What temparature is your house?

suep1953

www.gov.uk/guidance/council-tax-rebate-factsheet

Teacheranne, you should get the rebate according to the attached. It is paid to those living in Bands A to D.

Apologies, I made a typo, I am in band E, so not eligible.

22 but turn radiators off and put real fire on if it' s below zero outside. Bedsocks and a hot water bottle make so much difference.

Some people feel the cold more than others, and feeling the cold seems to have nothing to do with the temperature you grew up in or have lived in.

Franburn may write
However, when my daughter visits me, I always turn the heating on - at 20* - not just for her personal benefit, but otherwise I get a long lecture from her about the dangers of old people (like me) not noticing the cold etc. etc.

Nevertheless, we should not under estimate the dangers of hypothermia, especially when we are old. As anyone who has had hypothermia will tell you, it has nothing to do with feeling cold, you do not feel cold when you have hypothermia, your whole body just gently cools down to the core and your mind just gets sluggish and vague.

I feel the cold and have since childhood and the first time I remember getting hypothermia was when I was about 20 on a sailing holiday with friends. I had spent the afternoon outside, well wrapped up, pulling a rope, when all of a sudden the helmsman sent me below, told me to get into my sleeping bag, then piled further sleeping bags over me and got me a hot drink. I didn't understand what the fuss was about, I felt fine, slightly dreamy, but that was all, but the helmsman was a seasoned offshore sailor and had recognised from a change in my responses that I was drifting into hypothermia. Eventually you just drift into sleep, and if not warmed up, you die.

If you get hypothermia you need to warm your core. A hot drink and a long soak in ahot bath are the best treatment, after which I usually sleep for several hours.

The whole danger of hypothermia, is that, unless, like me you have had it a number of times and make a conscious effort to be aware of it, most people do not realise they are drifting into it. You can get it in a cold room, even though you are well wrapped, bcause you are breathing cold air deep into your body

Which is why, Franbern your daughter worries. I doubt you would notice if you were drifting into hypothermia. To be fair, from what you say, I think she is worrying unnecessarily, but do not be completely dismissive of her concern.

DiscoDancer1975 I'm with you. !5 deg.c at night, 19deg.c during the day. If I'm cold I put on a thick cardi.

Crikey! If anyone had said to me three years ago that in a year's time, we will have Lockdowns, wear masks and have to stay 6ft apart for two years and then be unable to heat our homes and have to eat the cheapest food, probably for the next 5-10 years, I would have peed my pants laughing at them.

Thermostat set at 16 7.30 am to 16.30pm then at 21 until 10pm fortunately we have excellent insulation and the boiler is seldom triggered

Sorry MOnica, no hot baths for hypothermia as can cause shock. Just warm drinks, something sweet to eat, cover up until ambulance arrives.

I have never yet needed an ambulance for hypothermia. I always catch it before it gets that bad.

Last time I began to develop it was 2 years ago on my food shopping day at Christmas. I went out in a wool coat and the rain forecast for the afternoon started at 8.30. I was queueing in the market, no cover and mycoat got soaked, I then spent an hour outside under a gazebo queueing to get the turkey. By the time I got home, my hands and feet werenumb(I have Reynauds Sybdrome and I felt off. Fortunately my DD was home and she told me later I looked ghostly, but I just said I am developing hypothermia, did as I described. When I got home it was all I could do to drink, I certainly couldn't have eaten anything. After a sleep I was fine and was able to eat lunch and get on with the day.

Martin Lewis writes on his web page
Heat the human not the home.
Most of it is common sense but I found it interesting.

But if the air in the home is so cold you are breathing lungfuls of cold air deep into your body, it rather defeats the purpose of all the clothes. You are warm on th outside and cold inside - and it is the interior cold that is so dangerous.

M0nica

But if the air in the home is so cold you are breathing lungfuls of cold air deep into your body, it rather defeats the purpose of all the clothes. You are warm on th outside and cold inside - and it is the interior cold that is so dangerous.

Yes...I agree with that. That’s why putting loads of layers on makes no difference. You’ve probably just been very cold in the past. Actual hypothermia is life threatening.

I feel so very sorry for all those struggling with their heating bills - it is simply not acceptable in an affluent country that people should be cold in their own homes.

