hi everyone I'm just asking if anyone is using heating these months?
I haven't used my heater since April. I still do need to wear my thick housecoat at home, though.

love satchi

my heating came on by mistake a few weeks ago, because I left the portable thermostat thingy in my office with the window open overnight. But apart from that no. I think we try and keep it off from April to late october - as long as possible!

I think if you are working at home, then you tend to get a bit sluggish and cold because you aren't getting the blood pumping. Maybe try and jump around a bit :-) Or go for a lunchtime walk?

In the evenings I have a sofa duvet if it gets cold.

Well I only took my electric blanket off the bed a month ago & I am now wishing it were back on! Heating was put back on a couple of nights ago as I refuse to be cold (it was 13 deg max earlier this week); husband lit a log fire on Tuesday.

(I do sugffer terribly from the cold though)

yeah, have been using it a bit the last few weeks. but then i live in scotland, and i think our summer has been and gone!

yeah, have been using it a bit the last few weeks. but then i live in scotland, and i think our summer has been and gone!

I was going to add that I live "in 't hills" in a stone farmhouse

can I swap? I live in the south east and apart from 2 days of rain recently its been SO hot, I think it was 32 at the weekend. I HATE the hot weather :-(

Purplecat, I live in Scotland and I think the summer has gone too.
Satchi, I use the heating at home in the evenings and electric blanket to warm the bed otherwise it's too cold here. I work at the office and there is no heating there though. I suffer from the cold very much and am used to real hot summers (in my home town it's 35°C now).  I hate Scotland for this.

hi Sneaks, Blue, Jepsonclough, Purplecat, everyone
Im in north yorkshire, not as cold as up in Scotland I guess.
I'm trying not to use the heating---stretching this as long as possible :-) :-)
An electric blanket is really a good idea, I should get one. Perhaps this weekend.

Im still paying my bill quarterly. Does it make a lot of difference going on direct debit?
I remember my friends on direct debit pay a similar amount to what I use; but then again perhaps it will be better in the long term if there are discounts. I was told by Npower that I can wait until the next quarterly bill before going on direct debit so the estimate is there. Either that or I start paying whatever they estimate.

love satchi

YOu need a bed before you can use an electric blanket! Unless its an over-blanket.

I *think* direct debit is cheaper - although hubby deals with the maths stuff :$

You can read your own meter though and phone them up so they don't estimate the bills - it can work out cheaper some months (obviously it all evens out in the end), so it may be that in november you use the heating loads, but in december you go to your parents house for 3 weeks, but they'll estimate your december bill on your november usage - so if you read the meter you won't have to pay more in december. I hope that makes sense!

I haven't got the heating on but I wish I did! It seems like us students are a cold blooded lot lol. I live in the South East too but the last couple of days have been chilly - we live right on the coast (can see the sea) and it tends to be much cooler than inland - I hate the cold - I was shivering earlier and felt rough so thought maybe I had a temperature, grabbed the thermometer and I was clinically hypothermic - what's that about??? Its July for heaven's sake! I'm stuggling to get my temp up to 36C! Having said that... heating... what's heating? We have no central heating to speak of and only a couple of open fires and some ridiculously small radiators - add that to a timber frame and you FREEZE! I'm so dreading the winter again :-( Oh, and I'm another for electric blankets lol ;-)

On the monthly payments, I'm not sure it works out that much cheaper, but at least you know what you're going to have to pay rather than nasty bills. If at the end of the year you're in credit its either paid back if its enough or simply carried over and your payments drop. I've paid this way for years as there's nothign worse than a stonking great bill just after Christmas!

Electric blanket was husband's idea as we ALWAYS argue about bedding - if I had my way we would have a 15 tog duvet on 12 months a year and if he had his way it would be a 3 tog duvet 6 months a year and a sheet for the rest. I have had sleep problems for a long time but since having the heated blanket they have been better.

What is wrong with you all?? I am sitting here in Scotland with the windows still open most evenings and all night in the bedroom most nights.

Haven't you heard of global warming? Put on a jumper or buy a slanket ;-)

I'll tell you what's wrong. I don't know what it's like north of the border, but where I am if I leave my window open I get massive moths flying in. These aren't just any moths either. They're kamikaze moths that dive bomb, so big and thick that they sound like bats flapping their wings. Instead, I'm resigned to having to keep my windows closed, just listening to them butt my window - bumph, bumph, bumph. I hate summer.

When I left my office window open a couple of weeks ago during the warm weather, when I returned (having been the departmental hero for killing a wasp in a colleagues office while she (normally a toughy) hid in the corridor) there were two pigeons on my desk as which point I ran screaming down the corridor, threw my keys into the Head of Department's hand and shreaked "pigeons, desk, get rid, PLEASE". By the time he and two colleaguse who had come to see what the fuss was, the pigeons had gone which led to questions about whether they were really there.