying you should put the heating on day and night, but there should be a way for a lodger to heat their room when they need it.

Ditzy_Mitzy

Emily_Joy said:

Honeylife said:

Emily_Joy said:

I really appreciate all suggestions, but somehow it feels badly wrong. I honestly cannot stop thinking why on Earth in places like Poland, Finland or Northern Canada when it is -40C you can wear just a cotton jumper indoors and get into a warm bed without hot water bottle and in the UK when it is "just" -5 outside you just cannot get the house warm. The answer probably is that the walls there are usually a foot wide in private sector, and in old apartment blocks they could be as deep as 2 feet. It is of course has nothing to do with the OP. Sorry for the rant!

Heating is Cheaper in those countries! Considerably cheaper than in the UK.  Have been to Canada in the deepest winter and have been astonished that heating is not even a conversation topic.  They go down into their basements and it's all toasty and warm there. My BIL was astounded at the rates I was paying in the UK!  The windows are triple-glazed over there, and they aren't subject to the UK's local Councils' Conservation Department telling them can't have domestic windows that are not "in keeping" with the area's history and style!

I mean I could put the heating on day and night, then double up on the rent charged for the lodger. You know that "Greedy Landlord" moniker!  My lodgers had absolutely no idea of costs until I started leaving the Utility Bill on the kitchen table, so they could see the massive increase. And we consume less than last year as I cook less and the heating comes on later in the morning and evening.

It's not about being Frugal it's about budgeting with the income you have, so - either pay more or wrap up more.  

When the temperature outside drops below 4C, the heating is a bare necessity, not a conversation topic. The cost is irrelevant - if you need to heat the house by more 40 degrees above the outside temperature, you cannot do it without insulation, as all will be blown away, no matter how much you heat. I am not saying you should put the heating on day and night, but there should be a way for a lodger to heat their room when they need it.

There is: lodger buys a fan heater or, better, an oil-filled radiator and makes an additional contribution to the electricity bill.  Heat when she wants it and everybody's happy.  I suspect the problem is that the lodger does not wish to adopt, let alone pay for, such a pragmatic solution...