Why is keeping the heating off in spring treated like a religion in the UK?
Posted by Ok_Listen_5358@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 388 comments
Last night it dropped to 5c outside. Heating was off. House sitting at about 14c. I'm not from the UK and I'm trying to work out the actual rule on this.
Nobody seems to consider just topping it up for an hour in the morning or evening when it's clearly cold inside. It's either "the heating is on" in the full ceremonial sense, or it's off. There doesn't seem to be a middle gear.
In most of Europe in April you'd put it on for an hour and that's it, take the edge off the room without making a thing of it. Here it feels like a moral question. "Just put a jumper on" doesn't really cover it when the bedroom is 14c and the walls are damp.
So the actual question: in a normal middle-class British household, what's the indoor temperature or the calendar date that finally makes it acceptable to fire up the boiler for an hour in spring? Or is the answer just "you wait for next October"?
Helm222@reddit
I feel like I am betraying Martin Lewis if I do..
elephvant@reddit
What do you mean by nobody?
Yourself? The person you live with? Or did you go all up and down your street enquiring as to whether others have turned their heating on so you can 'work out the actual rule on this'?
Because the answer is: Put your heating on when you feel like putting your heating on. It's your house.
callisstaa@reddit
I know this is Reddit but did you consider the possibility of them having friends
elephvant@reddit
Not really, no.
I know this is Reddit but I don't tend to 'consider' whether or not another person might have friends, I just assume they do.
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Presumably OP shares with others.
mister_meaner7@reddit
I’ve not had the heating on I had to open the windows late last night, though it was 6c outside it was still 21c inside. Even now it’s still 20c inside and 9c outside.
Namiweso@reddit
The perks of a new build it seems. My house doesn’t get to 20 even with the heating on
d3gu@reddit
My house was built in the 1920s and it's never cold. We turn the heating off at night all year round (boiler is under the bedroom) and it retains heat fine. Might be an issue with your double glazing/roof insulation.
kai_enby@reddit
Doesn't have to be a new build. My bedroom is currently 22C with the window open and my house was built in the 1930s
ALLST6R@reddit
Indeed. Have a new build, office yesterday evening was 25 degrees. Bedroom was 24. Last night was the worst nights sleep I've had since last summer!
hunters_trap@reddit
Same here. Bedroom windows have been open for a couple weeks. Thermostat says it's 21.5c in my room right now.
n8te85@reddit
Lucky you. Mine is at 26°C already.
XxeniusBlack71@reddit
Prices have a huge say on this , i have not put my heating on since Xmas
gambiting@reddit
Or just ignore what other people thing and just so what's right for you. I have my heating set to get to 20C at 6am every morning all year round, summer or not. I couldn't care any less what other people think about it.
Heathy-Heatherson@reddit
We just use a thermostat so if it's cold the heating comes on, if it's not then it doesn't.
Srapture@reddit
This is a constant fight with my partner because she's used to the way her parents used the thermostat at their place.
"Quite chilly. I'll put the heating on."
"... Bit too warm in here. I'll turn the heating off."
Terribly inefficient and leaves you constantly uncomfortable.
So we'll constantly have these discussions:
"If it's warmer than 21°C. It won't come on."
"It isn't on! That's how a thermostat works. It's hot because of the sun!"
To me, referring to the heating as "turned on" or "turned off" is completely non-sensical with regards to thermostat-controlled central heating unless you're referring to whether or not the system is currently triggered on by the thermostat.
frankbowles1962@reddit
In my old home I didn’t have modern thermostats and would religiously switch the heating on in autumn and off in spring. Now a central thermometer and a few smart radiator valves and I don’t need to touch it. The amount of gas used is about a seventh of what it was in the winter, mostly my wife having a bath 😂
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
I have this, along with TRVs, and my dad just can't get his head around my utter lack of concern when he's over and finds a warm radiator. The idea that I'm not maintaining a constant level of awareness of my home’s heating system is completely alien to him.
BeneficialGarbage@reddit
I've set Dad up with the same at home and he still messages me to say the heating came on and he force turned it off and I again explain how it works now
YesIAmRightWing@reddit
I feel like some weather compensation would work well here
Wouldn't make ya dad happy mind you, but down rating the flow rate automatically is elite
donalmacc@reddit
The weather compensation is built into the thermostat - if it’s 5 degrees outside and your thermostat is set to 20, then it will brown for longer than if it’s 15 degrees outside.
YesIAmRightWing@reddit
sorry, brown for longer?
donalmacc@reddit
“Stay on” sorry! Fixed.
YesIAmRightWing@reddit
ah fair enough haha.
I guess I wanna go extra fancy, so I want the boilers actual flow temp to be turned down, saves money/gas/elec
donalmacc@reddit
How does it save money/gas/elec by doing it dynamically? Your boiler is about 90% efficient whether it’s heating up to 60 degrees or 45, and if the flow temp is lower it needs to keep at that temp for longer to bring the room up to temp. Reducing the flow temp can increase the efficiency of the boiler, but turning it back up again is going to negate those savings.
YesIAmRightWing@reddit
Well depends on the weather right? If its warmer out, it won't need to exert itself as much.
Reddit as usual provides.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1l3rx8k/what_are_boiler_weather_compensation_benefits/
donalmacc@reddit
I’ve seen this thread before - the efficiency arguments are for turning your flow temp down from 80 degrees to 65 or so - not for dynamically adjusting it based on weather. Turn the flow temp down and your bills will be lower, but if it goes back up you’ll negate the savings.
The guy championing in that post writes a lot but doesn’t really back anything up.
YesIAmRightWing@reddit
well ofc.
but do people?
no, so if a process does it for people automagically it will save people more money than those that dont turn it down.
its all weather compensation is.
lewkir@reddit
your dad can use the force?
Practical_Scar4374@reddit
Dad's are cool like that.
Over-Language2599@reddit
My gf is obsessed with turning her heating on and off and up and down and adjusting the radiators and fiddling with the time clock. Fortunately she never touches mine.
GoHomeCryWantToDie@reddit
She never fiddles with your clock?
colei_canis@reddit
Clockblocked.
Good_Ad_1386@reddit
That's a significant 'L' for you.
Over-Language2599@reddit
Autocorrupt.
Iamthe0c3an2@reddit
Idk the thermostat things seems like a boomer dad thing. Watch enough “old” movies and this trope shows up often.
Practical_Scar4374@reddit
What are you on about ? "Thermostats are a boomer dad thing"
Iamthe0c3an2@reddit
This scene probably explains the trope.
https://youtu.be/C05qUz1ukWo?si=2Z-XBLUbSTqGmlSx
Practical_Scar4374@reddit
Gotcha. I thought you were talking about the thermostat itself. :/
lj523@reddit
Same. I reduce the max temperature once spring rolls around. Throughout winter we have it set to 21c, but then as soon as spring rolls around I drop it to 19c (for some reason 19c in the spring doesn't feel as bad as 19c in the winter in our house, no idea why). Occasionally it comes on for 30 minutes or so in the morning, but mostly by the time morning rolls around the house is at 19ish anyway.
DownrightDrewski@reddit
I moved a couple of months ago, it's so nice being somewhere well insulated with a decent thermostat. I can just leave it, and bump the set temp up of I want to on a given day.
EUskeptik@reddit
I get the feeling the OP would find that situation absolutely intolerable.
-oo-
DownrightDrewski@reddit
Fair, but I find 17 a nice set point that stops it from coming on pointlessly, and when it was cold I could easily crank it to 20 when I got up.
If I'm still in this place come winter I'll probably up the set point, but this is nice and stress free for me.
EUskeptik@reddit
Hey, it wasn’t a criticism of what you do, indeed quite the opposite.
It was, however, directed at the OP.
-oo-
jnthhk@reddit
I’ve got one of these too. Total game changer :-).
FelisCantabrigiensis@reddit
Wow! What amazing technology, nay, what wizardry is this?
.... the attitudes of some people in the UK today make me think their minds have not moved on from having to stoke the stove with coal themselves in the morning.
colei_canis@reddit
I don’t think you can stoke the stove with coal even if you wanted to in a lot of the UK, old school house coal is banned in England but you can still get it in Wales.
Spinxy88@reddit
I've found as well as doing this, there's some magic in having the set temperature lower down to 10 degrees 'frost setting' over night, makes a warm bed under a thick duvet extra special during the winter, then the central heating flicks on to the program 45 mins before my alarm, to ease leaving the nest.
ygbjammy@reddit
Yep we just keep the thermostat set to the same value the whole year round.
bacon_cake@reddit
Certain temperatures definitely feel different at different times of year. I think it's because thermostats are usually in one fixed location in the house and the wider conditions can change independently.
For example our thermostat is in the living room and is usually set to 19c or so, meanwhile in winter the bedrooms will be about the same. But the other day the bedrooms were 24c in the heat and the living room was still hovering around 19c so it felt warmer as we walked around the house.
OMGItsCheezWTF@reddit
We just have a thermostat in each room at the opposite side to the radiator. The radiator valve is linked to that thermostat.
bacon_cake@reddit
Yeah a thermostat in each room is definitely the best.
forgottenoldusername@reddit
Do you not perceive the same temperatures differently though?
Like do not get me wrong, fully got my head around thermostats and temperature control. Big fan of HVAC, is me!
But 17c in the living room in mid can sometimes feel a bit chilly, maybe even blanket over the lap territory. Midsummer 17c with the Aircon feels positively glorious.
and then just to add another layer of completely unnecessary complexities - depends what I've been up to that day as well.
If I've been on the smallholding in the rain and wind all day, 20c feels too hot when coming home in winter. If I've been sat at a desk all day it's spot on though.
