How warm/cold is your home without heating?

woodpecker · Post by **woodpecker** » 03 Dec 2010, 10:43

I'm interested in knowing

- what temperature you aim to achieve at home (everywhere, certain core locations) by heating
- what you think your internal temperature would fall to without heating (for example, now), and whether you would be able to tolerate that day to day

Obviously, the temp inside is going to be a product of the temp outside (and others far better informed than me will be able to talk about temperature gradients over time with buildings and all that jazz)

But: how would we fare without heating? Are we just a bunch of softies? Do we need more heating because of sedentary work? What do people live with in other places?

Edit: when I say internal temperature, I mean temp indoors - not body temp!

featherstick · Post by **featherstick** » 03 Dec 2010, 12:06

I'm keeping the place at about 14C, wearing thermals and wool, and occasionally throwing a scarf on. Pretty comfortable for me and the boy, but I suspect SWMBO will turn it up when she gets back.

Without heating it would be very cold indeed.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 03 Dec 2010, 12:16

I can't imagine making our house thermally optimal - so we will cheat and will soon move to a smaller more eco place.

This shows of course that our housing stock will never be 'fixed' .. some problems ... like freezing houses ... are intractable, at least en masse.

tomhitchman · Post by **tomhitchman** » 03 Dec 2010, 12:50

I don't heat my place at all, bar a wood stove in one room, mostly just evenings, but when really cold then start it mid afternoon.

Thermals, walking boots, big quitlted jacket and hat are enough during the day.

I had a electronic thermometer last year and was fine with this down to an internal temperature of 12.5C.

I went away during a cold period and downstairs in the basement, where the bedrooms and bathroom is, was 8C when I returned after a week.

I always wear a hat to bed, and extra coats dressing gown etc keep me warm enough at night on top of the duvet.

Even showering is fine, I put the plug in the bath so the rising water keeps my feet warm, I dry whilst still standing in the bath and put my waiting clothes straight on.

In the year to 1st December I used 1100 kwhs of electricity and 118 cubic feet of gas, around 3770 kwhs.

I had solar thermal and PV installed towards the end of September so expect these to fall to around 300/400 and 2000kwhs respectively in a full year.

My target is for an 80% reduction in non renewable energy use in this current year to 1st Dec 2011 compared to average usage in my local area.

Other targets are to get an increasing proportion of my income from activities related to carbon reduction from individuals locally, keep getting work where I can cycle there to do it, and build networks to support people in their quest to become more sustainable.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 03 Dec 2010, 12:54

Gosh, you're walking the walk as well as talking the talk ...

frank_begbie · Post by **frank_begbie** » 03 Dec 2010, 13:49

I never have my heating on unless it goes down to -8 or below.

Recently acquired a pair of these, and they make a hell of a difference.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Army-Surplus-Ther ... 7dbbaff133

I can sit at my PC all night with no problem with a pair of long johns a pair of track suit bottoms and those over the top.

Currently looking for one of the thermal jackets that will enable me to take of one of my fleeces off

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 03 Dec 2010, 14:00

Thermal jacket? THERMAL JACKET? Huh! We were brought up in minus 30 degrees C wearing just a Tescos carrier bag ... and we were luckier than most in our street!

Oh, sorry ... wrong sketch ...

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 03 Dec 2010, 14:01

OK I'm a softy. I have a wife with arthritis (and a little myself this week) and two youngish kids.

The gas heating is set at 18C with individual room thermostats. It's on 12 - 14 hours a day, and keeps most of the house in the 18 -20 C range. One room is left cooler (about 15) and we heat one with a wood stove in the evenings. We wind it up when the in-law visits.

Solar hot water doesn't do much this time of year. We heat water with gas. The tank is well insulated and any leakage heats our bedroom.

We average one bath between the 4 of us each day. We recently fitted a smaller bath. Filled to about 4-6 inches.

Without the gas, the only heating would be solar gain (minimal) and waste heat from the occupants and electricity. We might manage 5C above outside average temperatures, but y family would leave - or more likely kick me out

featherstick · Post by **featherstick** » 03 Dec 2010, 15:00

frank_begbie wrote: I can sit at my PC all night with no problem with a pair of long johns a pair of track suit bottoms and those over the top.

Pretty much the mental picture I had of you, Begbie....

contadino · Post by **contadino** » 03 Dec 2010, 15:06

It has to be -42ºC. Only when the piss turns to an icicle on the end of my knob will I light the stove. And when I say light, I mean 'put a candle in the grate for effect'.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 03 Dec 2010, 15:08

featherstick wrote:
frank_begbie wrote: I can sit at my PC all night with no problem with a pair of long johns a pair of track suit bottoms and those over the top.

Pretty much the mental picture I had of you, Begbie....

Hmmm. Not a pretty sight, I'm sure.

Our little house is heated by pallet wood. We burn a couple a night. It's still comfortable during the day with decent layers on.

re · Post by re » 03 Dec 2010, 15:13

contadino wrote:It has to be -42ºC. Only when the piss turns to an icicle on the end of my knob will I light the stove. And when I say light, I mean 'put a candle in the grate for effect'.

:lol::lol:
Just put some thermals on you'll be fine. I do shut some of the windows when it gets to -42, but that's only to stop the snow getting in.

Post by **clv101** » 03 Dec 2010, 15:42

Back on topic... I have an indoors/outdoors thermometer and have being paying close attention to the delta. Without any heating, I was regularly seeing only a 3-4C delta when it was 12C outside it might be 15-16C inside, 10C outside, 13-14C inside.

At the moment we do have the heating on and the delta is far larger, -3 outside and 14C inside.

I don't really want to experiment with how low the indoor temperature would get without heating, when it's a few degrees below outside!

Kieran · Post by **Kieran** » 03 Dec 2010, 15:51

My flat's just 7 or 8 degrees in the unheated rooms, 16 in the lounge and 11-14 in the kitchen.Ice on the windows inside at night.It's pretty tough going actually as I'm disabled and not able to move around enough to generate much body heat. It's a council flat with no insulation to speak of, there's a PFI scheme due to start next year to upgrade housing in my area - assuming it doesn't get cancelled due to a banking collapse or anything.

Brrrr....really hope this isn't the start of a long term trend of harsh winters.

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 03 Dec 2010, 16:05

It's a really good question, as we just have a wood stove we can't set a thermostat or anything so our target temperature is just whatever we feel comfortable with. During the week we are both out at work all day so there is nobody to keep the fire in, consequently in the evenings we have the fire roaring away and by the time we go to bed very often the house has only just got up to temperature. Showers in the morning are a very, shall we say invigorating experience.

At the weekend the house is warmer as we are in to tend the stove. But I have wondered how we would fare if we ran out of logs in one of these very cold snaps. The house gets very cold. I could put another layer of insulation in the loft but other than that it would mean tackling the solid walls somehow, which is a major piece of work.

I have gone without heating for a week or so in winter before now, and it was not pleasant.