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Everyone should get a pair of leather 'mule' slippers. I got a pair 4 years ago ,free and they're still going. They really bring the stairs alive,too:-)
I got through last winter with no central heating and aim to again, Herbert that's only possible through the extended use of two wood burners and a huge wood pile. I have had the stove lit the last 3 evenings, will again tonight but hoping the next week it won't be needed. I know it's not long now though until at least one stove is lit every day and often quite early. I like a lot of what is involved, cutting and splitting wood, tending a stove... But lugging the wood in from the stack is a ballache when it's done all winter!
I'm cold, working from home in kitchen, wife is in the spare room today. Waiting for October before heating gets turned on though.
Loving all the 'I'm not putting the heating on' posts followed by the 'but I light one of these all winter fueled by half a forest'!
Heat of any sort is putting the heating on! Whether you turn a dial or light a match. 🙂
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I’m well aware how it works thanks. it was amusing that the PM demonstrated that she doesn’t!
Ah OK! Put another way, half the country will pay more than £2500...
Furry crocs from Aldi are brilliant. Need washing occasionally mind.
Heating on for an hour morning and about the same early evening - just 18c. It's off by 6:30pm otherwise the bedrooms would be too warm !
You know there’s an energy crisis when peak STW is discussion the deterioration curve of Mongolian slippers.
That needs putting on tbe spine of the magazine....
It isn’t. That’s the expected average cost based on the price capped rate.
Does anyone actually think it's a cap in the other sense?
In the same way no one bothers to write a paragraph to correct you that the price capped rate isn't the actual rate either and will vary around the country as the standing charges are regional?
Ah OK! Put another way, half the country will pay more than £2500…
I've not actually seen it stated anywhere if its mean/median/mode?
Does anyone actually think it’s a cap in the other sense?
My bet is lots of people think exactly that. It's been widely reported as the 'price cap is going up to blah-thousand pounds, or the 'the government has fixed the price cap at £2500', or similar, without the explanatory caveat, so who can really blame them?
Some 'research' around some supposedly clever people at work suggest that yes, the general public do not have a bloody clue what a 'price cap' is, how it works, or what all the press are referring to.
Including, even, someone who beleived that "well, the price cap is based on an average house, and we have quite a big house so it works out quite good value for us, I feel sorry for all the people in smaller houses that will pay the same as us".
By dumbing down the information, they are just dumbing down the population. The only 'information' that is distributed should be the actual information - IE The cost will be XXX pence per kwh.
It like BP and Shell advertising 'Get 400 miles of driving for £50'.
Oh and top tip for those who WFH -
Position electrical equipment that is 'wasting' energy carefully to maxmise the benefit of that wasted energy. When sat at my desk, my feet rest nicely on top of my CCTV recorde0r living under the desk which gives off a lovely low warmth through its metal case!
Does anyone actually think it’s a cap in the other sense?
I think you overestimate the financial literacy of the general public. even the prime minister can't work it out.
When I first heard the term price cap being used, I thought to myself that seems terribly unfair as at the time my bills were well under the cap. I think it was someone on here that corrected me and pointed out it was a unit cap, not an absolute cap.
Since, I've explained to quite a few people the difference when they've complained how large their bills are compared to the cap.
I don't get the 'waiting till X month' for hearting but each to their own. If I need the house to be warm enough to work comfortably, then I do.
My heating has technically been 'on' all year but the thermosat has been set to 17 degrees overnight and 18 during the day. So far it has popped on a couple of times this week for a little over 10 minutes.
The only ‘information’ that is distributed should be the actual information – IE The cost will be XXX pence per kwh.
Yeah I got shot down the last time I suggested some thing as sensible as that on here. They walk amongst us even here.
Yeah I got shot down the last time I suggested some thing as sensible as that on here. They walk amongst us even here.
Didn't that argument revolve around price comparison sites and their opacity? In which case my point was that (AFAIK) the standing charge wouldn't change between providers as it's set regionally. So if you lived in a difficult to supply area with a high standing charge then the unit rate would be lower (based on that average cap) but there'd be no difference between providers as long as you were on the standard rate? And if they were different (because one provider seemingly had an excess of flats or mansions with swimming pools), then as long as the market is vaguely functional it'd correct itself each time they issued new products).
Unless it was a different discussion you're referring to.
So we can't apply a factual number to it so to appease the public and make it seem like we give a shit - we will make it an arbitrary number based on magic and sorcery that no one seems to under stand. - and you WILL like it.
