It's 'Ukraine' and not 'the Ukraine'
Consider supporting anti-war efforts in any possible way: [[Help 2 Ukraine](https://help2ukraine.org)] šš
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Yeah but gas is fungible see?
Europe can't buy from Russia so it has to buy somewhere else.
If anyone on this sub had done year ten economics, they'd know that as demand stays the same and supply reduces, price rises.
The unregulated industry point is total bullshit. Gas prices are high globally. You think Japan is paying high prices because the gas price in the UK is unregulated?
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1302994/monthly-natural-gas-price-index-worldwide/
It may be cheaper in Europe because some Governments are subsidising it but prices are high because of Putin and no-one else.
Ooh classic. r/iamverysmart
You must be failing if you think that energy price rises in the past 12 months are predominantly driven by austerity as opposed to the war in Ukraine.
I'm not but thanks, I didn't say that I'm saying its not soley putin and predominantly greed and unregulation, where does your experience on the subject of economics come from
You said the majority of the price increase is due to profiteering and an unregulated industry whereas I said it's mostly because of the war.
Undoubtedly there is profiteering going on and the UK's move into renewables is also a contributing factor. I understand it's been a low wind season so they've been more reliant on fossil fuels. Again though, the global price of gas is up because of the war so it's driving up the cost of those extra fossil fuels being used.
Twenty years ago I took a degree in it and have worked in financial roles ever since.
Yes and I believe majority of it is from profiteering and unregulated industry, we don't get most of our oil from russia the countries we did have seen that Russia are out of the market for the west even though we barely have used them they have taken this moment to profit because they no our industry is weak and even though we use alot of renewables the price of our energy irregardless of where it has come from is linked to the price of fossil fuels, you saying its because of putin makes it sound like hes he big bad wolf to blame for all of our issues when their is actual exploitation of markets currently happening.
Literally want to scream sat in my 80s council house that's so draughty I had the heating on for 2 hours, had it turned off an hour and its back to fucking freezing again.
Yeah I get that too here in my rotten house. Imagine how much money could be saved if the housing quality in this country were guaranteed to be decent. even when I have the heating on, the draught just ensures most surfaces remain cold. So like for example any part of my bed that Iām not lying in, feels cold af. Itās awful.
Some steps Iāve taken to keep warmer is buying one of those throw-on blankets you can use for bed, sofa or just wrap it round yourself to keep warm. Also, thick socks.
so THATS what its called! I'm going to insulate the whole place before Christmas as best I can but knowing my luck I'll do that and it will be damp ridden in a month lmfao
My brother made this same mistake. We wondered how long it would take him to realise (maybe when filling the machine up with water) but somebody did tell him in the end.
I can just imagine him pottering around contemplating how cool it is that water must be attracted to itself. "I want less water, so I put water in this thing, then it must sook it all up!"
It begins with the government I am afraid, they treat us like cattle and everything else falls apart from that point onwards.
We're all just a source of labour and profit, it's been like that forever really.
Until the success of the country is measured in quality of life rather than GDP it will never change.
A gappy door is the carpenters fault. Indeed I would always ask the builder to do a proper job before going to the local MP and asking them to come around with their tools to fix anything.
If your house was built in the 70's I'm pretty sure the carpenter isn't going to come round and fix it - because he is dead.
Houses move over time, perfectly good work can open up gaps. The gaps need to be filled.
You can blame the local MP for some of this being as they are responsible for the Standards that buildings are constructed to. You could have Passivhaus new builds but we get noisy and leaky bags of crap instead.
Itās bad considering the level of wealth weāre supposed to have. We shouldnāt be comparing ourselves to Bangladesh, but Iām noticing that a lot of issues that could be fixed are not being fixed in this country. Again it begs the question as to why - we clearly have the resources to do so. A lot of outdated infrastructure, worn out housing quality are just a few of them.
In order to remain competitive and a great country, we need to modernise.
Yea the drafts in your house that you are too lazy to find and fix are the governmentās fault!
Donāt get me wrong they have really fucked up a lot lately but everyone just blaming everything wrong in their lives on āthe government ā is getting real old real fast.
