Have you turned your heating on yet?

[East Lancs Rain]

On 19/09/2022 at 08:49, ManiaMuse said:

Heating came on briefly on Saturday morning which was pretty cold. Think it would have come on this morning as only 18c in kitchen but the smart thermostat doesn't realise that it is a bank holiday.

Have been having cold showers and using cold water as much as possible since the start of August so that is saving a lot of gas. EDF thought I was lying about my readings!

I have recently started taking cold showers too.  Not because of electric bills but because it helps me to feel less tired in the morning. It also has big health benefits too. It has helped to increase my tolerance to cold water and probably cold in general. Still using hot water to wash my hands though, that is a must for me. 
 

 

Seeing a lot of people wearing coats now. I always think it’s a mistake to wear a coat too early in the autumn, because you don’t give your body chance to acclimatise to the colder temperatures - if you wear a coat now then you’ve got nothing in reserve for when it really gets cold. I’m fine in a t-shirt and a hoodie at the moment, and still wearing shorts on some days. I always try and hold out until at least early November before wearing a winter coat.

[Sky High]

I will wait until the indoor temperature is below 7c before considering heating, and if the wife complains I throw her a couple of blankets. Of course I don't wear clothes but have to remember to pop on a dressing gown when the doorbell goes for fear of scaring the postman. Outside I will wear my speedos and will wear only these providing the temperature doesn't drop below 0c. It plays havoc with me bunions though so I try to put some slippers on.

In summer I've been known to tolerate temps up to 45c but some people can make my blood boil and that of course is what tips me over the edge leading to my needing a cold shower. Especially her next door but one who is constantly running her aircon which right gets on my wick as it's not necessary.

When I were a lad we didn't have heating or aircon. We sat round a single candle or all shared a very cold bath. All 12 of us.

[Wold Topper]

6 minutes ago, Sky High said:

I will wait until the indoor temperature is below 7c before considering heating, and if the wife complains I throw her a couple of blankets. Of course I don't wear clothes but have to remember to pop on a dressing gown when the doorbell goes for fear of scaring the postman. Outside I will wear my speedos and will wear only these providing the temperature doesn't drop below 0c. It plays havoc with me bunions though so I try to put some slippers on.

In summer I've been known to tolerate temps up to 45c but some people can make my blood boil and that of course is what tips me over the edge leading to my needing a cold shower. Especially her next door but one who is constantly running her aircon which right gets on my wick as it's not necessary.

When I were a lad we didn't have heating or aircon. We sat round a single candle or all shared a very cold bath. All 12 of us.

 

Edited September 20, 2022 by Wold Topper

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

Currently 20.5 Celsius in my abode, with 57% humidity (no heating on).

As I didn't have central heating until 2010, I have a fairly high tolerance to cooler room temperatures, though certainly not as much as Markyo does. 

I start to consider putting the heating on when the room temp drops down to around 17 Celsius. 

We had a poor central heating system in the 80s and 90s, but I’ve never felt comfortable in the cold. 
 

For me it’s always me made feel uncomfortable, especially going to the bathroom, to have a bath or shower and feeling cold when I come back out into the hallway.

Even a mild winter still feels cold with the poor insulated houses we live in.

[Sunny76]

1 hour ago, East Lancs Rain said:

I have recently started taking cold showers too.  Not because of electric bills but because it helps me to feel less tired in the morning. It also has big health benefits too. It has helped to increase my tolerance to cold water and probably cold in general. Still using hot water to wash my hands though, that is a must for me. 
 

 

Seeing a lot of people wearing coats now. I always think it’s a mistake to wear a coat too early in the autumn, because you don’t give your body chance to acclimatise to the colder temperatures - if you wear a coat now then you’ve got nothing in reserve for when it really gets cold. I’m fine in a t-shirt and a hoodie at the moment, and still wearing shorts on some days. I always try and hold out until at least early November before wearing a winter coat.

Cold water shock doesn’t work for everyone. I tried it and I didn’t feel good after it.

The only time I need a cold shower is when temps are around 30c or above for a few days. 

1 hour ago, East Lancs Rain said:

I have recently started taking cold showers too.  Not because of electric bills but because it helps me to feel less tired in the morning. It also has big health benefits too. It has helped to increase my tolerance to cold water and probably cold in general. Still using hot water to wash my hands though, that is a must for me. 
 