Same with the shower. My grandad literally glued his shower knob so I wouldn't mess with it when I was a kid. But sometimes I want my shower cool, sometimes I want to be warmer, what's a man to do?! 😰
spankybianky@reddit
Us too - it’s set at 16 C so only comes on for a bit if it dips below that. If we are downstairs or have guests over and notice it being a bit chilly, we’ll pop it up to 18 C for a bit, but for the most part 16 C is fine for us.
ShoddyEggplant3697@reddit
Yeah my heating is technically on all year but when it's warmer it doesn't actually warm the house. Set your thermostat to a temp you like then leave it they're designed like this. If you're feeling a little colder turn the stat up slightly.
According-Annual-586@reddit
I’m the same
Hive thermostat is set at 18.5 all year round, with a small boost (even in summer) 15 mins or so before my morning shower, just so my towel is nice and warm
Objective_Mousse7216@reddit
Same. No timers. 17.5 deg c min overnight and then in the evening have a luxury 20 deg c set for a few hours.
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Even if you're not home?
VOOLUL@reddit
Most have schedules on them so you just schedule it for when you get home?
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Oh, I thought it sounded like some people were saying all the time with no timer.
Heathy-Heatherson@reddit
Yeah, don't want the flat getting damp. It's never empty for long periods of time though, we have a catsitter if we go away longer than 24 hours.
Consult-SR88@reddit
This is how mine runs. Today was the first morning this year the heating didn’t come on at 5.15am.
CaptainParkingspace@reddit
Trouble is, thermostat temperature and how warm it actually feels are two completely different things for some reason. My central heating will come on to bring the temperature up to 21°C when it’s 19 summer degrees which is short sleeve shirt weather and we have all the windows open.
piximeat@reddit
A lot of the top answers don't seem to mention cost, and a lot of us are struggling. In the winter it's almost impossible to not put on the heating at a certain point, but the spring is bearable. Either due to the actual temperature or added layers.
You won't catch me putting on heating when I can put on layers or a blanket and my December energy bill comes to £250 and my August is £80.
EnormousMycoprotein@reddit
My heating is off because 14 is a nice temperature to sleep at and I'd like to make the most of it before the nights get too warm.
My upstairs windows are now all open and will probably stay that way until October.
Nobody stopping you putting your heating on though!
But the real question here is why your walls are damp.
pinolicat@reddit
Sounds like you have an issue with insulation and ventilation.
We've been away from our house since Friday, and checking the smart thermostat informs me that the house is currently 17.5C (which is a nice ambient temp we enjoy living in without damp etc) and the heating hasn't kicked in at any point. It would have done if it needed to as the thermostat is set to 14C just to make sure it keeps moisture away.
So no rule or religion. Run your house in the way that works for you.
Fast_Apple_2237@reddit
Equally why do people heat their houses all year round to a temperature that only happens for a few weeks in the summer. You adjust to whatever temperature you're used to, and people keep pushing that temperature up and so feel cold when the temperature dips below it.
14c is a bit cold, but the average UK temperature in the last decade never tops 19c in July.
Zig07@reddit
No one cares if you have your heating on or not.
LittleSadRufus@reddit
I guess keeping the heating off in spring is exactly "like a religion" in the UK in that the majority of people don't follow it at all.
twoleftfeetgeek@reddit
I’ve never known “turning the heating off” to be a thing. I set the desired temperature and it comes on and off as needed.
Stage_Party@reddit
Is it? I just leave the thermostat on at 18. It'll come. On if it needs to.
Also opening curtains gets sunlight into the house which helps warm it up so often enough you'll put the heating on and get too hot.
srig8@reddit
My heating still comes on.
the_fox_in_the_roses@reddit
We do morning and evening bursts and top ups. At the moment it's off and I put an extra woolly layer on in the evening. But I was brought up working class and I'm old school environmental so maybe I'm different.
danielrcoates@reddit
I just have mine set on 17°C and it comes on and off as needed
EvilTaffyapple@reddit
I think you’re vastly overestimating how much people think about this.
If you’re cold, turn it on. If the room then gets tops hot, turn it off.
Brits aren’t a homogeneous blob. We all like or dislike hot or cold weather. There is no “rule”.
EcstaticBerry1220@reddit
How can you not comprehend that there are unwritten rules in life?
No one is saying there’s a rule that you can’t wear a dressing gown in public, but most would agree that it’s “embarrassing”.
McKendrigo@reddit
The key difference here is "in public".
It's your home, it's your heating bill. Turn in on if you want to. Keep it off if you want to. Nobody else cares what you do.
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Sounds like OP shares their home though.
EcstaticBerry1220@reddit
Yep. imagine not knowing how to read
McKendrigo@reddit
Nowhere in the original post does it specify if they live alone or with flatmates.
So, am I struggling to read, or are other people just hallucinating things?
EcstaticBerry1220@reddit
Found the person that takes the last biscuit
kit-walsh@reddit
Yeah but this doesn't seem one of those rules. Just look at the comments.
EcstaticBerry1220@reddit
This is reddit we’re talking about. It is absolutely one of those rules.
Brits love proving that they can wear more layers of jumpers before they dare turn on the heating.
It’s the old ww2 surviving hardships better than your neighbour mindset. Also explains why so many people only eat brown food here. Another throwback to rationing
SonicShadow@reddit
Which part of the UK are you from?
glassbottleoftears@reddit
You've not lived in the same areas as me. Plenty of people walking outside in their dressing gowns
Herrad@reddit
But there isn't even an unwritten rule about this, especially in the age of digital thermostats and smart heating.
EvilTaffyapple@reddit
Who said I can’t? I absolutely can - however this doesn’t apply to the question asked in the OP.
glytxh@reddit
We need to learn some of that German Luften energy tho.
It’s like we are afraid of fresh air sometimes.
EcstaticBerry1220@reddit
People here are weirdly stingy, would rather live with stale damp air and mould rather than freshen it up and run the heating briefly to warm up the air again.
diggy96@reddit
As someone who’s weirdly militant about moisture and airing oot the house I can tell you it doesn’t make a huge difference to temperature. Itll drop 0.5C before quickly climbing back up. Most of the heats in the walls, furniture etc.
I’ve had this argument with my boss who refuses to open the windows at any cost even though we have a mould problem on and off. The heating actually makes it worse.
glytxh@reddit
I love my friends, but they definitely live in their fusty little post war caves.
getoutmywayatonce@reddit
Oh, you’ve got some of those friends too? Mine aren’t just against opening the windows, they’re even weird about opening the curtains. My mental health would be in absolute tatters if I didn’t get fresh air or natural light!
QuietofTheSolace@reddit
Even ignoring the walls the mass of furniture and people in a room means the overwhelming heat mass is in objects.
Basically ask him how much he thinks the room in the air weighs, then ask him if he thinks bringing in an object of similar mass thats a few degrees cooler would make the whole room cold.
EcstaticBerry1220@reddit
Yeah totally agree with you. But they won’t admit that here as you can see by my downvotes
glytxh@reddit
People think I’m genuinely mad for opening my windows for an hour in the winter.
Grew up in Germany so this is all kinda baked into me. I still feel weird even looking at the hoover on a Sunday.
Buddy-Matt@reddit
No rule, but the minority who act like it is are very vocal and very evangelical about it.
You enjoy your sweater, Keith, the rest of us dont mind an extra 20p on gas.
jnthhk@reddit
There’s even a thing called a thermostat that lets you automate the whole thing :-).
Public_Ad_1411@reddit
Though Ed Miliband's energy policies have affected the way many people think of heating their homes.
ShoddyEggplant3697@reddit
Mine is technically always on its down to the thermostat
EUskeptik@reddit
Please don’t trigger the OP’s OCD.
-oo-
rcgl2@reddit
There are a lot of comments saying "this isn't a thing, just put it on if you're cold" but I think OP is right that there are certain types of older people who do subscribe to this way of thinking. My parents are a bit like this, they are both in their 80s.
They were both born in houses that didn't even have central heating, where fires were used to heat their houses. As they were born at the end of WW2, rationing was in place for most of their first decades. This obviously meant they grew up in an environment of austerity and making do. I also suspect complaining they were cold probably didn't get much traction with my grandparents who had just been through the war.
They also lived through the 70s as younger adults and experienced the oil crisis, energy shock, 3 day week etc. I'm assuming seeing energy prices spiral upwards over that era may have reinforced a mentality of trying not to consume energy if at all possible. Putting the heating on for an hour is burning gas and costing money, being chilly for an hour and putting a jumper on is free.
And finally when I was a kid in the 80s and early 90s our central heating was very much on or off. Meaning when it was on, it was on a timer and would come on for a fixed duration in the morning, and then again for a fixed number of hours in the evening. When it was off, it was off. There was a thermostat but it was located in a very poor location in basically the warmest spot in the house, so if it was set to 20 it would tend to deactivate the heating too soon and the rest of the house wouldn't warm up, so it was generally set very high so was largely redundant. When the heating had been switched off for the year in spring, the idea of manually turning it on for an hour just seemed anathema to my parents. On meant on the timer. Off meant off. There was no in between.
None of this is a defence of such practices. I have a Nest smart thermometer and I just let it do it's thing all year round. If I'm cold I'll manually turn it on and then let the thermostat turn it off again when the temperature is reached. My house is way better insulated than my childhood home was and I'd rather be comfortable than frugal or bloody minded about the heating. But what I said above are my guesses about why some Brits, particularly of the older generations, may take a different view of putting the central heating on.
nonibet@reddit
Not even just older people. I know people in their 30s and 40s who are like that too, perhaps it tickled down. But good lord, the amount of time that I (an immigrant) spend explaining basic physics and why their house is damp & mouldy to British people is quite something.