Makes sense.- but in a world where folk use a calender to work out the temperature I don't even know which way is down anymore.
So we can’t apply a factual number to it so to appease the public and make it seem like we give a shit – we will make it an arbitrary number based on magic and sorcery that no one seems to under stand. – and you WILL like it.
I'd put good money that the number of people misunderstanding the concept of the 'cap' is a lot lower than the portion that have a clue what their unit rates or unit consumption is. I'm definitely not sat in front of the TV doing 3371 x 34 in my head, but I can just about do £2500/12 and then guestimate based on knowing my consumption is a bit below average.
e.g. this doesn't even stand the simplest of scrutiny, why would the news be full of people scared to put the heating, kettle, oven, etc on if it didn't cost anything. If this person really is that dim then I'm surprised they can read the instructions on the back of the food packet anyway.
Including, even, someone who beleived that “well, the price cap is based on an average house, and we have quite a big house so it works out quite good value for us, I feel sorry for all the people in smaller houses that will pay the same as us”.
Well, Mrs K’s new heated clothes rail has been on for 7hrs at 330w per hour and the clothes aren’t dry yet. Another 3.5hrs and it’ll reach the cost of 1 x Tumble dry.
Hmmm.
Well, Mrs K’s new heated clothes rail has been on for 7hrs at 330w per hour and the clothes aren’t dry yet
Has it got a cover on it? If not, chuck a duvet cover or similar over it, makes a big difference
Not on in my house yet I'm aiming for the 28th of October as it's my wife's birthday.
but in a world where folk use a calender to work out the temperature I don’t even know which way is down anymore.
Well it is generally colder in winter than in spring, summer or autumn 🙂
I’m aiming for the 28th of October as it’s my wife’s birthday
That's bleak
Oh and top tip for those who WFH –
Position electrical equipment that is ‘wasting’ energy carefully to maxmise the benefit of that wasted energy.
I'm half tempted to get some flexible ducting to channel my pc towers exhaust fans to use as a foot warmer under the desk hahah!
Is your PC blowing hot air out? Mine doesn't. My MacBook Pro does though, 2hen it probably shouldn't. If I put it on my lap it does make me very warm.
Well it is generally colder in winter than in spring, summer or autumn 🙂
That comment remind me of storage heaters.
The premise being Predict how cold you want to be tomorrow based on yesterday's weather.
But I'll stick to a thermostat to measure the temperature rather than basing it on the month of the year.... After all if you move to the southern hemisphere your calender rotates in the other direction when you take the plug out
Trying to avoid the central heating but having regular fires (in the fireplace)... but wood running a bit low. Off to France soon for a few weeks and have a big woodburner there... and wood.!
Loving all the ‘I’m not putting the heating on’ posts followed by the ‘but I light one of these all winter fueled by half a forest’!
S****. Happy someone else pointed out
Furry crocs from Aldi are brilliant. Need washing occasionally mind.
Bicarbonate of soda is your friend
Not on in my house yet I’m aiming for the 28th of October as it’s my wife’s birthday.
You know how to spoil a lady
Is your PC blowing hot air out? Mine doesn’t.
When I'm playing a game yes.. My cpu and graphics card can get to about 80c.
All that precious warm air gets pumped out of the rear.
If not, chuck a duvet cover or similar over it, makes a big difference
Doesn't the moisture the just go I to the duvet cover - which then needs to be dried?
I would have thought that there is some basic physics that says that x amount of water (in the clothes) requires x kilowatts of heat to evaporate it.
When I’m playing a game yes.. My cpu and graphics card can get to about 80c.
All that precious warm air gets pumped out of the rear.
Are you playing games all day instead of WFH? 🙂
There was me feeling chuffed that I'd saved loads of energy by using a tiny PC and GeForce Now. But that energy would have been in a perfect place to heat me whilst I sit at my desk so it might not be such a saving!
I would have thought that there is some basic physics that says that x amount of water (in the clothes) requires x kilowatts of heat to evaporate it.
There is, but it's how you get the heat into the clothes that matters. In a traditional tumble drier the exhaust air is still hot, so only some of it gets into the clothes, the rest is wasted. In a heat pump or condenser drier, the clothes just get warm and the air is recirculated and cooled at the cold side so far less heat is wasted. In my washer drier the cold side is cooled by tap water which then leaves via the drain, so heat is wasted but less than in a traditional one.
