My father would light the fire regimentally at 4 p.m. everyday even if it was freezing out. We often complained that our mother was left in a cold house all day until he came home in the afternoon. Now she is dead and he is at home all day, alone, with the central heating on full. That will never happen in my home.
People who won't turn on the heating
- Thread starter Jim Davis
- Start date
Yes, the hot water is seperate from the heating.
Other have explained storage heaters - we have heard from neighbours that if you leave the heating on all th etime your electricity bill can be crazy! Also, I find that the majority of the heat is gone from them by the time I get home from work.
I waste my electricity on the dryer instead
I have 4 zones on my heating system, upstairs, downstairs rads, under floor heating in the kitchen/living room and hot water. They can all be programmed independently to be turned on and off three times a day. Therefore the upstairs gets an hour and a half in the morning starting half an hour before I get up (I’m first up) and an hour and a half in the evening from 7.00. The rest of the house works in much the same way; it’s set to be on in particular areas when we are using them. Since we put in that system (along with a new boiler) our bills are down considerably.
When I worked in a hotel I'd light the fire in the bar. A table by the fire on a winters evening was very desirable. All sorts of arguments over people leaving jackets to reserve seats.
Ever light a fire with a dozen people watching you?
Every old person giving "advice for you young lad" and "no, you need to do it this way"
Some people take it very seriously!
I waste my electricity on the dryer instead
I used to use my washing machine and combo tumble dryer at night and then the apartment below me were complaining to the management company about me. The water pump made noise and there were vibrations through the floor.
These days I use it at socially acceptable hours.....
Brilliant! Really made me laugh today!
If we're invited to our neighbours house for dinner, we go in the lightest clothes possible as the heat is on full blast, 24-hours per day, and it's like a sauna.
When they come to us, they come with layers as they know it won't be anywhere near as warm in our house as it is in theirs.
I used to do that when I lived in an apartment 'till I found out that the water pressure dropped at night resulting in it taking more time for the machine to run through its cycle and therefore it cost more. Who knew.
We have thermostats on all the radiators and have kept the main thermostat in the hall set to 17 during the day, turning it down to 15 at night. Heating and hot water supplied by a combi gas boiler. The house is nearly 60 years old, but is very well insulated with bead filled cavity walls, sealed unit double glazing on all windows and a 9'' thick insulation in the loft.
We have two open fires which we have yet to light this winter. Lowest temp locally has been -8C
We have two open fires which we have yet to light this winter. Lowest temp locally has been -8C
Even though my house is only 16 years old we think that our builder did not insulate the walls and especially the bay windows properly. When it was being built, sheets of polystyrene were placed between the walls but not very carefully.
We were thinking of getting in the beads. Is there a grant for this sort of thing available? How much to get a detached house filled?
You should move the radiators under the windows where possible.
Henny Penny
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I turn the heating off in June and don't put it on again until September .... I like to think it's warm in the summer ... Even if it's not.
My crazy mother lives in a Victorian house which is like a meat locker in the winter ... She's an hour a day person also .... She says she doesn't feel the cold ... But I think when you can see your breath indoors it might be time to hit the switch!
My crazy mother lives in a Victorian house which is like a meat locker in the winter ... She's an hour a day person also .... She says she doesn't feel the cold ... But I think when you can see your breath indoors it might be time to hit the switch!
I know a house where it is always freezing and it's definitely stinginess, funny enough the parents are from the country and it seems their child copied it from home. Anyway she wouldn't even make you a cup of tea and doesn't like to do a big shop as it costs so much and the food just sits in the fridge.
It's about what you're used to, my house is warm but then my parent's house is always warm.
I also knew a German girl who in the height of last winter's snow etc did not allow the heat to go on in the house, her housemates were fit to kill her, she kept turning it off. She unscrewed the lightbulbs in half the lights too to save on the bills. Oh and she would sit eating her dinner in a coat and scarf inside and when they it's freezing we're putting on the heating she'd be like No it's OK. Their response well why is your coat on???
It's about what you're used to, my house is warm but then my parent's house is always warm.
I also knew a German girl who in the height of last winter's snow etc did not allow the heat to go on in the house, her housemates were fit to kill her, she kept turning it off. She unscrewed the lightbulbs in half the lights too to save on the bills. Oh and she would sit eating her dinner in a coat and scarf inside and when they it's freezing we're putting on the heating she'd be like No it's OK. Their response well why is your coat on???
truthseeker
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Im not regimented about it one way or the other - if Im cold I put the heating on, if Im warm I knock it off.
Im lucky in that my apartment is very well insulated and it feels warm even without the heating on. Also when I use the oven it heats up the entire open plan area of kitchen/sitting room.
One thing I miss on my heating is a boost button - I used to have it in the last place I lived, it was great to just boost it and then forget about it and itd go off itself.
I grew up in a house that had no central heating so we all congregated in the kitchen near the oven or the sitting room round the fire and froze everywhere else. I am conditioned to a cold bedroom with heavy bedcoverings in the winter and have trouble sleeping in a hot room.
Im lucky in that my apartment is very well insulated and it feels warm even without the heating on. Also when I use the oven it heats up the entire open plan area of kitchen/sitting room.
One thing I miss on my heating is a boost button - I used to have it in the last place I lived, it was great to just boost it and then forget about it and itd go off itself.
I grew up in a house that had no central heating so we all congregated in the kitchen near the oven or the sitting room round the fire and froze everywhere else. I am conditioned to a cold bedroom with heavy bedcoverings in the winter and have trouble sleeping in a hot room.
I did say waste electricity - I don't run the dryer at night!
Besides, the way that our apartment is set up the machine is away from the bedrooms.
I'm the same. I actually hate a hot bedroom.
We're upgrading the insulation in our place at the moment. Did the attic last summer and notice a big improvement, esp the upstairs rooms. Next on the list is a new front door. After that, external wall insulation. Like Truth, we put on the heating when it's cold and turn it off when it's warm enough. Also bought a Dimplex mobile oil heater too. Great on the really cold nights when we're either reading / watching the tele in one room.
We got a new front door recently. We went for a composite door over a PVC one. More expensive but definitely keeps the heat in better.
The stuffiness of the central heating gets to me. I would much rather wear a fleece jacket and sit with a hot water bottle than have the central heating on full time.
I would be interested to hear peoples views on the burning of turf as per this thread.
Really?? I love when the bedroom gets hot!
truthseeker
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