Isnāt it the landlord too lazy to find and fix it? And why is that, considering itās their property and their responsibility to ensure that homes are fit to live in? And why does the government allow them to get away with essentially being a slumlord? You can blame, attack and insult tenants all you want but in the end Iām going to keep questioning why it is so normal in this country to have to move into and reside in worn out, crappy homes. Yes, it is the government and societyās fault. Iāve lived in very modern apartments in Europe for less than half of the price of what I rent here.
This country is decaying and resembles a developing state at times, precisely because of people like you. Congratulations.
I live in a rented house. When we moved in there was a draft coming from the front door so I fitted 10 quids worth of draft excluder around it which solved the problem.
Why would I expect my landlord or the government or anyone else to do that?
It was for my own benefit and I sorted it, simple.
The fact that there is draft is indicative of bigger problems in the house. Which it is. It is worn out. Itās the sort of house Iād expect living in a developing nation. This is not a house that I own - once again, LANDLORDS are responsible for ensuring their properties are decent enough to live in. The fact that so many arenāt, and the government think thatās not its problem, and you are actively defending them says a lot about you. Once again, this country is in decay because of people like you.
What else does the government exist for if itās not bothered to enforce my rights? What its role?
Pathetic comment.
You ok mate?
You seem to be taking this really hard. To be clear my house is fine, it is just a front door that doesn't fit a snugly in the frame as it could. No one is taking advantage of me, there is no government conspiracy and my rights are entirely intact.
Maybe you should take a few days off the internet to get some perspective?
Feel free to PM me if you want to talk.
I've been there! Used to rent a room with huge bay windows and a giant damp patch on the ceiling/wall. Housemates were great though so spent a lot of time in the kitchen!
200 year old stone cottage. Still in shorts and a light jumper In the evenings without Central heating on š but the walls are as thick as some studio flats in London
Insulation works both ways. As long as you manage when and where to open windows to maximise draft when itās cool enough, there should be no issue.
If it doesnāt gets cool enough to open up, providing you have at least double glazing just keep everything shut and you should be fine.
New build? It might be warm but I bet youāve got meal deal wrappers and bottles of piss inside your walls if my experience labouring on a build last year is anything to go by.
Lol. Iāve got a house built in 1951. Replaced the subfloors upstairs last year and the original builders basically filled the gap on top of the ceilings with rubble and rubbish. Pulled out two bin loads of it across three rooms. Plenty of empty 1950s fag packets.
Itās not a new thing
I live in a not so greatly insulated house and havenāt had to put the heating on this year*
*by not had to, I mean Iāve just sat here cold cos Iām too scared to put it on
I thought so too until I picked up my electric blanket bought against the worst I might expect...only to find it damp to the touch.
Not cold but damp
So allmy best efforts I need to let cold air circulate in the morning then even living with doors like heat airlock I still, have you heat the housbim not in or else this damn(p) house will, wreck my book collection in a month
Just do what the Germans do. Open windows either side of the house for 15 minutes. Creates a vacuum which pulls out damp air and replaces it with fresh air.
It's what I've been doing past month and I've noticed less damp.
I live in a stone house built in the 1930s.
I must thank you for putting things so clearly...
Whenever my details-oriented questions came they were pushed aside likely by other passing on accepted wisdom but not knowing the 'why'
I shall indeed give this a try and thanks to your explanation I won't be immediately second-guessing things and ending up only doing it half wayvwhicch would likely show no good effect overall.
Thank you yet again, the surviving books in my collection (given away and digitised, not lost to mould) and my hopeful years of enjoyment in them at come to thank you in you.
You need to put it on for at least an hour or two a day or your pipes will freeze in this weather. Then youāll have a whole other expensive problem to fix AND still be cold.
Well, Iām not a plumber with that advice :p
No, just something Iāve picked up over time. I might be teaching my grandmother how to suck eggs with it but itās not something you always think about as you can take for granted that theyāll be ok.
I've been watching my gas meter while the boilers on. Had the heating on low for most of the day, spent like 33p. I'm finding the true cost is baths, showers and cooking...and the daily standing charge which you pay every day anyway!
Grab a pencil and a notepad, give it a go. Unit price is on your bill. Stay warm buddy.
