AIBU

Jalimall houses don’t have insulation underneath the cold water tank, if it does then it will freeze.
We don’t have a combi boiler, just an old oil fired boiler that sounds like a train.

We had one like that once, took up half the kitchen!

Well, I'm not a plumber. Our cold water tank had blue insulation around it but I must admit I never inspected the underneath bit.

ps the kitchen was nice and warm though

We`ve never had central heating until a few months ago, still trying to understand it. At the moment it`s not quite warm enough, and my daughters tell me to turn up the thermostats on the radiators, but I`m reluctant to touch them in case I do something wrong! So we have the gas fire on as well for most of the day, the C/H goes off at 2am and back on again at 8am.

travelsafar on the one hand I think you have good reason to be annoyed since you have a limited budget but since your DH is on ESA perhaps he has a medical condition that makes him need the heat. Have you sat down together and worked out a budget to cover your bills and have you explained your concerns?
It is very cold just now isn't it! I can't fathom how he can wear so little and be warm enough even with the heating on. Personally I have several layers on including a set of silk thermals. We are currently not having the heating on at night but I don't like it. My DH keeps a very close eye on the finances and the meter readings but if necessary he has the heating on as much as it takes as well as the log burner. We have also had an electric radiator and a fan heater on at times this last week. We are not moving around much so get cold fairly easily so I have also made up hot water bottles anď had a throw over us and plenty of hot drinks. Going back to our childhood in many ways although no central heating then of course.

Jalimall, you’re right, kitchen is so toasty, however we have to keep the door closed because the sound of the crockery rattling in the cupboards keeps us awake!
As for thermostatic rad valves callgirl, whack those babies up to the highest number, just try one if you are unsure.
Keep warm everyone

The heated throws are amazingly warm and cheap to run, I find my useful to treat my Fibro and Arthritis and have loaned it to a friend who can't afford to heat his rather cold home over the winter.

I had heating put in this year, electric air con. it has been wonderful and affordable, much though I love my wood burner it is hard work.

I think we are well off now we all have fleeces to wear, so cosy and easy wash etc.

Maybe you could treat your husband to something he can feel comfortable in.

Sorry but I'm with your husband. I hate wearing outdoor clothes inside & prefer something light. DH wears a bit more than me though. Even in this weather, we don't tend to put the heating on before mid afternoon as we have a log burner in our kitchen where we spend a large part of the day.

Oh and the heating goes off at 10pm so it's not on all that long. Our house is 500 years old with metre-thick walls and does hold the heat quite well

Compromise .....can be the only answer. When he’s otherwise occupied, maybe turn the thermostat down a bit! We have a bit of that in our house-and you can see from the replies how different we all are! Perhaps when the bill comes in, he might think a little differently as well, next year!

I don't think you're being unreasonable Travelsifar, I'd be furious and insist he puts on at least another thermal layer.
I understand your worry about the bills. I wonder if you're elible for the warm home scheme where £140 is paid to your energy supplier to help with costs, also the cold weather payment of £25 for each week the temperature drops below freezing. I think you only get these if either of you is on sort of benefit but worth investigating.

aahh, bit of compromise wouldn't go amiss! That said our house is like a thermonuclear plant as my OH has rheumatoid arthritis so has to have a warm environment. I have sjogrens syndrome and I'm more comfortable in a cool environment, preferably cool and misty or my corneas can crack! He sits infront of the fire, I sit next to the window!!

Any sort of benefit!

Our heating is on 24/7 and set at 22, this week we have had a fan heater in use just to boost the room temperature before we sit in front of the TV.
I could not live with a partner that thought it was okay to turn down the heat and just put extra layers on, a home should be comfortable not an endurance test.

My DH is the same. Heating on all the time and trying to keep the lounge at 21 degrees. He wears thermal undies, jeans, shirt and jumper and sometimes has a blanket too. I am sitting in jogging bottoms and tshirt and am too hot. Mind you he does have bronchitis at the moment and needs to keep warm. I think our electric bill will be up. We don’t have gas here.

I've had heating on 24hours set at 15 I thought this might have cost me more but had my latest email update and I'm in a little credit .I live in an old bungalow and in previous years when I had the timer going on and off was often cold however this winter have rarely felt the cold and when I do I wear a fleece .

All we can do is control our own behaviour.

Take chill pill and stop trying to control your husband.

We have the heating on all day at the moment. I have started wearing a tee shirt under my sweater, but that's the only layering I will do. I hate being overdressed indoors. Our heat is off at night because I can't sleep in a warm room.

By him proper thermal underwear. It is so thin nowadays he will hardly know he is wearing it. Also get him a heated throw for your sofa. I bought one from argos. Then turn the thermostat down

You're being totally reasonable. You could either buy him a thermal long sleeve vest or suggest he warms up by, for example, cleaning the bathroom! That always warms me up!
Ignore him & turn the heating back down. T shirts are for warm days. Some men eh!

My mother always wore her hat indoors in winter ‘it keeps my head warm’ said she. However this was the 1950’s/1960’s. One coal fire lit at 4.00 pm when I came home from school. A calor oil stove on in the bathroom overnight in case the pipes froze and the oven on in the kitchen when we had breakfast. Thank goodness for central heating at whatever temperature!

annodomini, you brought a wide grin to my face when you mentioned gloves. Fact is I prefer my bedroom coolish but when I wake up through the night and have a read on goes a single woollen glove for the one part of me which is not snug as a bug. The hand that deals with the kindle or ipad. I've tried propping and gadgets but in the end hand works best. Often wonder what my children would think if they discovered this. That thought makes me laugh too. All good!

I wear lots of layers, which are not thick, they are made of natural fibres such as silk, or cotton for vests, and thermals. Then its wool such as alpaca for socks, trousers and tops. My husband has finally taken my lead and started to layer up in the house but still has the heating on at 23. The probably left is my hands, and so I wear finger less gloves which means I can do things and keep my fingers warm. We are now very warm and cosy and having stocked up during the warning period we are up set up until the snow goes away, which hopefully will be by next week.

That was a bit harsh Grampie. The poster is worried about the bills with their limited finances, she is asking him to add a layer to his summer clothing during this cold spell so that they can turn down the heating and afford to pay the bill. That’s not controlling behaviour it’s partnership, give and take.

In our house I like it warmer than my husband so we compromise, the thermostat is set at 15 while we’re moving around and 21 when we’re relaxing and I put on an extra layer.
Strangely we are the opposite in the car. I take off my coat and like a low heat, he wears a parka and has hot air at full blast in his face.
I suspect it’s because he thinks it’s free in the car!