Housemates refuse to turn heating on!!
My house heating comes on for 2 hours in the late evening and 1 hour in the morning. Its literally freezing for most of the day, so much that i spend most of my time wrapped in my blanket in bed. Its winter now - was just wondering whether im being unreasonable to want it on more?
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you should invest in a cheap thermometer so you can give us a better idea of what temperature it is. I doubt it's 'literally freezing' though. My house hasn't had the heating on at all this year and it's been fine, it is a terrace house though.
Get a cheap electric radiator and hide it somewhere in your room. Blame the increased electrics bill on your housemate's PS3.
Original post by SummerAnthems
Original post by SummerAnthems
Get a cheap electric radiator and hide it somewhere in your room. Blame the increased electrics bill on your housemate's PS3.
This.
Original post by SummerAnthems
Get a cheap electric radiator and hide it somewhere in your room. Blame the increased electrics bill on your housemate's PS3.
This again.
It is cold - my housemates all agree its freezing cold, but they dont want the price to go up - they say its a student house so we should expect it 
, but i dont think students should be expected to live without heating.
I would get an electric heating, but i have a tiny room, with one plug point, and no spare space - so i dont think that would work out - also noone has a PS3 lol.
, but i dont think students should be expected to live without heating.I would get an electric heating, but i have a tiny room, with one plug point, and no spare space - so i dont think that would work out - also noone has a PS3 lol.
Original post by student369
It is cold - my housemates all agree its freezing cold, but they dont want the price to go up - they say its a student house so we should expect it , but i dont think students should be expected to live without heating.
I would get an electric heating, but i have a tiny room, with one plug point, and no spare space - so i dont think that would work out - also noone has a PS3 lol.
, but i dont think students should be expected to live without heating.I would get an electric heating, but i have a tiny room, with one plug point, and no spare space - so i dont think that would work out - also noone has a PS3 lol.
That's a bit of a lame excuse. Electric heaters are pretty small and thin these days...and as for the plug socket "problem"...just buy one of those extension cables and voila, 4 extra plugs???
I doubt anyone will put two and two together in regards to the electric bill. Just be discreet about your heater and they probably won't know/care as long as you're not heating your room so much it's like a mini sauna all the time.
Ah, the winter argument of every student house 
To be fair, I think there needs to be some give and take. Don't expect to have it on all the time since you're all students, saving money and all that jazz -aren't you all out all day at lectures and the library anyway?
Have it on for a couple of hours in the morning when everybody gets up and for a couple of hours when everybody gets in. If you turn it off after that and all stay in the living room, you can all help keep the heat in.
Other than that- thick jumpers, thick socks.
To be fair, I think there needs to be some give and take. Don't expect to have it on all the time since you're all students, saving money and all that jazz -aren't you all out all day at lectures and the library anyway?
Have it on for a couple of hours in the morning when everybody gets up and for a couple of hours when everybody gets in. If you turn it off after that and all stay in the living room, you can all help keep the heat in. Other than that- thick jumpers, thick socks.
It's pretty inefficient to have the heating only coming on in short bursts. We learnt this the hard way last year when (because of a psychotic housemate who refused to have the heating on and turned it off if he ever saw it on--and then started opening windows (in january!) to "punish" us) we ended up with a £800 heating bill (for one quarter in a small three-bedroom middle-of-terrace). And it's not like we even got warm for that amount, because only having the heating on in short bursts did nothing to improve the core temperature of the house.
Better to have the heating on at low level all the time, and then crank it up when you need it. If you don't want certain rooms of the house heated (like the kitchen, which is usually quite warm anyway if you do a lot of cooking) then you can turn the radiators off in those rooms).
Also consider investing in a dressing gown and thermals. Your housemates are right to some extent--you shouldn't expect your house to be as warm as you might be used to at your parents' house, because you're all on a very tight budget. Wear layers. Leave the oven door open after you finish cooking to let the heat disperse through the house a bit. Keep doors shut. Get draft excluders. Drink hot drinks.
Better to have the heating on at low level all the time, and then crank it up when you need it. If you don't want certain rooms of the house heated (like the kitchen, which is usually quite warm anyway if you do a lot of cooking) then you can turn the radiators off in those rooms).
Also consider investing in a dressing gown and thermals. Your housemates are right to some extent--you shouldn't expect your house to be as warm as you might be used to at your parents' house, because you're all on a very tight budget. Wear layers. Leave the oven door open after you finish cooking to let the heat disperse through the house a bit. Keep doors shut. Get draft excluders. Drink hot drinks.
Hmm, might look into the electric heating then... - But still think I should have the right to have the central heating on a little more and not have to live in arctic conditions!!
Put it on a timer to suit when you are actually in the house.
Otherwise, rather than having it on a specific time of day, arrange that the heating is not on unless it is actually cold (which is what we do, some days we don't put it on at all, other days we have it on through the evening).
If you are genuinely cold enough to be snuggling up in your duvet, it's time to sod the gas bill and stick the heating on, even if only for twenty minutes just to take the chill off.
Otherwise, rather than having it on a specific time of day, arrange that the heating is not on unless it is actually cold (which is what we do, some days we don't put it on at all, other days we have it on through the evening).
If you are genuinely cold enough to be snuggling up in your duvet, it's time to sod the gas bill and stick the heating on, even if only for twenty minutes just to take the chill off.
Yeah but the thing is we are all in at different times. I cant just turn the heating on when im cold, as my housemates have agreed to have it on for 1 hour in the morning and 8-10 at night. I think the idea of turning it on when it really is cold and all of us are in is a good idea, but my housemates wont have it... .
.
Unfortunately this is how many people do it in the UK. I can see my own breath while at home but others don't want the heating on until the snow comes..