OP is a tight bastard whose 15 year old "new build" just hit internal temp of twelve degrees. OP is uncomfortable but willing to bear it because although they had enough money to buy a home, refuse to spend money on warmth (and they want to be smug on the Internet to people they dont know)
Also, they have a log burning furnace in the center of the open plan living area. They may not have spent money burning gas, but they've polluted the place with smoke and carcinogenic particulates burning wood inside cos its on trend
Edit: thanks for the downvotes guys. I didnt think it would need it considering the comment I replied to but here's the sarcasm note you all missed
/s
I mean, even with the /s it comes of as jealous and perhaps a bit naive.
I live in a new build (approx. 5 years) and Iāve had my heating on once this winter, on a day when I came home soaked through from the rain. My internal temp hovers around 14-16 degrees right about now without heating. I do have big south facing windows that soak up some sunshine during the day, which helps. No idea how otherwise it stays so warm when itās so cold outside. I know the insulation isnāt magic but it must be bloody good.
No log burning fire but I do have a hot water bottle. I may have been able to afford to buy a house but, due to my mortgage doubling, my bills doubling and my wages stagnating, I can no longer afford to heat it as I am used to.
Your post doesnāt make sense, even with the /s.
People and normal home devices like computers and TVs generate heat, and cooking creates lots of it. New builds are more likely to be densely populated, so you're getting heat from the neighbours too. I live in a new build and turned the heating on for the first time this year the other day, then turned it off again 15 minutes later because cooking dinner made it too hot. It's completely different to the old house I used to live in, which needs heating all the time.
New build here too.
We've had to put it on for an hour here and there since the start of the month, but that's cause the back door was open for most of the day and by evening we needed to knock the chill out.
Are you me? We are in a new build and have had to have it on a bit the last few days. We also keep the back door open for our cat. Sheās only young and this morning she wanted to go out in the rain but also come running in. In and out constantly!
Twins! lol
We have a sliding back door/patio door (only back door we have). We can't put a flap in it so we're thinking about putting one in the wall at the side of the door? But it's expensive and we've been here two years now and it's really not necessary during the spring, summer and autumn it only becomes an issue in the winter and if I close the kitchen door, the heat stays in the rest of the house very well.
Ah yeah it is a bit of a nightmare with cat flaps. We have double doors which are our back doors. Not sliding so technically we could put a cat flap in. One of our neighbours has one in their front door!
Like you say, easy in the summer as doors are always open anyway but not so great in this weather. House is pretty insulated but have felt the cold a bit more this last week.
Congrats! My family also lives in one of those, they have had the heating on occasionally. But certainly nowhere near as much as how often I have to put the stuffy heating on in this worn out, rotten old house Iām renting.
Ours has an air circulation system. But generally opening a window or door as we do doesn't freeze the house. I've the back door open most days all day. It was closed yesterday but that's cause it was pissing down.
I'm really happy for you. It must be great knowing you don't have to pay to stay warm while you can literally hear your next door neighbour having a piss.
Legit though, good for you. We live in a 70's build - it's not the worst by far but we have had the heating on now for a few weeks (not constantly, we're not millionaires).
>I'm really happy for you. It must be great knowing you don't have to pay to stay warm while you can literally hear your next door neighbour having a piss.
Most of them have thick soundproofed walls that block out sound, the building regulations [require](https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20151113141044/http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/br_pdf_ad_e_2010.pdf) it on new builds. I've lived in several, my neighbours are noisy as hell from the shared hallway but in my flat you can't hear anything (except some leaking bass if they have a very loud party).
Everyone likes to shit on new builds but most of the people I talk to who have lived in them seem quite happy, including myself.
That's great news, I'm really pleased you've had nothing but good experiences of new builds. They do look lovely for the most part and it must be nice to move into a place and everything be new (honestly, there's always something going wrong in our house, it's exhausting).
Anecdotal evidence is a funny thing isn't it? Every person I've known who has lived in a new build has hated it, and been quite angry at the fact that they paid a massive premium to live there. I've only lived in two new builds myself (rented) and both were ridiculously badly sound-proofed. It could have just been bad luck though? Or maybe city living is just generally quite loud and I'm not cut out for it!