GlitteringBryony@reddit
I swear, for the generations born from about the 50s-80s, there needs to be more understanding that we were raised by people who were traumatised by the war and the immediate aftermath of intense poverty (Whether as parents or as young, involved grandparents), and those people's traumas badly shaped our understanding of the world. So many of us have ended up unable to do normal things like use the central heating, leave a light on in a room that we're not in (or, put the lights on at all until our eyes are really straining), or throw out leftover food or even just general junk (Plastic bags, chipped crockery, etc) - All stuff that makes sense when we're under a naval blockade and need to make-do-and-mend, but doesn't make sense in one of the richest countries in the world, with a wealth of material abundance.
rositree@reddit
I think this is a big part of it. Growing up we had an immersion heater for water and I feel like the heating timer got set to the same schedule, I don't remember it being very intuitive or straightforward to use.
Tech has improved, we are able to adjust rooms individually and monitor the temperature more accurately now. Also, the monitoring and standby usage is more energy efficient. It seems there was a feeling that having the heating system on, even if just on timer and not actually doing anything, was a more notable cost, so it was preferable to turn it off than leave it monitoring.
It does make me chuckle that the 'just put a jumper on' crew on a cool evening probably also waste more energy and money by having their fixed time heating coming on for a couple of hours in the morning when environmental temperatures have started coming up.
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Not all houses have that technology though, especially rentals and shared houses, which is presumably the case for OP.
rositree@reddit
Definitely. I just think this is part of why there's more of an age divide with this - older people didn't have the option, middle aged people grew up with that being the way and may just be continuing learned behaviour from their parents and younger adults are adopting it more readily (but can't do a lot about boomer landlord mentality, obviously)
Counterpoint-4@reddit
The number of people in thousands of pounds worth of fuel debt is huge - £4.43 billion of debt last quarter of 25. Maybe lots of people have heating on 24/7 as they have to keep warm - guess they aren't all old or vulnerable. We seem to be a mixed bunch.
Walms82@reddit
Old people will all be gone soon
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
I'm not old but I try not to put the heating on more than necessary because it's expensive. I'd rather wear an extra jumper. Also, sounds like OP is in shared housing, they may not have a modern heating system and may have had problems with people keeping the house very warm and running up huge bills.
EUskeptik@reddit
A very well written response.
Thank you.
-oo-
Illustrious_Ad6355@reddit
Ours is always switched to off, the boiler makes to much noise when the heating comes on in the night
Mysterious-Joke-2266@reddit
I mean doesn't everyone? When it's warm here during the day it's down now to an hour before we get up and then when we get home
jajay119@reddit
Because it’s expensive and we want to save money asap.
PatserGrey@reddit
Is it? Its all thermostat controlled. It kicked in a little in last few mornings, no biggie
Historical_Rain_2960@reddit
It's not a religion, it's trying to save money for the winter.
Weird_Fly_6691@reddit
My thermostat is always on 25, but I am not British lol
toady89@reddit
I would usually just use the thermostat and let the heating decide if it needs to come on or not. My current house doesn't have a thermostat just a timer so I've set it to manual and turned it on a couple of times the past few weeks, I did forget to turn it off one night though so I'm reluctant to turn it on again.
BaBaFiCo@reddit
14c sounds like a perfectly fine temperature overnight. If that is causing damp then that's an issue with your home.
EUskeptik@reddit
In Germany, people open most or all of their windows for 15 minutes every day. The ventilation helps greatly with the prevention of damp and mould.
Here in Britain, windows remain firmly closed and damp and mould can develop as a result.
-oo-
Cold-Society3325@reddit
I leave a window in my bedroom permanently open all year round. I only close it when I go on holiday.
onlyoneofmetoday@reddit
It isn't, in my house it on when it's chilly inside, usually for an hour in the morning. And our house is full brick so it's cool in here all year round, but we go by the rule of if you have a hoodie or jumper on and still feel cold then heating is on for an hour. Otherwise it's off because it not needed. Most people turn it off because of the cost as well, we use it sparingly so we aren't hit with huge bills. In winter we rarely have it on all day, using blankets and thick clothing because it's cheaper.
Alert_Mine7067@reddit
It's dependant on the weather outside, the thermostat has been sitting at 5° for a few days now, one evening last week it was 4° and quite chilly so it was back up to 21°
My 14 year old boiler is on its last legs, and pissing away money, that's my main motivation for having it off. I check the meters for gas and electric every month to understand what I'm using so that the quarterly direct debit doesn't ruin my life.
dmb_80_@reddit
I leave mine set at 18c all year round. My house holds its heat fairly well and the boiler doesn't fire up very often in this weather.
Polz34@reddit
Just put a jumper on!
(That's what we were all told growing up, so embedded in us!)
My thermostat is set for 16 degrees so it would turn on if it got really cold, but I also live alone so nothing to stop me from literally wearing my coat in side, or multiple blankets to save a few quid! Only time I had it on more often was when my late cat was around and it was for him more than me.
talligan@reddit
But why would you want to wear a coat inside? That sounds miserable. Why not spend a few quid and be comfortable in your own home?
Coming from Canada this idea is absolutely mind blowing to me. Being warm is very important to me.
Polz34@reddit
My flat rarely goes below 19 degrees so it was just an example but I haven't had to wear a house for years in my place as generally it floats around 19-20 degrees even in winter.
EUskeptik@reddit
Don’t you find it challenging to wear a house in a flat? Must be a larger than average flat.
-oo-
Polz34@reddit
Doh!
EUskeptik@reddit
Thank goodness for Edit. 😁👍🏼
-oo-
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Energy is expensive, not everyone has the luxury of being warm all the time.
EUskeptik@reddit
“My coworkers are always miserable.”
Welcome to the UK. Situation normal. 🙄
-oo-
cbawiththismalarky@reddit
My house is 22 degrees at all time, it very well insulated if the heater wasn't on it wouldn't get below 19⁰, I also don't understand the performance
SuperHansDunYourMum@reddit
People think that living like a Victorian urchin is a source of pride in the UK.
Slutkie@reddit
There is definitely a strand of this.
Then there are that significant and unfortunately powerful group of people who think that getting lots of other people to live like Victorian urchins is a source of pride for themselves (I'm on benefits. A Victorian urchin, but with internet).
Wooden_Astronaut4668@reddit
Our heating is off, it wasn’t cold last night. I slept naked and had to open the window!!
ZaphodG@reddit
The clerk's fire was so much smaller it looked like one coal.
Chillistarr@reddit
With the cost of CH oil currently, wouldn't be surprised if more folk than usual are going with the "just put on a jumper" approach. We supplement the oil CH with wood and have been leaning on it more and more each year. FWIW we outt ours off at the weekend there but if weather turns rubbish again, it'll go back on, but it's only ever on for 90mins first thing and in the evening along with the hot water. The wood stove is ideal for the "shoulders" of the season as you can warm up the place fairly quickly in the evening and the room will still be warm the next morning, ideal for chilly nights but warmer days.
RetiredFromIT@reddit
I have a basic CH with a thermostat with a schedule. No TRVs.
I turned off my CH a week or so ago, I decided it was a minor mistake, so I turned it back on again. I've just turned it off again, yesterday.
First thing in the morning, it might still be a little cool (18°C), but I am generally active, doing chores. I know by the time I sit down for a cuppa and a late breakfast, the sun will have come round and heated up the place (10:30am, 21.5°C).
So why would I want to heat my house for a couple of hours when I don't really need it?
Yes, I could change the heating schedule, but I don't want to - it is easier to turn it off (i.e. manual control), once I feel the season has turned.
I don't care if it goes to 5°C outside at night. It will still be much warmer in my bedroom, and I'll be under a duvet.
And if it suddenly turns cold? Turning it back to Schedule takes less than a minute.
zippyzebra1@reddit
Somedo some don't
-myeyeshaveseenyou-@reddit
I’m Irish but have been here 10 years. My house heating just runs on a thermostat so heating comes on if it drops below 17.5 degrees. I used to have it at 19, but have some health conditions that are affected by heat so keep it cooler now
eilb3@reddit
I know a lot of people like this but I’ve never done this. If it’s cold the heating goes on for a bit. I don’t understand being cold and uncomfortable in your own home.
Far_Butterscotch_646@reddit
If your bedroom walls are damp you have bigger issues than an hours blast of the heating.
oli_ramsay@reddit
Put it on, no one cares
Xivii@reddit
Spending money = bad. I’m tougher than a bit of a cold snap, I can ride it out.
If you’re cold, or the house is damp, put it on.
I don’t get it either. If you’re choosing between heating and eating is one thing, but plenty of people that aren’t also have this mindset.
Worldly_Wafer_6635@reddit
I like that my standard monthly payment will balance perfectly out of the winter and summer months.
I will go to great lengths to ensure it happens.
PeterG92@reddit
I need to look at my plan and see if I can change to that
Worldly_Wafer_6635@reddit
Mine is £100 a month with Octopus (Dual fuel) , for a 2 up 2 down semi in the North west, 2 adult.
You could probably do it a little bit less, but we like that we build a huge amount of credit in the summer, and then we can be a bit more reckless with the heating in the winter.
toroferney@reddit
Oh ours is £149 for the winter four bed north west , edf put the payment up and down depending on season. Once we were hugely in credit and they gave it back to us.
toroferney@reddit
Ah yes, I was just thinking that, I checked ours this morning and once we pay this month we will be about £40 in credit which is pleasing coming out of the winter and into spring. We are lucky as we are very comfortably off but everyone has their thing I suppose.
Worldly_Wafer_6635@reddit
Nice, well done!
