When do you turn your Central Heating on?

[Izzy]

They've just been discussing this on Test Match Special and the conversation has already started in our household.

 

My wife puts it off until as late as possible and makes me and the kids wear an extra layer. Personally, I'd have it on now as I feel the cold but it costs a bloody fortune.

 

So what do you do? Is there a specific date you switch it on and who decides when? There's also the psychological implications that the act can represent the beginning of winter and therefore people delay it as long as they can. And what temperature do you set it on? I've seen households range from 17-25 degrees but we settle on about 19. 

 

Lets have a heated debate 

[stripeyfox]

Only when ice on the windows reaches 2cm thick

 

[goose2010]

When the clocks go back the heating comes on, when the clocks go forward heating goes off. usually set it around 20.

 

 

[Innovindil]

When it gets cold? 

[Poznan34]

Bonfire night 

[Rocket-Ron]

Heating never comes on until November.

 

[Babylon]

30 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

They've just been discussing this on Test Match Special and the conversation has already started in our household.

 

My wife puts it off until as late as possible and makes me and the kids wear an extra layer. Personally, I'd have it on now as I feel the cold but it costs a bloody fortune.

 

So what do you do? Is there a specific date you switch it on and who decides when? There's also the psychological implications that the act can represent the beginning of winter and therefore people delay it as long as they can. And what temperature do you set it on? I've seen households range from 17-25 degrees but we settle on about 19. 

 

Lets have a heated debate 

The heating is never "OFF", it's just set to auto and will come on if it drops below 18 degrees when we're around the house. Or below something like 10 degrees when we're in bed.

[Carl the Llama]

In the late as possible camp. Costs nothing to wear an extra t-shirt or two.

[Guest]

You need central heating?

[spacemunky]

When I can cut glass with my nipples.

[egg_fried_rice]

Switched mine on this week. I live in a Victorian terrace which isn't the warmest of buildings. You forget how much of a difference it makes - definitely no regrets! Have a timer set for mornings, and when I get back from work. I'm with bulb and don't find the costs to be that bad, all things considered.

[Izzy]

48 minutes ago, Innovindil said:

When it gets cold? 

Do you live on your own?

 

If you've got a partner, who decides when it gets cold enough? I think it's cold enough now but the wife doesn't (hence the discussions as to when we turn it on!)

[Izzy]

29 minutes ago, Babylon said:

The heating is never "OFF", it's just set to auto and will come on if it drops below 18 degrees when we're around the house. Or below something like 10 degrees when we're in bed.

I getcha. For us it's slightly different as we don't have gas central heating but electric radiators instead. I guess in theory we could have them "ON" all the time and just set the thermostat to a certain temperature, but we've got into the habit of switching them off in the spring and then on again in the autumn/winter (which always causes the debate as to when).

[davieG]

Mines set to come on in the day if it falls below 21 and 11 at night I think.  It's been on for short spells this week.

[urban.spaceman]

I'm still in shorts, shirt and jandals until November.

[RoboFox]

I'll stick it on for an hour when the toilet water is frozen, just so I can take a poop without it bouncing back out.

 

If it was up to my other half it'd be on all year round.

[Crinklyfox]

Never turn it off, just adjust the thermostat.

[AKCJ]

It's still 20 odd degrees outside during the day ffs.

 

[Guest Col city fan]

We’re on that Hive thingy.

It’s brill to be fair. I can turn up the heating from my phone anywhere with an internet connection.

Lying in bed, feeling the house is a bit chilly, pick mi phone up and hey presto.

(Lazy I know)..

[Guest Col city fan]

44 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Do you live on your own?

 

If you've got a partner, who decides when it gets cold enough? I think it's cold enough now but the wife doesn't (hence the discussions as to when we turn it on!)

Our situation sounds very similar..

Mrs Col will be sitting in the lounge wearing a thin top, with the central heating blasting away!

That’s another good thing about Hive. I can sneakily turn the heating down...

[Izzy]

12 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

It's still 20 odd degrees outside during the day ffs.

 

It's that 'warmer out than in' time of year

[Innovindil]

1 hour ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Do you live on your own?

 

If you've got a partner, who decides when it gets cold enough? I think it's cold enough now but the wife doesn't (hence the discussions as to when we turn it on!)

Nah live with my partner. She works nights so it pretty much falls to me as to when it's cold enough. We don't really use the central heating because it costs a bomb to heat the whole house, when really we only need 1 or 2 rooms heating. So we've got a couple of those electric fire heater things that shimmy throughout the house 

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 hours ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

They've just been discussing this on Test Match Special and the conversation has already started in our household.

 

My wife puts it off until as late as possible and makes me and the kids wear an extra layer. Personally, I'd have it on now as I feel the cold but it costs a bloody fortune.

 

So what do you do? Is there a specific date you switch it on and who decides when? There's also the psychological implications that the act can represent the beginning of winter and therefore people delay it as long as they can. And what temperature do you set it on? I've seen households range from 17-25 degrees but we settle on about 19. 

 

Lets have a heated debate 

Not on yet, probably on and off in Oct, timed settings by Nov. Between 18-21 degrees.

 

Having said that if we put it on now at 19, it wouldn't come on as the reading on the thermostat hasn't dropped below 20 yet. Think our house is pretty well insulated.

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

45 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

We’re on that Hive thingy.

It’s brill to be fair. I can turn up the heating from my phone anywhere with an internet connection.

Lying in bed, feeling the house is a bit chilly, pick mi phone up and hey presto.

(Lazy I know)..

Does this mean you can go out on your own and bake your family?

 

Or freeze them?

 

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Not on yet, probably on and off in Oct, timed settings by Nov. Between 18-21 degrees.

 

Having said that if we put it on now at 19, it wouldn't come on as the reading on the thermostat hasn't dropped below 20 yet. Think our house is pretty well insulated.

 

That's a good point - ours isn't. 

 

I think there may be some government scheme where you can get help with the cost of loft insulation or something. Should look into it really as it makes quite a big difference I'm led to believe...