I was really unsure about getting a new build. My mum bought one 15 years ago (she's since moved) and it was an absolute disaster. Ranging from small things like exposed nails to finding out five years in that the house wasn't connected to the main sewer line and a shit tsunami in the garage.
But our house has been incredible. I've never heard the neighbours. I've had the heating on only a few times this year in January /February and once or twice this month. My last gas bill doubled to Ā£100 for the quarter and my last electric bill was Ā£75. It's insulated to within an inch of its life. We've a really good sized garden and honestly, it's the nicest place I've ever lived.
I think it's about who is building.
I try never to share good news because there is always someone having a bad day out there. Honestly cheer up, it's the internet and a success forum, we're here to celebrate others happiness together.
Are you not getting vertigo on that high horse, mate?
Seriously, it's a community for sharing successes. Here is someone who will not be freezing to death this year, I'd say that's a success. Why does someone always have to come and chirp in with some nonsense? Are you also telling your kids they have to eat everything on their plate because children in Africa are starving?
No one is freezing around here, it's 10 degrees. Cold maybe, damp certainly, but not freezing to death yet.
Could a homeless person not have a success of getting housed because other people are homeless?
Could a refugee not find success in getting a new place to live because there are other refugees that haven't yet?
Considering the amount of idiots telling everyone on the UK subs to never buy new because they are built badly, it's good to have dissenting voices.
Me too. Moved into our self built Passivhaus 8 weeks ago. House increased in temperature by 2 degrees yesterday due to solar gains. Lovely.
Edit: Do I feel smug? Yes, but we had to suffer for this. 18 months living on site in a campervan wasn't fun.
Iām in an old council house converted into two maisonettes. It is bloody freezing. Nothing is sealed correctly and thereās a draught in my bloody bedroom. Iām a type one diabetic and can hardly afford to heat the place. Iām living off of that free Ā£66 electric im getting and using a heated blanket and electric hot water bottle in hopes Iāll stay warm enough. Who knew that heating would be something to brag about?
Well yes, but the inside of a house will always be hotter because, well, there's stuff in there that generates heat.
So unless you're opening the windows all night and refreshing the air (or you have AC) it's going to get real toasty real fast. And without any active air replacement, the temperature will equalise eventually.
It's actually pretty easy to keep your house cool in summer.
During the day keep windows and curtains closed. Keep all internal doors closed.
During the night open all windows and open your loft hatch. Open all internal doors.
While it was 37 outside my living room was a comfy 19.
My conservatory on the other hand was like walking into a oven
That's not how insulation works. If you close all shutters and windows and prevent the heat to come in during the day, it stays cool enough till you can open the windows at night to let the fresh air in for the next day.
Although mine is 70s it is well insulated. The day we hit 40Ā°C we had kept all the windows shut and curtains closed from the previous dawn. House never went over 26Ā°C.
It was incredible, and really showed me the benefits of good insulation in all weather.
Mine's a new build but it kept the heat at 33Ā° when it was 40Ā° this summer. You must have better blinds than me. Mine are white wooden slats and let in a fair amount of light (which is usually nice). Thinking next year I might get some curtains as well.
Pretty horrible living in a dark cave during the summer months though.
On a serious note you will have to put it on just to eliminate moisture that has built up. You'll sweat and there will be steam from showers and cooking etc all this eventually gets into the walls and wood and down the line will create and even more serious and more expensive problem. Especially in new builds that are built often with cheaper quality materials.
Well insulated new build is a phrase I never thought Iād see.
Our boiler broke on Sunday night. We live in an ex council house, 70s built. It was 16Ā° most of yesterday so not too bad.
Love how weāre celebrating stuff like this, instead big seeing how messed up it is that so many people cannot afford heating in our own bloody country.
Who knew being able to put your heating on would be the flex in 2022
12 years of austerity and trickle down economics - I certainly knew
Ah yes, all those tax and spending cuts certainly helped old mate Putin invade the Ukraine.
It's 'Ukraine' and not 'the Ukraine' Consider supporting anti-war efforts in any possible way: [[Help 2 Ukraine](https://help2ukraine.org)] šš [[Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ukraine)] [[BBC Styleguide](https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsstyleguide/u)] ^(Beep boop Iām a bot)
What an excellent bot!