With the clothes rack, it'll be something like oil filled tubes that are heated via a thermostat. If the clothes are in contact with the rack perfectly it'll dry really quickly, but that won't happen. If you have a pair of jeans on there then the bit folded over the rail will dry really fast but the pockets and waistband will stay wet for ages cos they aren't in contact with the rail. And heat will be leaving the rail via the dry clothes and not taking any water with it.
I’m aiming for the 28th of October as it’s my wife’s birthday
That’s bleak
I thought that was quite romantic 😁 not going to suggest it though Nov23rd.! I’d be out on my arse
And where is all the moisture in the clothes going? Off to the coldest part of the room to condense on the wall and grow black mold on the back of a wardrobe probably
Or hang in the air, making it more humid and harder to heat as a result.
We air-dry clothes at the top of the stairs. I don't know where the water vapour goes, but the house isn't damp anywhere at all, which actually surprises me. Wet air is heavier so it must be flowing down and presumably exiting via the usual draughts. Perhaps the downward vapour pressure is forcing it out via the letterbox and leaky downstairs windows. We have a cold tiled floor in the ground floor and that never seems damp no matter how cold it gets, and that is where I would expect it to condense.
Oh and - absolutely 100% serious suggestion: do some strength type exercises - kettlebells, yoga, body weight etc - in the evening. That'll keep you warm all evening and warm the room too. Just done mine and I've had to strip to the waist I'm that hot. Heating still not on!
I need to tap the 'adult kids' gaming machines heat, given they use about 3-4 KWh of our energy every day.. 200w idle, 400 watt gaming x 2 machines....
In a traditional tumble drier the exhaust air is still hot, so only some of it gets into the clothes, the rest is wasted. In a heat pump or condenser drier, the clothes just get warm and the air is recirculated and cooled at the cold side so far less heat is wasted.
Sadly I didn't actually know that!
Ta 😀
I've just bought a condenser dryer of eBay (£42 and it's mint!) for one of my daughters at uni.... Now I want one to replace our traditional one here 😩
Wet air is heavier so it must be flowing down and presumably exiting via the usual draughts.
Actually it's lighter (this caught me out too despite being a chemical engineer).
I don’t even know which way is down anymore.
South
At current (geddit!) capped rates that gaming is costing over £1k a year!!!
At current (geddit!) capped rates that gaming is costing over £1k a year!!!
Bloddy hell. A premium GFN sub is £216 a year - ok so it's only for me, but that makes me feel I chose a good value option.
I need to tap the ‘adult kids’ gaming machines heat, given they use about 3-4 KWh of our energy every day.. 200w idle, 400 watt gaming x 2 machines…
My son has just gone back to University. Every time I look at our smart meter in the evening, it’s showing around 200 watts less being used than when he was here. It was always hot in his room too.
Think I'll just set fire to the mountain of artworks the children produce, and their colouring books. Should keep us going for a while.
12.5 currently in the bedroom 🤣
12.5 currently in the bedroom 🤣
Omg that is cold!!!
My wife went to ask if she could put the heating on while we had tea yesterday 😂
Jokingly I said why don't you wait until eating tea warms you up? A nice spaghetti bol I'd made.
Sod it she said why am I asking you? I'm putting it on for an hour!!! 😂
To be fair I've told her to put it on for a bit a few times when she's cold sat WFH wrapped up in throws and a coat. I even asked if she wanted me to get her a cordless heated throw, bit no she doesn't want one 🤷
@molgrips look up Falke, few different designs, I have some cosyshoe bought for me a few years back. Tougher than the usual slipper socks, but not rigid and good enough for the odd trip out to the bins or log shed. Apparently they are really popular in the area of Germany our friend is from.
I need to tap the ‘adult kids’ gaming machines heat, given they use about 3-4 KWh of our energy every day.. 200w idle, 400 watt gaming x 2 machines….
Set them up to run power saving mode when off. They'll have to wait longer to boot and won't have stuff installed when it's "off" but unless they're paying the bills tough luck.
I live in a house full of women, heating timer is on for an hour morning and evening now.
Despite my best endeavours none of them believe me when I explain a thermostat cranked to 35 doesn't heat a house up faster...
Dropped a bit in temp in the house today, hall Nest thermostat says 17.5 which aint too bad for a hallway and no heating apart from cooking and heat from appliances and us.
It doesn't help our utility room has no ceiling at the moment (half of the utility room is in the garage building on the side of the house so ceiling off exposes it to garage roof which has very good ventilation) due to some issues with how the concrete lintel was fitted a few years ago, this along with massive holes in the inner block work in there that will be fixed once the lintel is hopefully adjusted (too much point load currently).