I wear loads of layers in winter and always something round my neck (polo neck, scarf) as that is where the cold creeps in.

Yesterday I had my large underground LPG tank filled - it cost me hundreds of pounds and will last me at least a year, so I can put on as much heating as I want - although I am very frugal with it.

As the man was here I thought how very lucky I am that I can afford to do this, and felt so very sad for those not in such a fortunate position. It is a disgrace, as Sunak's wife stashes away her millions in a tax haven.

Lowering my thermostat has made quite a big difference to the number of gas units (m cubed) that I have used this month, compared to the same month last year. 22 units less ie 26 now and 48 then. Downstairs thermostat is 19, it was 21 last year. I don`t heat hall and utility. Living and dining areas are actually warmer than that when the sun shines. Upstairs is also 19 with 18 through the night. I will blast the heating on for a short time upstairs for a shower but the ensuite radiator (master rad) heats up very quickly and 15 minutes is enough

I made an effort and am happy to say that my body has adapted fine, I do wear wool and tights but not multi layers apart from perhaps a camisole plus a petticoat with a small throw over my knees at times.

It is really nice to see the actual results today. I am expecting an online bill later or tomorrow, I am sure it won`t be less than this time last year due to the cost increase

M0nica

But if the air in the home is so cold you are breathing lungfuls of cold air deep into your body, it rather defeats the purpose of all the clothes. You are warm on th outside and cold inside - and it is the interior cold that is so dangerous.

I am sure Martin Lewis thought before he wrote. He is not the person to write nonsense so there must be some value in it.

I am of course not including those with mobility problems.
But, regarding breathing in very cold air, what do people do who work outside in cold weather, farmers, fishermen, road workers etc or even the sportive ones skiing, climbing or those who live in cold climes and have no heating to speak of if warm clothing is not keeping them warm?

Breathing in cold air isn't necessarily harmful in itself if you are otherwise fit and healthy. It's when you have underlying health conditions, especially respiratory problems such as asthma or COPD or heart problems, or conditions such as Raynaud's, that it becomes an issue.

They often wrap scarves round heir faces, pull collars over their chins and in other ways slow down the speed air enters heir lungs so that it warms as it passes through the fabrics between the skin and the cold air.

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Reported

My laptop is showing 50 degrees outside, my thermostat 16 degrees but I'm absolutely freezing today. Heating on again for a few hours!

I switched my thermostats ie heating, off three weeks ago, cooler today as there is no sun. 19 all over the house. Petticoat on under a longer flannel skirt today and camisole under a jumper. I got used to warmer temperatures this week. I will not let downstairs get below 19 and upstairs below 18. The sun makes such a big difference here

Set for 18 now, but when I sit in my living room I have the fire on. It comes on twice a day, 3 hours am and 7 hours pm.if I am in when it’s cold I turn it back on. The bill this month was 100 per cent more, I rang and queried the costs but was assured it’s right but I used so much less than the previous month. Very sorry for those that can’t afford the heating on as for many it’s the choice between food and heating.

I feel the cold but can not afford to have my heating on unless it's about 14 degrees when it's intolerable. Dreading the Autumn when fuel costs will increase again. I can't afford it now so I certainly won't be able to afford it then. I walk every morning to get warm.

Sorry to read that Happygirl79, hopefully we will all build up some credit towards the autumn. For council tax bands A-D we have the £150 coming - my gas for the month.

I've just had at look at the CAB, a good article here.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-help-paying-your-bills/grants-and-benefits-to-help-you-pay-your-energy-bills/

Thank you for the link @Shandy 57.
Unfortunately I fall through the cracks as my income is £10 per year too much to qualify for pension credit

Will you get the £150? I've just moved to a C, I was a D. I am not going to put the heating on until October and hope to have approx £600 credit, my DD is £93 per month.

I've cancelled charitable DD's and am just writing a food planner for the week, I'm sure I can save on food. Netflix might have to go too, just had an email saying it's now £10.99.

Luckygirl I do hope you have put aside £13000 to heat your outdoor swimming pool for this year at 25C because that is what Rishi Sunak will be doing. He has no idea how the peasants live.

I have no objection to him being very wealthy- I would just like him to understand the price of bread and the cost of heating a house.