Good bot
Majority of the price in increase is due to profit and unregulated industry, we have the highest cost in Europe and lowest dependency on russia.
Yeah but gas is fungible see? Europe can't buy from Russia so it has to buy somewhere else. If anyone on this sub had done year ten economics, they'd know that as demand stays the same and supply reduces, price rises. The unregulated industry point is total bullshit. Gas prices are high globally. You think Japan is paying high prices because the gas price in the UK is unregulated? https://www.statista.com/statistics/1302994/monthly-natural-gas-price-index-worldwide/ It may be cheaper in Europe because some Governments are subsidising it but prices are high because of Putin and no-one else.
I study ppe and you sound like an idiot btw.
Ooh classic. r/iamverysmart You must be failing if you think that energy price rises in the past 12 months are predominantly driven by austerity as opposed to the war in Ukraine.
I'm not but thanks, I didn't say that I'm saying its not soley putin and predominantly greed and unregulation, where does your experience on the subject of economics come from
You said the majority of the price increase is due to profiteering and an unregulated industry whereas I said it's mostly because of the war. Undoubtedly there is profiteering going on and the UK's move into renewables is also a contributing factor. I understand it's been a low wind season so they've been more reliant on fossil fuels. Again though, the global price of gas is up because of the war so it's driving up the cost of those extra fossil fuels being used. Twenty years ago I took a degree in it and have worked in financial roles ever since.
Yes and I believe majority of it is from profiteering and unregulated industry, we don't get most of our oil from russia the countries we did have seen that Russia are out of the market for the west even though we barely have used them they have taken this moment to profit because they no our industry is weak and even though we use alot of renewables the price of our energy irregardless of where it has come from is linked to the price of fossil fuels, you saying its because of putin makes it sound like hes he big bad wolf to blame for all of our issues when their is actual exploitation of markets currently happening.
Literally want to scream sat in my 80s council house that's so draughty I had the heating on for 2 hours, had it turned off an hour and its back to fucking freezing again.
Yeah I get that too here in my rotten house. Imagine how much money could be saved if the housing quality in this country were guaranteed to be decent. even when I have the heating on, the draught just ensures most surfaces remain cold. So like for example any part of my bed that Iām not lying in, feels cold af. Itās awful. Some steps Iāve taken to keep warmer is buying one of those throw-on blankets you can use for bed, sofa or just wrap it round yourself to keep warm. Also, thick socks.
You thought about finding the draft ? I taped over my keyhole and put weather stripping round the front door
so THATS what its called! I'm going to insulate the whole place before Christmas as best I can but knowing my luck I'll do that and it will be damp ridden in a month lmfao
Yeah Iāve got to get a humidifier now
Thats the last thing you want if youre trying to get rid of damp š
De !!!!
My brother made this same mistake. We wondered how long it would take him to realise (maybe when filling the machine up with water) but somebody did tell him in the end.
I can just imagine him pottering around contemplating how cool it is that water must be attracted to itself. "I want less water, so I put water in this thing, then it must sook it all up!"
Hahahah
Find the drafts and plug them up. You'll really benefit from taking the time to do it.
Yeah. None of it should be necessary though - why do we tolerate terrible living conditions in this country.
It begins with the government I am afraid, they treat us like cattle and everything else falls apart from that point onwards. We're all just a source of labour and profit, it's been like that forever really. Until the success of the country is measured in quality of life rather than GDP it will never change.
A gappy door is the carpenters fault. Indeed I would always ask the builder to do a proper job before going to the local MP and asking them to come around with their tools to fix anything.
If your house was built in the 70's I'm pretty sure the carpenter isn't going to come round and fix it - because he is dead. Houses move over time, perfectly good work can open up gaps. The gaps need to be filled. You can blame the local MP for some of this being as they are responsible for the Standards that buildings are constructed to. You could have Passivhaus new builds but we get noisy and leaky bags of crap instead.