Also calculated gas use without heating over the last 48 hours - 1m cubed this is around 10KWh. Actually used less as it was around 0.8m cubed.
'Heat keeper' socks work, they can be used as slippers if your rooms are carpeted.
We caved in and put the heating on last night. A few hours after work and a couple of hours in the morning. Hot water bottle in bed.
15.3 deg here in Harrogate and there is no way I am putting the heating on yet - I am sitting here working and don't feel particularly cold yet. I was too hot in bed last night despite only having a summer (3.5tog) duvet on.
Wood burner got lit for the first time last night. Still no CH though.
Hive is at 21 degrees, house actually at 21.6, next schedule takes it to 22 degrees at 5pm. I don't get why folks are sitting under blankets and wearing gloves and jackets inside, unless of course they are so hard up they have to.
I'm presuming lots of posters on this thread have expensive hobby kit - bikes and other toys and are happy to spend cash there. I'd rather be warm and comfy in my own house if I had to make a choice. Thankfully I don't have to, but I just don't get it. Maybe it's just me !
awaits flaming (or maybe flagellation with a lukewarm old candle .. 🙂 )
Wife is WFH and gets fairly cold easily so have the heating on for few hours per day as agreed having an office (upstairs) temperature of 14degC and wearing 4 jumpers whilst still shivering wasn't right!
Thermostat set to 19degC (downstairs) which seems to get her office to a useable state but when we moved the thermostat upstairs we found her office has sections at 22degC whilst other bits were sub 17degC - and there's no noticeable draught so we've left it downstairs where it reads more consistently!
Not switched my insulated shed office heating on yet when WFH but have started wearing my work fleece as an extra layer. Reckon as long as it's above 10degC outside I can keep getting away with this but anything where the heating panel (2kW) is on more than 4 hours a day it's cheaper to drive to work sadly!
All good here. Heating is still mostly off apart from a couple of towel rails and boosting the living room radiator now and again. This year will try and use the fire more I think, as that heats the rooms above too.
I’m presuming lots of posters on this thread have expensive hobby kit – bikes and other toys and are happy to spend cash there. I’d rather be warm and comfy in my own house if I had to make a choice. Thankfully I don’t have to, but I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s just me !
Yeah, we have other costs, but oil and elec costs have roughly doubled, food bill is up 25%, petrol too and we're on a fixed income, so wearing a jumper around the house rather than t-shirts doesn't seem much of an issue?
I don’t get why folks are sitting under blankets and wearing gloves and jackets inside, unless of course they are so hard up they have to.
Have you read any news recently?
I don’t get why folks are sitting under blankets and wearing gloves and jackets inside, unless of course they are so hard up they have to.
Well, because why not? Snuggling under a blanket is very pleasant, at 21 the house would be far too warm to actually do that. And given that costs are so high currently, and I do have a limited amount of money, I'd rather spend it on other more fun things. I could spend all my disposable income on bills but that would be a pretty rubbish thing to do.
But really, there are so many up-sides to using as little energy as possible that it becomes pretty hard to justify keeping your house warmer than it needs to be. Just put a blanket by your sofa, it's easy to get used to.
No heating on as yet, but we did pre-emptively stock up with a few tonnes of hardwood as we have a couple of stoves we use most of the time for heating. They have been lit a couple of times in the evening.
So you HAVE put the heating on - you've lit the fire FFS.
I was right with my willy-waving comment.
Has it got a cover on it? If not, chuck a duvet cover or similar over it, makes a big difference
Thanks, trying that today.
ive taken to wearing my merino mountain shirt (a lock down extravagant purchase) and long sleeve baselayers round the house now its cold ( as I do every winter) - im super toasty and not putting the heating on for a while yet.
Still off. Despite the minging weather.
Though I'm planning on fixing the CH this weekend
Is it me, or has the September been colder than usual?
Heating is on a smart thermostat it's set to 21c in mornings, 18 during day and 20 in evening. It's been on every morning for 2 weeks.
Hive is at 21 degrees, house actually at 21.6, next schedule takes it to 22 degrees at 5pm. I don’t get why folks are sitting under blankets and wearing gloves and jackets inside, unless of course they are so hard up they have to.
I’m presuming lots of posters on this thread have expensive hobby kit – bikes and other toys and are happy to spend cash there. I’d rather be warm and comfy in my own house if I had to make a choice. Thankfully I don’t have to, but I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s just me !