Yeah, we are very fortunate too, I have a south-facing conservatory, so that is effectively a heater for the rest of the house.
Make the conservatory utterly unusable, but at least it serves a purpose haha.
Secret-Collar-1941@reddit
An average bill at Nandos for us (family of three) equates to the difference between keeping the entire house at steady 20C for a month vs heating on a whim and having the house cold and damp most of the time.
Willeth@reddit
I think in this situation I would eat at home.
Practical_Scar4374@reddit
Yeah fuck Nando's
Waits-nervously@reddit
If it’s damp, you should put on the dehumidifier rather than the heating.
Inevitable-Debt4312@reddit
Our heating is never off. Thermostats exist to control.
Careless-Giraffe-623@reddit
My stat got turned to 16c a few weeks ago.. Which basically means the heating won't come on till autumn now unless there's a particularly cold day.
Moppo_@reddit
I have no idea, this is the first I've heard of it.
No_Ranger4956@reddit
Humidity also plays a part. 14c in Spring is more comfortable than 14c in winter
volvocowgirl77@reddit
It’s personal preference. I still have it on in the evening when watching tv. Even got back late last Saturday night put it on and lay under my heated blanket 😂
LJ161@reddit
Seems a waste when the house will heat up by itself with the curtains open in a few hours
Correct_Barnacle_312@reddit
Its a national competition. The objective is to have your heating off as early in the year as possible and have it back on as late in the year as possible.
Mines been off for about a month so far
Odd-Currency5195@reddit
Thermostat. My heating is 'on' all year. Radiators have thermstats on too for individual rooms. Main Thermostat is set to 21 I think. It comes on in the morning and evening if it's below that. If we get chilly during the day, we'll override it, which during winter is most days if we're home. We keep it in the hall so it's a kind of average or more likely to come on if a bit nippy. The rite of passage for us as we head into late summer/autumn is the cry of 'The heatings come on'. Then we know to start making the figgy pudding and thinking about killing the goose.
Vequihellin@reddit
I don't know where you get this impression. Many of us limit the heating use because it's expensive. I have the thermostat in our house set to 17°C all year round. If the house drops below 17, the heating comes on. It's not that deep. We don't have it higher for a variety of reasons. Partly because if it's warm and stuffy it makes us cough and partly because we're trying to be careful with how much we use when we don't need to because it's silly money.
We live in the south and the indoor temp hasn't dropped below 17 since last Wednesday. It dropped overnight and the heating was on for a total of 54m. It was on for 3m on Thursday at 7am for some weird reason. But otherwise it's been pretty much off since then with Hive reporting no usage simply because it's not been cold enough. It's not any deeper than that.
Brilliant_Sound_5565@reddit
I have my heating set to 21C all year round between 6am and 10pm, after 10pm it's setback to 9C, basically it doesn't come on in the night, none of my household like having the heating on at night anyway, so that's how my nest smart thermostat handles it. Sometimes if people think 21 is too warm I'll knock it back to 20.5C. it switches off automatically when we are all out. But this time of year my house isn't cold, in April all my heating has amounted to 16 hours of use so about 30 mins a day
doegrey@reddit
We’re happy to put it on for an hour if it needs topping up, but it’s harder to cool a hot house than it is to warm a cool one. Our houses are so well insulated they then need a few cooler days to cool a hot house down.
So you have that one cool day and put the heating on, then (since it’s summer) the temp goes straight back up again, uou’re stuck in a hot house that won’t cool down cause the temperature is high outside.
Honestly things like heated fleeces are your best friend at this time of year. If you’re cool, snuggle up to one of those, refrain from putting the heating on cause otherwise you’ll regret it tomorrow when it’s 18° outside.
Bingowing12@reddit
Attitudes in the UK are stuck in the 1980’s unfortunately. Back then you’d have a simple control system and constant pre-set heat input from the boiler and they used more gas than required. Many euro countries legislated for the mandatory use of weather compensation on all new boilers decades ago but we never did.
The average uk home only needs 8-10kW heat input but you’ll find most boilers oversized, sometimes comically oversized for what’s needed
Go to any new build site in the UK and you’ll often see 30kW combi boilers with nothing more than a room thermostat controlling it. With weather compensation added it could ramp down to a minimum of 3kW per hour in warmer weather instead of being stuck on 30kW per hour. This makes a huge difference in cost, noise levels, overall system efficiency and long term reliability. Most will just muddle along until they can afford to fit a heat pump because they don’t know any better.
Competitive_Pen7192@reddit
Got a modern combi system with Hive last year after years of using an ancient conventional boiler.
It's a revelation compared to the old system I had.
I simply tell it to hit 20c for a few hours a day and a minimum of 17c, means it doesn't come on at all when it's warmer outside and will top up if it dips a little like currently where the temperature is all over the place. All whilst being 50% more efficient than the last system which I used to micro manage and the wife never turned off...
Tonybham01@reddit
That’s a strange generalisation to assert.
First. With around 800 miles from north so south, the chances of weather being the same everywhere during Spring is almost non existent. Are you talking about in your street, area? If so , how did you conduct your survey which produced this finding?
lawlesslawboy@reddit
personally, I live alone so I now just use an electric blanket, no point heating an entire house when I can just heat myself... now if it was a family of 3-4 people, then maybe the heatingredients would be worth it but alone? nah, I'll just heat myself up
YogurtclosetThen7959@reddit
In fairness 14c isn't bad unless you're sitting around not moving
Obscure-Oracle@reddit
We just try to limit how often we run the heating for both global warming and cost reasons. Coldest days of winter we use about £3.50 per day to heat the house and hot water, from mid April the heating is completely off and won't come back on until late October. We only spend about 60p per day just to heat the water through the summer months. The planet and our finances are more important than being slightly inconvenienced by a lower house temperature in the mornings, we find we all sleep better and wake up easier with a colder temperature in the mornings anyway. Colder temperatures is something your body quickly adapts to anyway.
QuantitySharp2662@reddit
My mum can't stand the cold yet cuts about in shorts and no socks bitching about she's freezing...
My dad hates heat, and seeing as he pays the heating bills he'd prefer the shit stay off unless there's ice inside lol
I like being warm in a cold room... So I'd opt for clothes over heating.
wellhiddenmark@reddit
14C is perfectly acceptable. Net Zero, innit?
simplygen@reddit
I see you must be living with my parents. The answer is no temperature after April 1st will make them put the heating on. Extra clothes and a blanket over your legs are allowed, however, and you can comment that "it's nippy out, for April." You just have to suffer and pretend it makes you stronger somehow.
Jumpy_Chemistry_417@reddit
It's honestly wild how something as simple as bumping the thermostat for a quick hour feels like breaking a sacred covenant, but really, if you're cold and the walls are sweating, just flick the switch—nobody's coming to check your central heating licence.
nsfgod@reddit
For me. Environmental reasons, I want to use less fuel. I find the correct application is a jumper saves needles burning off gas/wood.
Also I have removed the secondary glazing for the season. So having the heating on now would for achieve nothing.
evenifihateit@reddit
Hammered into us from birth isn't it? If you put the heating on between April and October you are a terrible deviant!
South-Visual3803@reddit
I just put on a jumper, grab a blanket at mine because it’s an apartment so not as cold as my parents house.
My mum often sits with a coat on because my dads one of the no heating above 16 people 🫠
Mammoth-Turnip-3058@reddit
If it's cold it goes on, if it's warm it's off. We've got no rule to it.
However, years ago when I lived with my ex and his mum the heating was NEVER on!!! Even in the middle of winter, it was horrendous! You'd wake up in the morning and see your breath it was that cold inside. Coming from a family that always had a warm house in winter, I hated it. But heating is expensive and my ex's mum was a single parent. We helped when we could but that didn't go far. Now as a mum of two I want my babies to always be comfortable.
ICThat@reddit
Personally I just leave it enabled all year but with a thermostat (and time of day schedule).
manic47@reddit
Same here. It’s on all year except when we go away, even then we just switch on holiday mode.
theevildjinn@reddit
I switch mine off completely, in case a prospective burglar is clever enough to check the holiday timer and see we're away for another X days, so they've got plenty of time to clear the place out. But I'm probably overthinking it.
Steppy20@reddit
A burglar isn't going to do that. They'll smash a door/window, take about an arm's worth of valuables each wnd and leg it.
PsycommuSystem@reddit
I think you're overestimating the intelligence of someone involved in burglary
EUskeptik@reddit
+1 here. ✅
-oo-
SocialMThrow@reddit
If the walls are damp at 14 degrees there are other problems.
Goluckygardener@reddit
Actual quote from hubby last night: “The kids sleep better in a cold room anyways”
ThisIsMyRedditAcct20@reddit
I live in a new build. I literally never turn the heating year round, and come Summer, air con. Modern day dad from Friday Night Dinner? That’s me. Bloody Boiling
LostCtrl-Splatt@reddit
I usually grab a sweater. Every time my hand goes near the thermostat I hear my dad's voice just wear a sweater. He has been dead for 30 years...
legendoftherxnt@reddit
It is much less economical to heat a cold house than it is to just set the thermostat to 18C and leave it.
Familiar9709@reddit
Wrong. The colder the house on average the cheaper. Basic thermodynamics
Asleep_Conference_57@reddit
This is correct. I noticed a significant drop in my gas bill when I stopped heating all night and instead just had it off and reheated in the morning.
We got an even bigger drop by only heating rooms when they're actively being used and just leaving it off the rest of the time.
The only exception that breaks the thermodynamics is probably if you have a heat pump with off-peak rates.
Monkfish786@reddit
It’s on thermostat on a schedule, set to 20 degrees.