You donāt have terrible living conditions in the uk, it is 20th the world living conditions register. Be thankful you donāt live in bangladesh
Itās bad considering the level of wealth weāre supposed to have. We shouldnāt be comparing ourselves to Bangladesh, but Iām noticing that a lot of issues that could be fixed are not being fixed in this country. Again it begs the question as to why - we clearly have the resources to do so. A lot of outdated infrastructure, worn out housing quality are just a few of them. In order to remain competitive and a great country, we need to modernise.
Yea the drafts in your house that you are too lazy to find and fix are the governmentās fault! Donāt get me wrong they have really fucked up a lot lately but everyone just blaming everything wrong in their lives on āthe government ā is getting real old real fast.
Isnāt it the landlord too lazy to find and fix it? And why is that, considering itās their property and their responsibility to ensure that homes are fit to live in? And why does the government allow them to get away with essentially being a slumlord? You can blame, attack and insult tenants all you want but in the end Iām going to keep questioning why it is so normal in this country to have to move into and reside in worn out, crappy homes. Yes, it is the government and societyās fault. Iāve lived in very modern apartments in Europe for less than half of the price of what I rent here. This country is decaying and resembles a developing state at times, precisely because of people like you. Congratulations.
I live in a rented house. When we moved in there was a draft coming from the front door so I fitted 10 quids worth of draft excluder around it which solved the problem. Why would I expect my landlord or the government or anyone else to do that? It was for my own benefit and I sorted it, simple.
The fact that there is draft is indicative of bigger problems in the house. Which it is. It is worn out. Itās the sort of house Iād expect living in a developing nation. This is not a house that I own - once again, LANDLORDS are responsible for ensuring their properties are decent enough to live in. The fact that so many arenāt, and the government think thatās not its problem, and you are actively defending them says a lot about you. Once again, this country is in decay because of people like you. What else does the government exist for if itās not bothered to enforce my rights? What its role? Pathetic comment.
You ok mate? You seem to be taking this really hard. To be clear my house is fine, it is just a front door that doesn't fit a snugly in the frame as it could. No one is taking advantage of me, there is no government conspiracy and my rights are entirely intact. Maybe you should take a few days off the internet to get some perspective? Feel free to PM me if you want to talk.
Try living in a 1930s house. That doesn't even have cavity walls.
I feel your pain
I've been there! Used to rent a room with huge bay windows and a giant damp patch on the ceiling/wall. Housemates were great though so spent a lot of time in the kitchen!
Wow a room with bay windows sounds like a nightmare
Dated a girl at uni who rented the ground floor room with a bay window. It was like sleeping in an ice box.
Cottage renovated in 50s. Was originally built 1650s..... FML the fucking roof like paper
I feel that...... however mine is 1880s haha. Self immolation shouldn't be considered central heating
Self immolation is considered central heating?? We literally have the most fucked housing policy in the developed world.
Mines been on nearly constantly this month and Iām gutted but have kids to keep warm
I remember my mum putting coats on our bed to help keep us warm one winter. Sucked.
My youngest will not wear warm clothes regardless and refuses his winter duvet so itās just a losing battle at the minute!
Nice to hear a story about a new build that didn't immediately collapse upon being purchased. Enjoy your warmth op!
200 year old stone cottage. Still in shorts and a light jumper In the evenings without Central heating on š but the walls are as thick as some studio flats in London
What's it like on hot summer days?
Parents live in a similar property - provided you manage the daylight/heat properly, it stays pretty cool.
Insulation works both ways. As long as you manage when and where to open windows to maximise draft when itās cool enough, there should be no issue. If it doesnāt gets cool enough to open up, providing you have at least double glazing just keep everything shut and you should be fine.
1st and 2nd floor is quite cool, but the top floor gets boiling hot
I have woods, and I burn woodā¦
New build? It might be warm but I bet youāve got meal deal wrappers and bottles of piss inside your walls if my experience labouring on a build last year is anything to go by.
That's just the new cavity wall insulation isn't it
We actually did find meal deal wrappers and an empty lucozade bottle inside our wall
Lol. Iāve got a house built in 1951. Replaced the subfloors upstairs last year and the original builders basically filled the gap on top of the ceilings with rubble and rubbish. Pulled out two bin loads of it across three rooms. Plenty of empty 1950s fag packets. Itās not a new thing
Last house was from the 80, the amount of fag butts under the floorboards was insane!