 

Seeing a lot of people wearing coats now. I always think it’s a mistake to wear a coat too early in the autumn, because you don’t give your body chance to acclimatise to the colder temperatures - if you wear a coat now then you’ve got nothing in reserve for when it really gets cold. I’m fine in a t-shirt and a hoodie at the moment, and still wearing shorts on some days. I always try and hold out until at least early November before wearing a winter coat.

There’s no way I could walk out the door at 6am on Sunday morning when it was only 8c in London. That would make sick. I had to wear a light jacket and dress according to how warm or cold I feel. 

[markyo]

9 hours ago, East Lancs Rain said:

Your tolerance to cold is quite remarkable! Your heat tolerance is quite amazing too considering you work at 40°C plus temps in 100% humidity!
 

You’re very lucky you don’t feel the cold as a lot of people will not be be to afford to put the heating on this winter. 
 

For me I’m quite a warm blooded person but I still do feel the cold too. I have quite good circulation so Im comfortable wearing shorts and a t-shirt outside until it’s gets below 15C or so. Indoors needs to be at least 18C. 
I don’t usually need a thick coat until it gets into single digits. In terms of heat I usually start to feel too hot when it gets above 22°C. 
 

So my preference is for middle of the road temperatures around 14-20°C, which I find most comfortable. Indoors 19-21°C.

 

As for heating, we’ve managed without it so far, it has been only 17-18C in the house but I’ve felt warm enough in joggers and a hoodie.

For once my weirdness has a benefit, i do feel so sorry normal folk who just use a normal amount of fuel but still this winter will be struggling, its going to be tough, very tough. 

[richie3846]

Looks like we've got a potent northerly coming in next week. Temps around 12c by day. I suspect there'll be plenty of activity in this thread by Tuesday next week

[Sunny76]

5 hours ago, markyo said:

For once my weirdness has a benefit, i do feel so sorry normal folk who just use a normal amount of fuel but still this winter will be struggling, its going to be tough, very tough. 

I don’t think it’s weirdness. It’s similar to when I used to wear a light jacket when temps were around 25c, back in the 90s.

It’s what you are used to and like you said before, a personal preference.

[Downburst]

I think it was perhaps a fashion thing, but in the 80's as a teenager nearly everyone had a scarf and often gloves, cut off mittens etc. When I got back from school frozen it was just the fire to warm up at. House was very cold really by the standards of what I live in now, triple glazed and attic and wall insulation. Older generation, my mother and fathers generation who are almost all over 80 and mostly gone now were a harder bloody bunch and that rubbed off. They remembered times before anti biotics and the notion of getting a cold and sore throat etc was a nightmare as it could take weeks to recuperate, hence the take your coat off or you won't get the benefit and wrap up warm and Jack Frost will get you if you don't get under the covers and the like out of all of them. We simply didn't really give a dam about the cold as much as we dressed accordingly. Have a look at young students now, summer clothes all year really and very unlikely to have a coat and would rather be shot at dawn than have a scarf. It's certainly not hard to dress for a colder house, it really isn't, so some sensible adaptions will help. I know it's unfortunate, but it's not the arctic.

[Dan B]

Admittedly we had the fire lit yesterday for the first time (it'd just been swept too)

 

My wife popped 2 washes through that couldn't be tumble dried and it absolutely lashed it down here yesterday

 

So small fire going, plenty of smokeless on it and it did the job nicely...!

 

Smelled great too

 

No heating though yet; stats down to 14ºC and staying that way

[Sceptical]

Hasn't been anywhere near cold enough to turn on the CH. Another warm sunny day has heated the house up to 20°c

I don't recall the central heating not running during September since I moved here in 2004. Perhaps September 2022 will change that.

 

[Frost HoIIow]

If I lived on my own it would hardly come on at all. Probably just enough to keep damp at bay but other than that apart from proper cold spells I wouldn't put it on. Rather not put money in the pockets of greedy energy companies. Unfortunately unless it's a heatwave my wife feels cold almost all year round so I don't get much say on it.

[Alexis]

Doesn't go on before 1st October in our house.

Preferably 1st Nov.

[Sunny76]

21 minutes ago, Alexis said:

Doesn't go on before 1st October in our house.

Preferably 1st Nov.

I think you might put it on next week.

The weather looks fairly chilly even during the day. The heating has been on here and we will probably start using it more frequently as we move into October.

[Alexis]

2 minutes ago, Sunny76 said:

I think you might put it on next week.

The weather looks fairly chilly even during the day. The heating has been on here and we will probably start using it more frequently as we move into October.