So it comes on certain times like 3am-6am , 4pm-8pm , 10pm-12 for example when the coldest temps are.
It’s not quite there yet to turn it off fully so it dosent come on , however winter cost went from £142 a month combined down to £112 already as we don’t need it much.
Once it’s fully off it will drop down to £80 ish a month combined for us which is mostly electric costs.
gracki1@reddit
I live on hmo and I'm tired of people cranking up the thermostat every morning. Wake up on puddle of sweat because someone changed temp to 25+ so the house heats up faster. I already sleep with open window and closed radiator
GrabbedByTheGhost@reddit
Cause it's expensive and just put a jumper on
IcyPuffin@reddit
I find it a bit daft as well. I know people who have set dates for the heating to go on or off. They are perfectly happy to sit in the cold even though it is the day before the heating is due to go on.
While i get that energy costs are expensive, sometimes you just have to put the heating on. Chances are there will be days in the spring when the heating could go off earlier than usual, so its swings and roundabouts in the grand scheme of things.
That said, central heating has not been a common thing in every house for all that long, really. I grew up with no central heating at all. Just one coal fire in the living room and space heaters in the other rooms. Even with that it could get cold - ive known ice on the inside of windows. Perhaps we are a bit hardy due to knowing times like this!
autobulb@reddit
I just really enjoy seeing my gas usage (and bill) go down dramatically as we don't need heating anymore. But we're not 'religious' about it like you said. If there's an especially cold night we'll put it on but it's still just a lot less usage than the colder months obviously.
Like most questions with weather and temp, it seems to depend on where you live and your living situation. Where we live the weather has been very nice for at least 2 weeks and the indoor temp never seems to go below 18 even though we've only turned it on maybe once in that period. Since our thermostat is usually set around 18 we haven't needed heating.
MrJones-@reddit
Heating costs a fortune, especially in winter months.
Folk by direct debit a set amount.
During winter account goes into minus and you owe money.
Continues through winter.
Late Spring / summer/ autumn comes heating is off.
You make same direct debit payment to power company.
You pay back the minus amounts then debt is wiped and clear.
Go on moneysupermarket.com find cheapest deal - rinse and repeat.
Morris_Alanisette@reddit
Energy is very expensive in the UK so people are more militant about saving it.
PsychologicalDish430@reddit
Wait till October? Is it worth putting on the heating for 1-2deg difference? I'd much rather windows open letting the house breathe after winter.
Asleep_Conference_57@reddit
Because there's other things I'd rather spend money on than heating, tbh. Dehumidifiers cost very little to run so we keep our house at 13-14C to allow them to do their job (compressors enter defrost mode below 13) and layer up. After a while you acclimate and imo being layered up is cosy.
I don't think I'm a cheapskate - we just spent the money we saved on heating this year on getting our chimney fixed, and I feel happier that is done than the slight inconvenience of putting a dressing gown on.
Objective_Mousse7216@reddit
Interesting my house is currently at 21 deg c inside, no heating has been on for many days and it definitely didn't drop anywhere near 17.5 deg c overnight inside as the heating is set to come on at that temp.
Spent the money on new super energy efficient window units and more loft insulation last year.
Afraid-Hurry4207@reddit
nice time of year where it doesnt cost a fortune to heat the house in the day but you can enjoy the fire in the evening to top up the house as the sun sets. I dont have full heating on but still have the fire going most nights at the moment. Also a good excuse to sit round the fire pit a bit later and the smoke keeps the bugs away.
Impossible_Deal_4086@reddit
Poverty mentality. And it's not everyone in the UK bust most.
Matt-J-McCormack@reddit
Today is when I learned we must let the radiator gods sleep so they may wake fully rested for their holy duty in late autumn.
minadequate@reddit
14C is the perfect sleeping temperature. I have a blanket on the sofa incase I get cold in the evening right now, but yes unless you’re wearing a jumper and socks already and are still cold, you’re not allowed to turn the heating on. If you’re desperate there is always a hot water bottle.
Burntbreadman84@reddit
This.....Im.thinking 14C isnt even cold but actually a confortably temp for me in general.
Asleep_Conference_57@reddit
Me too as it happens. Used to be 16C was my comfort level but since I've started taking amitriptyline for migraines that's dropped to 14C. I sleep so much better when it's cold.
It's fine in the house just use a dehumidifier set to 65% on very cold days (<5C) and 70% when it's >5c and mould becomes a non-issue really. It's also saved a small fortune in gas bills as we used to heat to 18C.
minadequate@reddit
Where I am if it hits highs of feels like 14C outside I’m celebrating it’s a warm day. Today because it’s really still we are hitting feels like 12C.
kushqt420@reddit
Can't afford to turn it on if we can avoid it, only have it on during the coldest of winter, that's the honest situation for me at least
Embarrassed_Park2212@reddit
There is no rule, do what you want. I have had the heating on for an hour or so many of these past mornings because it's been very cold. It only needed an hour then I'd switch it off. The only time I don't have the heating on is at night when I'm in bed, I can't sleep then because it's too hot.
Teaboy1@reddit
The thermostat is set at 18 all year around. I don't touch it other than to boost the heating when I feel chilly.
I go to work all week. I'll be damned if im going to sit at home cold.
r_keel_esq@reddit
My rationalefor not putting it on during a coldish moment in summer is that the house will rapidly get too hot. If the morning is cold and I bring the house up to temp, I'll cook to death when the sun comes out after lunch, heating the house further.
Jumper in the morning means I'm comfortable all day.
toroferney@reddit
Middle class “suffering” we like a bit of it I think us Brits, doesn’t do to be too comfortable. It’s why we “like” camping . I think some people feel guilt their lives are too easy so impose a bit of hardship.
Euphoric_Pain_965@reddit
I definitely do not turn the heating off, ever. I just set the thermostat lower in the spring and summer. But I’m originally from Canada so there’s absolutely no way I’m going to put up with being cold in my own house.
sheepandlambs@reddit
I had the window open overnight and I felt fine, so evidently it's not a hard and fast rule.
KoorbB@reddit
It’s not this deep. Most have a thermostat. If you don’t have a thermostat or you’re saving on the heating bill, you might choose a jumper over turning it on. It’s all individual choice not one hard and fast rule.
lovesorangesoda636@reddit
We don't really have a "heating on/off" rule. The thermostat is set and we just leave all decision making to it.
In the summer we do turn the upstairs radiators down as we get a lot of sun and those rooms get heated quickly.
nitnitnotnot@reddit
I will not put the heating on in April unless someone in the house is ill.
We're healthy. Just put a jumper on and a blanket around your legs.
I'm not lining the Government's and shareholder's pockets at this time.
parmesan-addict@reddit
not british either, my heating turns on whenever we get below 17 inside!
Suspicious-Brick@reddit
I've had the windows open since 6am and it's 18deg in here (droped from 21deg when I woke up) and is now actively warming (sun is up over trees at back and on house). In the winter we don't put heating on until it gets to 17deg so wouldn't consider it to be honest at the moment. We had it on a few times in early April when it was still below 17 when I got up.
I love this time of year when it is cool in the morning but it will be lovely and warm later. Means I can sleep well, ventilate the house with cool, fresh air and then be warmed up later.
BroodLord1962@reddit
Your post is nonsense. People turn their heating on and off as it suits them. And if you have damp walls at 14c, then that is a problem with your house
HanAVFC@reddit
My heating is set to come on certain times of the day (5am-9am, 1pm-4pm, 7pm-9pm) and it's on a thermostat so it won't come on unless the flat drops to a certain temp, normally in spring I just turn the thermostat up before I go to bed so it will turn on in the morning, then when I'm up and about I turn it back down again. :)
PuzzleheadedLow4687@reddit
Why don't you just leave the thermostat to do it's job?
HanAVFC@reddit
Haha oh when I turn it up I turn it to 25°-30° I HATE any coldness, for it's day time running it's 10°-15°.
Truth be told it's probably more a habit and a ADHD/autism thing like most things I do in life and there's no logical reason 🤣
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Yes I'm confused by the thermostat people, are they heating the house even when not home?
HanAVFC@reddit
I mean I'm at home ATM on Mat leave but when I'm at work set it to 15° so it will come on at 1pm and until 4pm so when we are back at 5:30pm your not walking into a cold home.
But I also read somewhere YEARS ago, probably on somewhere random, that your electric is more between 5pm and 7pm so I don't run any heating at that time. It's almost certainly not true but I've commited it as a fact now 🤣
However if it's going to be a hot day I will turn it down to 10° knowing it will never kick in because the flat will not drop to that temp but in the very unlikely situation where we get a sudden fast freeze it would do enough 🤷🏽♀️🤣🤦🏽♀️
Again 0 logic haha 🤣
Dennyisthepisslord@reddit
My house is warm enough without needing heating on when it's got up to 20 degrees in the day
BiteSnap@reddit
Yorkshire here. Switched the radiators off last week. Not off on until end of September
twattyprincess@reddit
Simple rule in our house: cold? Put heating on. Not cold? Don't. Obviously consider clothing too!
Automatic-Grand6048@reddit
When I lived in Italy they had rules for heating which was you aren't allowed to put it on until 15th October. Being from the UK I found this strange as I've always just had a thermostat and the heating would come on automatically anytime it dropped.
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Even if you're out all day?
KingKhram@reddit
No idea where you got this idea from. I didn't need the heating on yesterday, because the home was warm enough. Do what you want, if you pay the bills, no one cares
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
I suspect OP shares the bills.
Whole_Necessary2040@reddit
I put it to 22degrees, but Im from Europe and can now afford it. And baby
mightyfishfingers@reddit
The thermostat makes the decision, not me. If the temperature drops below 20c during waking hours then the heat comes on. A lot has to do with how well the house is insulated - now the days are warmer, even if the nights drop down low, my house doesn’t really lose the heat very much overnight.