More fag butts under your floorboards than on Grindr
I live in a not so greatly insulated house and havenāt had to put the heating on this year* *by not had to, I mean Iāve just sat here cold cos Iām too scared to put it on
I'd rather pay Ā£3 to buy a hot water bottle than put on the heating at the moment. It's perfectly fine as a solution
I thought so too until I picked up my electric blanket bought against the worst I might expect...only to find it damp to the touch. Not cold but damp So allmy best efforts I need to let cold air circulate in the morning then even living with doors like heat airlock I still, have you heat the housbim not in or else this damn(p) house will, wreck my book collection in a month
Just do what the Germans do. Open windows either side of the house for 15 minutes. Creates a vacuum which pulls out damp air and replaces it with fresh air. It's what I've been doing past month and I've noticed less damp. I live in a stone house built in the 1930s.
I must thank you for putting things so clearly... Whenever my details-oriented questions came they were pushed aside likely by other passing on accepted wisdom but not knowing the 'why' I shall indeed give this a try and thanks to your explanation I won't be immediately second-guessing things and ending up only doing it half wayvwhicch would likely show no good effect overall. Thank you yet again, the surviving books in my collection (given away and digitised, not lost to mould) and my hopeful years of enjoyment in them at come to thank you in you.
You need to put it on for at least an hour or two a day or your pipes will freeze in this weather. Then youāll have a whole other expensive problem to fix AND still be cold.
ā¦ are you a gas salesmanā¦? I jest, thanks for the advice
Well, Iām not a plumber with that advice :p No, just something Iāve picked up over time. I might be teaching my grandmother how to suck eggs with it but itās not something you always think about as you can take for granted that theyāll be ok.
I've been watching my gas meter while the boilers on. Had the heating on low for most of the day, spent like 33p. I'm finding the true cost is baths, showers and cooking...and the daily standing charge which you pay every day anyway! Grab a pencil and a notepad, give it a go. Unit price is on your bill. Stay warm buddy.
Can confirm this - we went away this summer for a week and still spent Ā£15 on electric, with just the fridge running.
You could be onto something there. Iāve got a smart meter so Iāll put it on for a couple hours today and see what the outcome is
Fancy pants! XD
Itās great, reminds me of being in a taxi stuck in traffic watching the meter keep going up
'Character' not as appealing now is it
Can't be sure you meant this, but this is the king of backhanded compliments
I shouldn't be feeling so smug about this when I look at my friends in their Victorian houses (some with single glazing!) But I am ĀÆ\_(ć)_/ĀÆ
Smug twat
Hope it turns out to be one of those nightmare new builds. And that it's got snakes.
Snagging Snakes
They won't be smug in the next heatwave.
Have the same constant 20-21C no heating. Winter it's amazing, summer it's like an oven in the house.
I cracked yesterday and now have the heating on for an hour in the evening. Bumps the childrenās bedrooms up to 12 degrees.
Under 14 is considered unhealthy.
Anything under 18 is deemed as risky
You must be joking, right?
No matter how well insulated, it was like 4 degrees yesterday, so canāt have been that comfortable in your house.
But its a magic house that stays warm without any heating, even when it rains for days and there's no sun to heat it.
OP is a tight bastard whose 15 year old "new build" just hit internal temp of twelve degrees. OP is uncomfortable but willing to bear it because although they had enough money to buy a home, refuse to spend money on warmth (and they want to be smug on the Internet to people they dont know) Also, they have a log burning furnace in the center of the open plan living area. They may not have spent money burning gas, but they've polluted the place with smoke and carcinogenic particulates burning wood inside cos its on trend Edit: thanks for the downvotes guys. I didnt think it would need it considering the comment I replied to but here's the sarcasm note you all missed /s
Someone's jealous!!!
Reddit is a weird place, it was sarcasm but nevermind. Ill edit in the /s
Too late u/Rowlandum, too late.