I have 2 13 tog duvets, a blanket and I sleep in 2 jumpers, wooly socks and warm pjs. So far the extreme number of layers are doing the trick, but I have to stay in bed every time I'm at home, or bake/roast every meal to get warm by the oven.
Try the oven thing and barricade your window so that no heat escapes (i have a sleeping bag and some cardboard blocking mine) use 2-3 hot water bottles and try to spend as much time as you can in uni and other heated public places.
In my 3rd year I lived in a room with a huge bay window with old window frames. I basically moved to uni during winter because no amount of heating could keep me warm with wind moving the curtains when the windows were shut Took my sleeping bag to 24 hour computer labs and no one really cared that I was spending my nights there
I have 2 13 tog duvets, a blanket and I sleep in 2 jumpers, wooly socks and warm pjs. So far the extreme number of layers are doing the trick, but I have to stay in bed every time I'm at home, or bake/roast every meal to get warm by the oven.
Try the oven thing and barricade your window so that no heat escapes (i have a sleeping bag and some cardboard blocking mine) use 2-3 hot water bottles and try to spend as much time as you can in uni and other heated public places.
In my 3rd year I lived in a room with a huge bay window with old window frames. I basically moved to uni during winter because no amount of heating could keep me warm with wind moving the curtains when the windows were shut
Took my sleeping bag to 24 hour computer labs and no one really cared that I was spending my nights there(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by student369
Yeah but the thing is we are all in at different times. I cant just turn the heating on when im cold, as my housemates have agreed to have it on for 1 hour in the morning and 8-10 at night. I think the idea of turning it on when it really is cold and all of us are in is a good idea, but my housemates wont have it... .
.Why 8-10pm? That seems pretty ridiculous to me, since that's when most people drift off and start doing their own thing in their rooms - studying, listening to music etc, which is the easiest time to get into bed to keep warm.
Not sure what you want us to say since you say your housemates 'won't have it'. You'll just have to approach them again. You are all paying an equal share of rent, you all have equal say in when the heating goes on.
haha- yeah they are cheap - i left my bedroom light on to quickly go to the bathroom, and when i got back the light was off - my housemate went in my room to turn my light off .
Looks like its gonna have to be an electric heater.
.Looks like its gonna have to be an electric heater.
Original post by student369
Yeah but the thing is we are all in at different times. I cant just turn the heating on when im cold, as my housemates have agreed to have it on for 1 hour in the morning and 8-10 at night. I think the idea of turning it on when it really is cold and all of us are in is a good idea, but my housemates wont have it... .
.What can they do about it? Just turn it on and voice how ridiculous and superfluous their frugality is.
Original post by elainebenes
It's pretty inefficient to have the heating only coming on in short bursts. We learnt this the hard way last year when (because of a psychotic housemate who refused to have the heating on and turned it off if he ever saw it on--and then started opening windows (in january!) to "punish" us) we ended up with a £800 heating bill (for one quarter in a small three-bedroom middle-of-terrace). And it's not like we even got warm for that amount, because only having the heating on in short bursts did nothing to improve the core temperature of the house.
Better to have the heating on at low level all the time, and then crank it up when you need it. If you don't want certain rooms of the house heated (like the kitchen, which is usually quite warm anyway if you do a lot of cooking) then you can turn the radiators off in those rooms).
Also consider investing in a dressing gown and thermals. Your housemates are right to some extent--you shouldn't expect your house to be as warm as you might be used to at your parents' house, because you're all on a very tight budget. Wear layers. Leave the oven door open after you finish cooking to let the heat disperse through the house a bit. Keep doors shut. Get draft excluders. Drink hot drinks.
Better to have the heating on at low level all the time, and then crank it up when you need it. If you don't want certain rooms of the house heated (like the kitchen, which is usually quite warm anyway if you do a lot of cooking) then you can turn the radiators off in those rooms).
Also consider investing in a dressing gown and thermals. Your housemates are right to some extent--you shouldn't expect your house to be as warm as you might be used to at your parents' house, because you're all on a very tight budget. Wear layers. Leave the oven door open after you finish cooking to let the heat disperse through the house a bit. Keep doors shut. Get draft excluders. Drink hot drinks.
This.
If you have a thermostat on the wall in your house OP, it would be far more effective to have the heating on low all the time instead of blasting it for an hour because as soon as the heating stops, the house will be cold again within an hour. The boiler has to work hard every time to heat the whole house from cold, and it's more expensive than having it on low for most of the day, say 16 degrees c and just adjusting it upwards we you're at home and need it a bit warmer. Our student house didn't have a thermostat so we had to heat the house for a couple of hours at a time then off again...one winter our bill came to £800.
I do agree that you should make use of jumpers, slippers and hats as far as possible though. I hope you're not just walking around the house in a t shirt and bare feet and expecting to feel tropical.
Original post by ElfManiac
Put it on a timer to suit when you are actually in the house.
Otherwise, rather than having it on a specific time of day, arrange that the heating is not on unless it is actually cold (which is what we do, some days we don't put it on at all, other days we have it on through the evening).
If you are genuinely cold enough to be snuggling up in your duvet, it's time to sod the gas bill and stick the heating on, even if only for twenty minutes just to take the chill off.
Otherwise, rather than having it on a specific time of day, arrange that the heating is not on unless it is actually cold (which is what we do, some days we don't put it on at all, other days we have it on through the evening).
If you are genuinely cold enough to be snuggling up in your duvet, it's time to sod the gas bill and stick the heating on, even if only for twenty minutes just to take the chill off.
Putting the heating on for 20 minutes and then off again is such a waste of money. The house will be back to cold again within half an hour.
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