Roundkittykat@reddit
I think people have different temperature needs. I want to sleep in a cool room and 14 sounds good. My thermostat is set to 19 for the daytime because that's the temperature I feel most comfortable at - but I have a friend who likes her home heated to 25 and is in a constant thermostat battle with her non-reptile housemates.
Senhora-da-Hora@reddit
Definitely an older boomer thing. Once spring has hit, the heating stays off. I get what all the youngsters here are saying, with their newfangled 'thermostat' magic, but there has to be something said for knowing that once the clocks change, you know you're not going to be spending a single cent on heating until they change back again😁
RRW2020@reddit
Because British people love being miserable.
RRW2020@reddit
I’m originally American and also think this is bizarre. Like. If you’re cold, put the heating on. Why is this a thing?? ‘But it’s already April, the heating went off in March.’ Yes, but if it’s 5, you can just push a button to get it back on. 🙄
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Because it costs money.
badger906@reddit
Don’t need to. It was 20c in my lounge when I went to bed. It was 18.5c when I woke up without heating!
MickyLuv_@reddit
I think the rule is, if you can afford it and you want it, go for it. An increasing number of people can't.
Blind_Warthog@reddit
“Why do sweeping generalisations exist?” Who knows. The thermostat dictates if the heating comes on. If it’s cold enough my house will get heated.
LongjumpingMacaron11@reddit
I don't care what time of year it is. If it's not warm in the house, the heating is on.
Once it gets warm enough in the Kate spring/summer, it just means that the heating never really clicks on due to the thermostat.
Yesterday was the first year today that I didn't turn it on to manual after the timer cut off into he morning. I am not at all interested in the whole "It's spring, get the heating off" thing.
And I will gladly turn it on and crank it up if it gets chilly. I have no interest in the whole competition of how long into the autumn you can last. It's usually cranked up and on in September, as the temperature drops way down in Scotland.
h4baine@reddit
The date is pretty arbitrary but then I'm from a place where it can be 23 one day and snow the next. Why does there need to be a line in the sand? Just opt out of the struggle Olympics and do what's comfortable for you.
Upstairs-Hedgehog575@reddit
To be fair, paying for it is a lot of effort.
Serious_Escape_5438@reddit
Not sure how so many comments are ignoring this. Energy is expensive, many people can't afford to heat their home, or would prefer to spend on other things.
Jerico_Hill@reddit
My thermostat is set to a minimum 16.5c during the evening and 18c during the day. If I'm cold, it gets whacked on. If it needs to be on all day and it's bloody August, then that's what I'll do.
I spent my childhood in a freezing cold council house with 2 gas fires for heating. I will not be cold now I'm an adult who can afford to put the heating on.
LtHughMann@reddit
I'm from Australia, I leave the heating on all year here.
ramapyjamadingdong@reddit
If I feel cold, I put it on. It could be December, May or August. I put it on for an hour last night, there was no ceremony. Just a small button pressed on the thermostat. You don't need permission or a cultural understanding, if you are cold and want heat, use heat.
qbnaith@reddit
I think this is a you problem
Tinuviel52@reddit
I’m not from the UK but lived here 7 years. I don’t give a fuck, if I’m cold I turn the heating on. I refuse to be cold in my own house.
blacksmithMael@reddit
Not a clue old chap. I set the thermostats when we had the heating installed and haven’t touched them since. The house is comfortable and we light fires when we want the atmosphere, and for it to be very cosy.
Frequent-Cobbler4232@reddit
No rule, houses are different, was 20c inside this morning. If it was 14c it’d be on to 18.5 or so then switch off
Dark_Akarin@reddit
I never turn mine off, it’s thermostatically controlled but set quite low.
TripleMellowed@reddit
I’m more surprised so many people don’t have thermostats so this wouldn’t even be thing?
Etheria_system@reddit
In my house if it’s cold the heating is on. I’m not going to sit and suffer because of some weird British stuff upper lip mentality. I’m also disabled so being cold makes my pain a thousand times worse.
Intelligent-Ear-6292@reddit
I don't know many people that do this up north - it's cold here! Maybe some people trying to save money? We like our house at 18. The sensor is set to turn the heating on to top up any time it drops below that. When we are away we even keep it at 16 so that we do not freeze our balls off when we step through the door. All of this to say...you do you. If you feel the cold like I do, crank it on whenever you need.
sihasihasi@reddit
It's not, it's performative bollocks. Most of us just set the thermostat and forget.
Top-Cat-a@reddit
I keep my thermostats down to 14C but the thermostats are downstairs so upstairs is nearer 22C at that point.
I'm on an oil fired system and prices for heating oil have tripled so I'm using the backup storage heaters a little as well
Chicken_shish@reddit
So what if the temperature dropped to 5C? I was under a duvet with the window open, sound asleep. I don't want the heating coming on and trying to warm up outside.
Basically the heating goes off when the thermal inertia of the house carries you though the cooler bits.
If you want the "defining moment". it's the first day we have the doors at the back of the house all open for the day. Once we've done that, heating is off until about October.
CrazyMike419@reddit
K know people talk abou5 when they lut the hesting on in winter. In a, its finally "that cold" way. Ive never heard anyone bring reluctant to put the heating on spring.
The vast vassssttttt majority of people leave it to the thermostat
Appropriate_Bell743@reddit
This culture stems from a wider societal sense that one is wasting a fossil fuel. Similar mentalities are held for minor acts of driving like driving to a shop 200m away. In the grand scheme of things it makes not much difference but it's a ritual. This sense only grew due to the recent constraints on gas supplies.
What's fascinating is that this UK style frugality dissappears rapidly with innovation. Heat pumps are dirt cheap to run in spring or autumn. There's no financial difference if heating is off or on. There is very little environmental consequences as these seasons have wind curtailment.
As a result I've seen households slowly adapting away from this weird cultural mentality once they've moved away from gas
smokingbeagle@reddit
Rule? Everyone I know puts the heating on if it's needed. It's not that complicated.
onceuponawebsite@reddit
OP I’ve been pondering this too. I could be completely wrong but part of me wonders if it’s to do with preparing for the summer temperatures?
If we are a little cold in spring, then summer will feel very hot and comfortable and special.
Also I live in a stone building, it’s important to help the house stay cool at this time of year so that the stone stays cools through the summer months, we are sparing with our heating (it hasn’t been on for a month) but we do have a little fire we blast on for an hour in the evening if it gets really cold we still have a hot water bottle in bed.
TL;DR a cold house in spring makes for a happier summer.
bopeepsheep@reddit
Yeah - I have found that it can be noticeably cooler in my (Victorian) house than it is outside, during the summer months, so I've no need of a fan and can sleep easily. In the v hot temps in 2022 that was very welcome. Having it drop to 12C for an hour or two overnight in colder weather is perfectly ok as a side-effect. But then I find 18C fine as 'room temp', no need to be warmer.
(I also lived for a winter in a flat that had no loft insulation and sometimes dropped to 5C or lower in the living room - until we discovered the missing insulation and got some installed. I don't find 12C uncomfortable as a result.)
shevbo@reddit
Last person in the UK to turn the eating on, wins a big bag of teabags.
Markies_Myth@reddit
The rule is more whomever pays the bill gets to just stick it on for, you know, just an hour. And if you have a good tariff. When I lived in shared rented housing, I had to put on a jumper too. But then it turned out our Dutch flatmate who worked different hours actually put the heating on whenever we were all out at work and just slept. No wonder the bills were high! Pre pandemic so different times but still. Shared heating is a stress point lol.
Probably the people you live with, mate. It isn't a British wide thing or any "rule" at all. It's mostly about cost too.
BlondBitch91@reddit
The cost of actually heating.
In the words of a posh person I know who also avoids it due to the sheer cost, "That's why God invented jumpers".
If you're still cold with a jumper on, then turn the heating on.
CriticalCentimeter@reddit
As with many, I set my thermostat to where I want it and let it do the work.
My house is never below 16C
Informal-Intern-8672@reddit
I put the heating on all year round, even in August when I'm cold. There's no way I'm sitting around uncomfortable in my own home. I think it's just a money saving thing for most people but it's worth paying for imo and how much are you really saving?
carboncopy404@reddit
I’ve been doing this if it’s a bit chilly in the morning or evening. I guess when it’s finally warm enough in the year to switch the heating off for a few months is something Brits look forward to.
Ok_Taro7430@reddit
I think it is less "religion" and more "I need to be able to eat". Energy bills are expensive. I am lucky enough that my house doesn't drop below 18c unless we are in minus figures outside so it just makes sense to shove a dressing gown or cardigan on this time of year and save some pennies.
KatVanWall@reddit
Mine doesn’t have a thermostat but honestly it genuinely doesn’t feel that cold to me indoors at the moment.
Also 14 at night seems fine to me, I like it à bit on the colder side.
EyeAware3519@reddit
Sounds like you need better insulation if your house is losing heat that quickly. My house hasn't dropped below 22 all night.
Infections95@reddit
You slept well with your house at 22 last night 🤢
EyeAware3519@reddit
Definitely a 'feet out of the duvet' night
Aromatic_Pea_4249@reddit
My house doesn't reach 22 at the best of times! 🤣
Heating and insulation is to be revamped this year though.