Our house seems to trap a lot of residual summer heat. It was 2C at night last week but we couldn't feel it. But we'll feel the same 2C next month, but hopefully we can see out September with no heating on.

[Sunny76]

24 minutes ago, Alexis said:

Our house seems to trap a lot of residual summer heat. It was 2C at night last week but we couldn't feel it. But we'll feel the same 2C next month, but hopefully we can see out September with no heating on.

That sounds like a decent building.

Our heat was lost once the day temps dropped below 20c. Until then we were still able to wear shorts in the flat, which was only a week ago. 

How things have changed in the space of a couple of weeks. 

[snefnug]

24 minutes ago, Alexis said:

Our house seems to trap a lot of residual summer heat. It was 2C at night last week but we couldn't feel it. But we'll feel the same 2C next month, but hopefully we can see out September with no heating on.

Erm. 2c external or internal?  Presuming external.  We are single glazed, north East Wales, no radiator in  bedroom but above kitchen so residual heat.  Wood burner on  in living room now of an evening.  But by heck it was chilly this am.  

[Ross90]

Not yet, no need until it goes below 20c indoors which generally equates to about 13c or below outside. Usually between early Oct and mid to late April.

[Wold Topper]

Surely if your cold and want to put your heating on then you shall? and if your warm and comfortable you won't? Each to their own, guilt tripping not necessary 

Edited September 21, 2022 by Wold Topper

[damianslaw]

On 19/09/2022 at 14:34, richie3846 said:

I think many people find it more comfortable around the 19 to 21c mark in general. If that's comfortable for you, great, that's not for me though, unless I'm moving about. The missus and kids also find 17c a little too chilly for home. When it's time to do housework or something like that, then of course that's a good temperature, but most of the time at home activity is limited, therefore blood circulation is quite low also.

Ideal temp is about 19 degrees. I can cope well with 18 degrees, but below this when working and sitting still it becomes more uncomfortable, but can still live with no heating at 17 degrees, just about 16 degrees, but duvet and extra layers needed 15 degrees or below.

People's tolerance levels are very dependent on factors such as age, sex, weight, health conditions, how much mobility they have.

[ChannelThunder]

3 hours ago, Sceptical said:

Hasn't been anywhere near cold enough to turn on the CH. Another warm sunny day has heated the house up to 20°c

I don't recall the central heating not running during September since I moved here in 2004. Perhaps September 2022 will change that.

 

Ah, someone from Alford! I stayed in your local holiday park a few weeks back beautiful little place! 

[East Lancs Rain]

9 hours ago, Downburst said:

I think it was perhaps a fashion thing, but in the 80's as a teenager nearly everyone had a scarf and often gloves, cut off mittens etc. When I got back from school frozen it was just the fire to warm up at. House was very cold really by the standards of what I live in now, triple glazed and attic and wall insulation. Older generation, my mother and fathers generation who are almost all over 80 and mostly gone now were a harder bloody bunch and that rubbed off. They remembered times before anti biotics and the notion of getting a cold and sore throat etc was a nightmare as it could take weeks to recuperate, hence the take your coat off or you won't get the benefit and wrap up warm and Jack Frost will get you if you don't get under the covers and the like out of all of them. We simply didn't really give a dam about the cold as much as we dressed accordingly. Have a look at young students now, summer clothes all year really and very unlikely to have a coat and would rather be shot at dawn than have a scarf. It's certainly not hard to dress for a colder house, it really isn't, so some sensible adaptions will help. I know it's unfortunate, but it's not the arctic.

Plenty of students wear coats where I am. When I was at college I usually just wore a hoodie unless it was really cold or chucking it down, as carrying round a coat all day wasn’t really convenient. Although there were a few who wore shorts in the winter.. Also a lot of the students wore their coats in the classroom, which I thought was quite odd as the classrooms were usually really warm. I very rarely wear gloves unless it’s extremely cold. I can’t remember ever wearing a scarf though, never wore thermal trousers either.

I notice with the older generation that despite growing up with cold winters and no heating, that they tend to dress warmer and complain about the cold more. I think generally the older you are the colder you feel, I think the reason is down to having less muscle mass as you age.

3 hours ago, Sceptical said:

Hasn't been anywhere near cold enough to turn on the CH. Another warm sunny day has heated the house up to 20°c

I don't recall the central heating not running during September since I moved here in 2004. Perhaps September 2022 will change that.