I know right, all those people on lower incomes would be so much happier if they just stopped eating avocado on toast and subscribing to netflix, then they could have the heating on!
I don't think it's bee colder. It was 18C or so for much of the month IIRC.
Is it me, or has the September been colder than usual?
I think it's more the shock from the heights we were at in the summer!
Both WFH today, wife and daughter (not in Uni today) said they were cold, so it got switched on ! It's at 18c though.
I don’t think it’s bee colder. It was 18C or so for much of the month IIRC.
I've been wondering if it's been mild. Today feels like the first day of going out at lunchtime and thinking it would have been nicer in a jumper, and this mornings the first one I've felt like I had to wear a jacket on the bike rather than just wearing it for the high-vis and dealing with being a bit warm.
But we had the cavity walls insulated this year so it's hard to judge.
17.5c in our lounge now. 17c in our bedroom. Wet and windy outside.
I'm fine in trackies and a hoody, bare feet, not really feeling the need to put heating on. My wife will probably want it on for a bit when she gets home as she seems to be a heat sink for the world 🤣
No fancy spending going in here. Only one wage as I'm not working due to ill health. Pre-payment meter joy, and oil heating too. 12 yo zafira, old un-fancy bikes, and don't go out wining and dining. Our family holiday this year is a week on Loch Tay in a cabin. So, yeh we do need to watch the pennies, but there are many far far worse off than us who will be really struggling.
Well, because why not? Snuggling under a blanket is very pleasant, at 21 the house would be far too warm to actually do that. And given that costs are so high currently, and I do have a limited amount of money, I’d rather spend it on other more fun things. I could spend all my disposable income on bills but that would be a pretty rubbish thing to do.
But really, there are so many up-sides to using as little energy as possible that it becomes pretty hard to justify keeping your house warmer than it needs to be. Just put a blanket by your sofa, it’s easy to get used to.
This puts it better than I can.
Like most, there are better things to spend money on than heating a house when you can be just as comfortable under a blanket. I think we're still on our summer weight duvet as well, though that may get changed soon.
Renovating a house means all my rads are either gone / waiting to be replaced, or not connected to the boiler, I'm expecting to have access to two downstairs and one in the kids bedroom from Oct 27th onwards when the plumbers booked in for.
There was just a piece on Vine with a few experts going on about the effect of house and health over a winter of no heating, I'm more worried about the house than me tbh but keeping the windows on the latch in the most used rooms should keep the condensation down.
Tbh living alone in previous winters my heatings barely on, ride home from work then go to the gym or diy means I'm never sat there freezing, then come 9.30 - 10pm it's a blanket and not long to bed anyway.
I think if it gets a bit colder and stays wet then the house will start to get damp, which is when I'll turn it on. Probably going to try and limit it to a few hours in the evening.
Nah, it'll be a while yet. Just had September's gas and electric bill:£46.92. Damart longjohns, a down jacket, and evening work shifts for the win over this winter, I think.
Not on yet, firstly I’ll be changing my habit of living in shorts and a tee, furry joggers and fleeces have been located for when it gets cold (currently 15.9 in living room) and once they and a blanket/throw aren’t enough we might crack. Deffo find we warm up after eating.
Deffo find we warm up after eating.
Get you, show off. With the current energy bills and cost of living increasing, we just look at pictures of food now.
I think if it gets a bit colder and stays wet then the house will start to get damp, which is when I’ll turn it on. Probably going to try and limit it to a few hours in the evening.
Our hallway always starts to smell a bit musty around this time of year (Victorian terrace, suspended floors etc). As soon as we start using CH it goes away.
My missus has a shocking immune system and has always felt the cold really easily. She layers up whilst I'm in shorts and t-shirt, and monkey jnr will often overdress in 30deg+ yet also wear shorts and t-shirt when its freezing.
Had a chat with some dads at Scouts this week and even the wealthy ones were saying that they're going to stick it out as long as they can, partly to save money but also out of principle.
So far we're having the CH on for an hour every morning to give a boost.
Beyond that, we were going to replace the conservatory roof because it's the biggest room in the house and loses a fair amount of heat (has 4 rads) but I've started insulating it with some SuperQuilt then I'll plasterboard over. Not much else we can do other than layer up and see how it goes.
Nearly caved today. Lit a fire instead; although at this rate I’ll get through two years supply of wood in a month…🙄