Weetabix1232001@reddit
If your cold, turn the heating on, it's not a hard concept
Top_Horror4613@reddit
It’s not
BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit
You pretty much answer your own question with the “put a jumper on” scenario… it’s just one of those little cultural quirks…
We’re used to generally “breezy weather” and so we begrudge putting the heating on unless it’s “properly cold”…
Also, focusing on middle classes brings no specific difference to the table here at all, it’s just a general tendency across all class groups to put off using the heating for as long as possible… The upper classes are equally as tight about the heating and the working classes are no different, either…
Similarly, in the reverse, we have a tendency to go in to “Summer mode” in the early Spring or whenever the weather is basically reasonably sunny and the temperature hits double figures… Because we generally have a climate to wrap up for we grab it while we can…
This probably can be a bit strange to visitors and newcomers but it is what it is, if you want to put your heating on then go ahead, it’s your account…
rye-ten@reddit
Im not sure it is to be honest. I use the heating when it's needed, regardless of the time of year. Took about 45 mins this morning to get up to room temp
PutAutomatic2581@reddit
Fuck that as a religion. I'm praying for air conditioning coming to the country.
sheffielder87@reddit
My heating goes on whenever it's needed. There's better ways to save money than being cold. And I goddam hate the cold 😂
Bowtie327@reddit
A lot of people dont really understand their heating systems
Personally, each of my radiators is individually controlled, so if 1 room gets cold, the valve opens, and then tells the thermostat to turn the boiler on, whilst every other room is closed
So once it gets to ~18° my heating turns itself off and only turns on, like you say, for an hour or two at night
ExperienceNo2543@reddit
My (rented) house doesn't get mouldy but in winter the heating is full blast (old electric heaters) and it's still only 16⁰. By the time spring comes, my wallet has been emptied and it makes more sense to just shove a jumper on over putting the heating on. When you know your year-round savings will go on heating, you're a little more cautious about when you stick it on.
cthreepu@reddit
I turned mine off around the 10th of March. Why? Not because I'm double 'ard, because I didn't feel the need for it.
I'm in the south of England though, anyone in cooler climes than mine I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised that they had the heating on till later in the year. That said, I literally spent the weekend in shorts and T-shirt, so if I heard someone in the local area had their heating on at the moment I'd be mildly baffled.
infieldcookie@reddit
Yeah I’ve genuinely not needed it on for the same length of time. It’s not been cold enough at all to warrant it - and I have really crappy electric storage heaters so I’m definitely not putting them on if I’m not feeling cold!
PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit
I'm a bit of a middle grounder here.
Thermostats are a fair solution but many houses only have one of them still, so if you leave your radiators on the same settings at all times then you're likely heating up rooms you're not using.
I have no qualms putting the heating on, but I heat the rooms we're actually using rather than the whole house.
And actually before heating a room I'll heat a person. If I'm sat watching TV and I'm a little cool, I'll grab a blanket or put some thicker socks on (I'm not a slippers kinda guy).
But if I'm actually cold, heating goes on, no issues with that and I wouldn't sit in my house feeling cold just to save a couple of quid a week on the heating
Melancholybumny@reddit
I have a thermostat in every room with a sensor built in that’s moveable. I have north and east facing windows and those rooms get really hot at certain times of day. Because the thermostats are moveable I’ve placed the thermostat in the hot areas and my bills have reduced so much, I also don’t have boiling rooms where I’m getting full sun but the heating is on.
The only downside is you have to programme each one individually and they don’t auto update when the clocks change.
ElephantsBad@reddit
Let other people be cold. We leave ours set so if it's cold it turns on - like it's supposed to?
Zikofski@reddit
I have a heat pump and it’s still enabled, however I have set it so it only comes on when the temp outside is below 10c basically only comes on at night to help keep the house comfortable. House sits around 19-24 depending on sun exposure during the day.
Spock_42@reddit
Last year I was very much keeping the heating off as much as possible, only heating mornings and evenings etc.
After 12 months of that setup, I changed to just have the thermostat aim for 19 during the day at 17 at night, as needed.
So far, genuinely very little difference in usage for the same months last year. A tiny a bit more, but it amounts to less than a tenner a month, which feels fair for a consistently comfortable home.
Historical_Project86@reddit
I always top it up in the mornng and that usually lasts until we go to bed. I base it on temperature, not time of year.
TheBeagleScout@reddit
When you have no gas mains and rely on heating oil (the price of which has gone through the roof thanks to the orange shit eating gibbon in charge of the us), then you get it switched off sharpish. Ours has been off since March. It helps we have a log burner as well which heats the house, though when you live in the north of Scotland you don't notice the cold tbf and that's not been on since end of March.
Goldf_sh4@reddit
It's too expensive. My house is akin to the average English house and my gas and electricity bill jumped from £850/year in 2020 to £3300 by the end of 2021 and it still costs that now. The cold is easier to bear in spring and autumn and sacrifices have to be made somewhere. In the evenings and mornings we tend to have dressing gowns, slippers, jumpers or blankets on. If I use any heating in April or May I'm definitely losing the game. My house doesn't have a fireplace so I can't burn firewood for warmth.
InsaneInTheRAMdrain@reddit
Religion? Not my religion, if in door temp goes below 17 it turns on, when it gets around 22 it turns off.
I prefer it a bit colder in my house, above 22 sucks tho.
FletchLives99@reddit
"Just put a jumper on doesn't cover it when the bedroom in 14C..."
Ofc not! If the bedroom is 14C you open the windows!
Srsly, I think it depends on what you're used to. I'm a freezing house persom - the hearing has been off for well over a month, because that's how we like it.
KitFan2020@reddit
Thermostat is used. If it gets really cold, the heating comes on for a while no matter what time of year.
Cultural_Tank_6947@reddit
I do think it's very much a generational thing, and also a function of people having some very old but very functioning heating systems. So turning it off was kinda a design, not a choice. Plus British people used to have this weird desire to prove they're poor.
With modern boilers, heat pumps and indeed thermostats, the best way to use them is to set and forget. I suspect in a few years people will switch to the new way.
notemark@reddit
If it gets cold the heating comes on I don't care what month it is!
Typically the heating still comes on for the odd hour or so in April as it's set to 18°C \~30 minutes before we wake up (normally set to 10°C overnight).
18°C is the normal automatic temp on set times but if we're home all day we'll kick it up to 21°C when it's cold, especially in winter.
Rogue44678@reddit
Because it's fucking expensive to heat a home...
Ultimate_os@reddit
It’s British bonkerness again.
ActualBrickCastle@reddit
We've had a nighttime frost the last 3 nights here in Scotland, and gorgeous 20 degree weather all day. Heating has been on for an hour before bedtime, and my neighbours have been the same (I hear the chorus of evening oil-fired heaters). I think the post-war generation are the ones determined not to use their heating once spring arrives, and just a few of the people that came after still believe it's 'the way', but mostly think it's crazy and warmth is a good thing.
Imaginary_Finger7844@reddit
It's because some act as if the Germans are still flying overhead.
A remnant of British war austerity. There is pride in putting a jumper on and being willfully cold.
Not for me. Below 18 the heating comes on.
Paladin2019@reddit
I've got a digital thermostat set for particular temperatures at particular times and that doesn't change through the year. It's on when it's needed and off when it isn't. I don't think I'm an outlier.
dead_jester@reddit
Don’t know what you’re talking about. I have thermostat that trips on if it drops below 21 in the house. House is pretty well insulated so doesn’t cost much. Don’t have damp walls. Sound like your friends might be very poor (can’t afford heating) or stupid (damp walls is bad for the house) or both.
ordinarybloke1963@reddit
snapshot of my youth ; about me mid October…..”dad can I put the heating on please?” “well you can son but it’ll be part of your Christmas present “
The_39th_Step@reddit
People are denying this is a thing, but there’s definitely a vein of this mindset in the UK. I don’t know why, it baffles me too
FinnemoreFan@reddit
Put another jumper on!
Former_Elk_7690@reddit
Do people not have smart trvs and a thermostat lol
Over-Language2599@reddit
Modem heating systems are just on. They are thermostatically controlled.
50+ years ago it was the norm in public buildings to turn it off on 1st May.
But not in April, no.
AndrewHinds67@reddit
Same as on the railway. It's a stupid rule. You get cold days in April and May so the heating should be turned on and off as required.
DingoBingoWimbo@reddit
I managed the whole winter without heating
hopefullyhelpfulplz@reddit
I wouldn't ever have the heating on over night. What matters some chilly air when I rest cosy in my duvet?
But I have had it on frequently throughout spring. I work from home and I ain't sitting here shivering all day TYVM.
AnAncientOne@reddit
No-one know's it's just a thing. Best thing to do is what works for you and then just play along. Personally I tend to leave mine on from October to May.
planetf1a@reddit
I don’t understand the whole off on thing anyway. Just set a thermostat as another poster mentioned. In my case I have underfloor heating downstairs which is brilliant. Gradual and steady
suspiciouslights@reddit
Training our children to survive the winter
AndrewHinds67@reddit
It isn't. Stop talking nonsense. I put the heating on if I feel cold.
TyBattleCat@reddit
We had the date rule growing up (when we finally had central heating), it wasn’t allowed on until October.
My mum is in charge of heating their house and she’s very strict. She also doesn’t feel the cold unlike me and my dad.
I use the thermostat to manage our heating, I did keep more of an eye on things when I was younger, but we’re a chronically ill household and being too cold is not good.
Purp1eMagpie@reddit
Eh? My house has a thermostat so if it doesn't come in if it doesn't get cold enough. Chilly outside overnight but house never got below 19.
ElectronicBruce@reddit
It’s not. Get better friends.
Dedward5@reddit
“Nobody seems to consider just topping it off”
They do, every house I have ever lived in has at least two timed programs (even the old electro/mechanical timers) and people do exactly this. Morning and afternoon programme.
Plus thermostats are used a lot too.