 

Must be warm in Aberdeen then! Been really cloudy here last few days and despite the temps being relatively mild at 15/16°C, the lack of sunlight combined with night temps of 8-10°C has meant the indoor temperature has been really struggling at 17-18°C. We have had to put the heating on during a lot of Septembers. Once the outdoor maxes drop below 17°C, the indoor temp struggles to reach 19°C, especially if it’s cloudy.

33 minutes ago, Ross90 said:

Not yet, no need until it goes below 20c indoors which generally equates to about 13c or below outside. Usually between early Oct and mid to late April.

It has been below 20°C indoors here since I can back from holiday on the 10th. House never really warmed up to summer levels. The indoor temp has been quite warm this summer, above 20°C throughout pretty much the whole summer, but now it’s been really struggling at 17-18°C, despite daytime temps being 15-16°C. I live in a 1930’s detached bungalow which is probably why my house is cooler. I do have double glazed windows and loft insulation though.

It’s good in summer because the indoor temps rarely get ridiculously high, even during the two extremely hot days during July when it got to about 35°C here, the indoor temp was “only” 26-28°C. But it does suffer with damp, indoor humidity is quite high, especially during damp weather. Not put the heating on yet, and as a result the indoor humidity is quite high at 65-80%.

[East Lancs Rain]

On 18/09/2022 at 15:51, markyo said:

With fuel bills so high i'm staggered folk are even thinking about putting their heating on! Just put a jumper on if cold. Let's be honest its not cold, is it? This coming winter it may will be cold, but sorry not in mid september in the UK. Just i know who will be the first to moan how high their bills are will be folk flicking that switch now.

 

10 hours ago, Downburst said:

I think it was perhaps a fashion thing, but in the 80's as a teenager nearly everyone had a scarf and often gloves, cut off mittens etc. When I got back from school frozen it was just the fire to warm up at. House was very cold really by the standards of what I live in now, triple glazed and attic and wall insulation. Older generation, my mother and fathers generation who are almost all over 80 and mostly gone now were a harder bloody bunch and that rubbed off. They remembered times before anti biotics and the notion of getting a cold and sore throat etc was a nightmare as it could take weeks to recuperate, hence the take your coat off or you won't get the benefit and wrap up warm and Jack Frost will get you if you don't get under the covers and the like out of all of them. We simply didn't really give a dam about the cold as much as we dressed accordingly. Have a look at young students now, summer clothes all year really and very unlikely to have a coat and would rather be shot at dawn than have a scarf. It's certainly not hard to dress for a colder house, it really isn't, so some sensible adaptions will help. I know it's unfortunate, but it's not the arctic.

Only works up to a point I find. In theory yes you could continue to just wear more and more layers until you look like the Michelin man but then who wants to dress like an eskimo around the house? I’m all for wearing a jumper before putting putting the heating on, but if once you’re wearing a jumper and you’re still cold it’s time for the heating to go on, unless you really can’t afford to, in which case, you may be forced to wear 10 layers in the house all winter or make drastic spending cuts elsewhere.

 

Also, not only does central heating keep the house warmer, it also reduces dampness (humidity). If you don’t put your heating on in winter, you will probably have problems with damp and mould, and that is not healthy. Then there’s elderly people and people with certain health conditions that need the heating on warmer. Older people feel the cold more. That’s why old folks homes are always really warm. 
 

Ive also never used antibiotics before, always just let my immune system do it’s thing. I’m no softie when it comes to heating, I’m fine down to 18°C, 17°C at a push but really don’t like it when it drops below that. Some people have thier heating at 24°C!  Now that is soft!
 

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by East Lancs Rain

[Brucie]

I also feel that people tend to rely too much on heating.  I see loads of people around here walking around outside and inside in shorts and t shirts even in the depths of winter, and then come home to the comfort of a heated house.

Yes, quite a lot of people have a genuine need to keep warm (these are the ones who we need to think and worry about) but those who just take heating for granted cause:

a)  increase in personal expense on heating 

b)  needless pressure on national grid 

c)  unnecessary carbon footprint

Just use your sense and put some more layers on when your house is moderately chilly (15c). Below 13c, even I might think again though!!

David,  Northallerton 

[damianslaw]

Gave in today and kept electric heater on for lengthy periods of the day, otherwise temp would have stayed around 16 degrees, which is uncomfortable and does not aid concentration and productivity when sat  working. Can get away with no heating when not working..