Turning on the heat

I think the psychological effects of being cold and/ or feeling cold are a bit grim.

petra

Our heating is never turned off
It is set at 21 so even if the temperature drops below that in July it would come on.

Same here. However, we do have individual programmable thermostats in each room, so we don't heat any space unnecessarily.

You don’t other people to tell you if you are cold. Turn the heating on if you feel cold!

pen50

petra

Our heating is never turned off
It is set at 21 so even if the temperature drops below that in July it would come on.

Same here. However, we do have individual programmable thermostats in each room, so we don't heat any space unnecessarily.

Yes mine is the same, set at 21 and is never off, with different thermostats.

Cambsnan

You don’t other people to tell you if you are cold. Turn the heating on if you feel cold!

You can feel cold but may not realise if hypothermia is setting in because it can cause drowsiness and confusion.

If people are scared to turn on the heat and are unable to move around much it can be dangerous, especially if they live alone.

Surely all but a very few people can keep one room in their house fully warm. Many older less modernised houses still have gas fires. I have a friend who uses that to warm her living room, and keeps the heating very low. The main thing is not then to over draft proof the room. If the fire isn't burning well, open the door. An oil filled radiator will keep a room warm and not be expensive to run. Only a very few people cannot afford to keep even one room warm.

There are schemes to help people with inefficient heating houses, not all of which are income related.

Helpful advice here www.ageuk.org.uk/our-impact/programmes/safe-and-warm

Just an aside - I've noticed rooms in different houses with the same themo setting feel different? Do thermostats all read exactly the same. Sancimonious friend has hers set at 18 and it is comfy - ours is 21 and feels the same...?

Hot water bottle and sheepskin slippers up to now. No heating yet, always have heating at 16 degrees unless it is very cold.

Yes. Life is too short to be cold. We have had to forfeit holidays though and might have to sell the car.

We have thermostats on all the radiators.

Also in “the north” and we’re late 60’s early 70’s in age. It’s currently 5 degrees outside, thermostat says 15.7 degrees inside. I’m wearing a warm jumper and thermal vest 🤣 heating is not on yet, but I do have a fleecy blanket and am considering a hot water bottle tonight!

@petra
Mine is never turned off either. I hate being cold.

Disabled household on Central Scotland heating went on for first time last Monday was scraping. Ice off car byWednesday Thermostat trips heating on if temp is less than 16 during day and20 in evening Fortunately have very efficoent jeating and excellent insulation

Ice on my shed roof yesterday morning. Woodburner lit for the first time last night.
I’ve just put the gas fire on as it’s too cold to sit without heating

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Have heating on as little as possible, not just because of cost but also health. It's good for you to be a bit cold - it helps to burn calories and gives the body some of the right kinds of 'stress'. And another layer of clothing works wonders. However, if we were ill then the heating would go on, and each and every pensioner should be able to afford a healthy level of warmth

undies- being cold is not good for those of us with heart issues, reynauds disease, rheumatoid arthritis and more. Your advice is fine for you but not for many of us

Being cold puts your heart and lungs under stress, it makes those organs work harder. Certainly not a good idea if you have respiratory or cardiac issues.

Oh well, at least if the cold kills me, it'll be warmer 'down under'

No, I don’t think it is good for you ‘to be a little bit cold’ on the whole. It might burn calories, but older folks are more susceptible to cold related illness if they do not keep warm, particularly if they already have underlying health issues - high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis, high cholesterol, other heart conditions, copd, cancer, mobility issues, et, etc. Young children, too, are vulnerable if continually cold. If you are physically fit, relatively young and in good health, then being ‘a little bit cold’ now and then is probably ok, but we’re talking here about people not heating their homes sufficiently for lengthy periods of time ( usually due to affordability) and that is certainly not good, and means they are not just ‘a little bit cold’ but chilled for unhealthy periods of time which leads to all sorts of life threatening conditions, including hypothermia and potentially death.

18 is freezing no point in it being on.....mine is at 22 but only on for 1hr in mng and evening to take chill off..then it's my wee halogen in the living room

On for two sessions a day at 18°. Switched it all on a week ago as just too cold, especially in the morning, bathroom needs a bit of warmth for me also for drying towels off. Have loads of throws and cosy coverups but these are for later, hopefully.

We've had ours on a couple of times now. We put it on at 16c and turn it off after it reaches 20c usually within 30 to 45 minutes. We no longer user the timer to turn it on and off and that has resulted in the biggest saving on our energy bill

I don’t bother with the timer. Don’t know how to work it anyway.

If it’s cold, I switch it on. Then turn it down when everywhere has heated up sufficiently.

I’m definitely not scrimping on it,
Especially as I had a very large and well deserved refund from my energy company.
They had been overcharging me for at least a year.
Now I can switch heating on without having to worry about it.

Our conservatory is lovely and warm on a sunny autumn or even winter's day but unfortunately we don't seem to get many of those at the moment. It's cloudy, windy and 14C outside.

I've just come in here as it's light and bright to do craft and it's 20C in here, just on the cool side of comfortable. To heat or just bundle up in a cardigan on top of a thin jumper?