Smudger105e@reddit
My wife insists on turning the heating off kn the boiler as "it's warm enough without". My argument is that that's what the thermostat is for...
Greedy-Nature-826@reddit
The thermostat will often call for heat in the morning leading to the house being unbearable in the afternoon when it's had solar gains.
Bubble2905@reddit
Ha there most definitely is a rule - the exact date you can’t turn your heating back on lies somewhere between when the clocks go forward and seeing consistent sunshine for 2-3 days in a row. Also, once you have a good washing day, you can’t turn it back on. This goes for DAYTIME. During the night, if it’s still chilly we still have it on low until it’s warmer.
FearlessLime8089@reddit
In spring I leave mine set at 14 until 8pm when it goes to 18 until 11. Reason being it’s always colder in my house than out so I try to stay outside as much as I can when it’s nice and leave the windows open. I’m not going to burn fossil fuels to heat the outdoors.
Pixiebel81@reddit
My heating is oil fired which doesn't give hot water on demand, you have to have the heating on if you want hot water. This doesn't necessarily line up with chilly times so I'd have to be running back and forward to the boiler in the garage to switch it from hot water only to hot water and heating
BG3restart@reddit
My thermostat is set for the heating to come on if it drops below 15, so mine would have been on in your scenario, although it didn't get that cold in my house. The beauty of modern central heating is that we get to choose when we heat our houses. I'm a devout atheist so no religion involved.
AnyOlUsername@reddit
I sleep with the window open. Duvet is thick enough if it gets too cold.
Otherwise, I’m quite comfortable in 14c upwards. I generally wear appropriate clothing to compensate if I need it.
The windows are open, no point putting the heaters on since I’m not heating the street.
Nibbles1348@reddit
I guess our house doesn't cool down that quickly for it to be needed. But if its cold I will put it on for a bit.
Herby-flower@reddit
We are a thrifty, hardy race and putting on a jumper whilst wearing shorts saves money
Future-Exercise-7433@reddit
Jumper and shorts is so accurate
BuncleCar@reddit
Probably something to do with not feeling you’re wasting money?
IansGotNothingLeft@reddit
This sub is not the entirety of the UK. We do make jokes about having the heating on, but in general we don't care as much as you think we do.
Also, if your walls are damp, you definitely need the heating on.
Extra-Sound-1714@reddit
I have the heating on. My partner complains. If it's cold, you need the heating on.
Future-Exercise-7433@reddit
I married an American and we put the heating on when we're cold now, just any time. Like absolute barbarians. But it took me a while to stop feeling twitchy about it.
OK_Cake05@reddit
British people love suffering; it’s seen as badge of honour to suffer.
gaspoweredcat@reddit
beats me, all inclusive energy has wrecked my restraint, i just run the heat or air con whenever, summer, winter its all the same for me!
Eskoala@reddit
I have received the wisdom that it doesn't go on after February but now I have my own house I do what the fuck I want, which is to leave it on 18 all the time.
RedFox3001@reddit
My heating works by getting real time temperature readings from inside and outside. The desired temperature is set for certain times of the day. If it’s cold the heating ramps up. If it only needs a small amount of heat the boiler delivers it. So it pretty much gently ramps down during the spring. But my house stays the same temperature. A lot of us can do this but it depends on the boiler and controls
Rumhampolicy@reddit
It isn't. Most people have a thermostat.
I'm not sure where you were in the u.k last night. But I needed some of that cool air. My room was so stuffy 😔
AnyOlUsername@reddit
Who is ‘most’ people? For some of us it’s just ‘on’ or ‘off’
Justboy__@reddit
Just stick it on if you’re cold.
CraftyPancake@reddit
Recently it’s been because Covid increased the prices of fuel, this year it’s another war. So no need to have it on when it’s pretty warm
PaulaDeen21@reddit
It’s not. There is no rule to figure out.
Just be comfortable.
TedBurns-3@reddit
You're stereotyping the UK with random accusations that we all follow this rule.
Some do, some don't, as with pretty much anything
Randa08@reddit
Money. It hits mid April heating goes off. Comes back on end of October.
Zealousideal-Sail893@reddit
I had a shower this morning with no heating turned on and survived to tell the tale. . I think we're just built stronger...
stellarplanetary@reddit
No way I'm turning the heating on now. If I'm cold I'll shut the window which has been open for the last few weeks straight.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
Issue I have is any top up hour means as soon as the sun hits the side of the house it will be absolutely baking, it has done it a couple of times on the thermostat overnight so just turned it off now. Seems silly to pay to warm up the place then open a window shortly after.
a_sword_and_an_oath@reddit
Its bonkers. Im born and bred english and I still don't get it. I top up the heating but my wife thinks im insane
fernofry@reddit
You've got bigger problems if your walls are damp. You should be cracking the windows open, not putting the heating on. (Or get a dehumidifier)
If I'm working from home and it's cold I'll put the heating on at a set temp. I won't do if I'm going out first thing
pm_me_your_amphibian@reddit
There isn’t a rule, and if anyone follows a rule like that in this country when the weather can swing so wildly, they’re either an idiot or stubborn.
If it’s cold, put the heating on. That’s what it’s for.
talligan@reddit
Because being a bit miserable is a religion in the UK
Long_Huckleberry1751@reddit
Because the controller is at the back of a cupboard and I emptied it last week to turn jt off and I can't be arsed to do it again. Also, at my age I need a torch and my glasses to see which button to press and it's just easier to suffer being a bit cold.
Warm-Marsupial8912@reddit
Only had the heating on for about 4 hours this winter. It's a well-insulated house though, and I've got a sweater on but I'm not cold this morning so no need.
LaurenNotABot@reddit
Our heating is still set to come on in the morning if it drops below 18 but I also boost it for an hour as and when we need it .
Main_Protection8161@reddit
The simple answer is that it is not.
CaptainRAVE2@reddit
Doing everything I can to warm up the house in the sun. Managed to get it to 22C yesterday and it only fell to 19C. Result.
theorem_llama@reddit
Seems a bit of a waste of energy if I'm in bed and won't even notice, and it'll warm up again in the morning anyway. Just have it on if you feel cold or you're worried it's so cold you might get damp.
OkScholar5964@reddit
It's the first tenet of the heating religion, 1. Thou will not put the heating on between March > October (2nd tenet is always refer to the first tenet)
perishingtardis@reddit
December, January, February, March: 2 hours in morning, 2 hours in evening
April, May, October, November: 1 hour in morning, 1 hour in evening
June, July, August, September: off
Those are my rough guidelines
Screaming_lambs@reddit
It was 11c here last night but our heating switches off before 10pm
Apprehensive_Oil_808@reddit
If my kids are cold I put the heating on. That's pretty much the only rule I live by. Can't really afford to, but would rather get into debt then have them being cold.
WoodenAd5441@reddit
Because we pay the highest energy bills in the world
Ok_Light_7227@reddit
We don't. Our domestic energy bills are average for Europe. A bit higher than France, a bit lower than Germany.
Ok_Young1709@reddit
My heating comes on for an hour and a half in the morning every morning. It will until the temperature in the house stays mostly high by itself all the time. I never have it set for a certain temp all the time, I don't find this saves money at all.
SpudFire@reddit
Looking at my Hive app, my house hasn't dropped below 16.5C in the past week and the heating hasn't come on at all. And my house was built in 1900 so has shite insulation
heliskinki@reddit
Utterly pointless putting the heating on for an hour.
HeartyBeast@reddit
Apart from - you know, the fact it warns up the living room.
spaceshipcommander@reddit
Based on what? Having the heating on for an hour keeps my house warm all day.
Current_Thing2244@reddit
Why are you in everyone's house spying on their boiler use? And how did you miss mine which has the heating on right now?
IamlostlikeZoroIs@reddit
I leave mine on all year round and when it gets colder than whatever I set the temperature to, it comes on. I’m not sure how old boilers work but new ones like mine that are air source needs to be left on and never turned off.
mrfatchance@reddit
Because my energy bill is 30% less this month
mootymoots@reddit
There is no rule. Just do what you want.
m1k307@reddit
set it to 18⁰c and forget about it, by season the gas costs us around; £50 pm in autumn, £60 pm in winter, £35 in spring and under £20 in the summer.
this will vary depending on the size and age of your house. treating your house as a thermal battery vs heating from cold every time is always cheaper.
Mammoth-Passion-413@reddit
There is no rule. you want or need the heating on - you do it.
WindowOk9406@reddit
This used to be a thing for my parents (I'm in my 40's) but if the temperature drops before a certain point the heating comes on, no discussion or daft comments about jumpers needed.
I think it comes from a mixture of an old fashioned perspective of not being weedy and being used to it, and the current horrendous cost of energy.
SelfSufficientHub@reddit
It’s not
Do what you want with your life
heyitsed2@reddit
It's shorts and t-shirt weather what are you on about putting the heating on that's madness.
terryturbojr@reddit
Thermostat at 16c overnight and 21c during the day
So it comes on if ever it drops below that
Legitimate_War_397@reddit
Turned mine off last week by the time the temp drops I’m asleep in bed and warm, when I wake up at 6:30 because the sun has already been hitting all the windows even if it’s cold out my house is already warm from the sun.
brightonbloke@reddit
The religion is being able to SAY you have turned the heating off, in same vague attempt to seem hard, not in actually doing it. Anyone with any sense just has their heating set up properly and doesn't care what date it stops kicking in.
CuratorOfNoise@reddit
We had the heating on for about an hour / hour and a half last night just to take the edge off. Although realistically, especially with this weather we’re having at the moment, just sticking a jumper on will do the trick.
BreqsCousin@reddit
Never cast a clout til May is out
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