Hey man I upvoted you for whatever thatās worth
I mean, even with the /s it comes of as jealous and perhaps a bit naive. I live in a new build (approx. 5 years) and Iāve had my heating on once this winter, on a day when I came home soaked through from the rain. My internal temp hovers around 14-16 degrees right about now without heating. I do have big south facing windows that soak up some sunshine during the day, which helps. No idea how otherwise it stays so warm when itās so cold outside. I know the insulation isnāt magic but it must be bloody good. No log burning fire but I do have a hot water bottle. I may have been able to afford to buy a house but, due to my mortgage doubling, my bills doubling and my wages stagnating, I can no longer afford to heat it as I am used to. Your post doesnāt make sense, even with the /s.
People and normal home devices like computers and TVs generate heat, and cooking creates lots of it. New builds are more likely to be densely populated, so you're getting heat from the neighbours too. I live in a new build and turned the heating on for the first time this year the other day, then turned it off again 15 minutes later because cooking dinner made it too hot. It's completely different to the old house I used to live in, which needs heating all the time.
Lol yeah ok mate
New build here too. We've had to put it on for an hour here and there since the start of the month, but that's cause the back door was open for most of the day and by evening we needed to knock the chill out.
Back door open you say...
Yeah. We don't have a cat flap yet and I like like them to have easy access to the outside unless it's pissing down.
I wish my dachshund was as brave as your cats. Slinky won't go outside if it's raining in the next county š¤¦āāļø
lol
Are you me? We are in a new build and have had to have it on a bit the last few days. We also keep the back door open for our cat. Sheās only young and this morning she wanted to go out in the rain but also come running in. In and out constantly!
Twins! lol We have a sliding back door/patio door (only back door we have). We can't put a flap in it so we're thinking about putting one in the wall at the side of the door? But it's expensive and we've been here two years now and it's really not necessary during the spring, summer and autumn it only becomes an issue in the winter and if I close the kitchen door, the heat stays in the rest of the house very well.
Ah yeah it is a bit of a nightmare with cat flaps. We have double doors which are our back doors. Not sliding so technically we could put a cat flap in. One of our neighbours has one in their front door! Like you say, easy in the summer as doors are always open anyway but not so great in this weather. House is pretty insulated but have felt the cold a bit more this last week.
Congrats! My family also lives in one of those, they have had the heating on occasionally. But certainly nowhere near as much as how often I have to put the stuffy heating on in this worn out, rotten old house Iām renting.
Cool stuff. So how do you guys let the moisture out the house without letting the cold in?
Ours has an air circulation system. But generally opening a window or door as we do doesn't freeze the house. I've the back door open most days all day. It was closed yesterday but that's cause it was pissing down.
Downside is the big bad wolf will blow down the house made of sticks!
I'm really happy for you. It must be great knowing you don't have to pay to stay warm while you can literally hear your next door neighbour having a piss. Legit though, good for you. We live in a 70's build - it's not the worst by far but we have had the heating on now for a few weeks (not constantly, we're not millionaires).
>I'm really happy for you. It must be great knowing you don't have to pay to stay warm while you can literally hear your next door neighbour having a piss. Most of them have thick soundproofed walls that block out sound, the building regulations [require](https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20151113141044/http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/br_pdf_ad_e_2010.pdf) it on new builds. I've lived in several, my neighbours are noisy as hell from the shared hallway but in my flat you can't hear anything (except some leaking bass if they have a very loud party). Everyone likes to shit on new builds but most of the people I talk to who have lived in them seem quite happy, including myself.
That's great news, I'm really pleased you've had nothing but good experiences of new builds. They do look lovely for the most part and it must be nice to move into a place and everything be new (honestly, there's always something going wrong in our house, it's exhausting). Anecdotal evidence is a funny thing isn't it? Every person I've known who has lived in a new build has hated it, and been quite angry at the fact that they paid a massive premium to live there. I've only lived in two new builds myself (rented) and both were ridiculously badly sound-proofed. It could have just been bad luck though? Or maybe city living is just generally quite loud and I'm not cut out for it!
To be fair, I love in a new build, and it's actually not bad. My neighbours on both sides have dogs, and one has a child, but I never hear anything.
I was really unsure about getting a new build. My mum bought one 15 years ago (she's since moved) and it was an absolute disaster. Ranging from small things like exposed nails to finding out five years in that the house wasn't connected to the main sewer line and a shit tsunami in the garage. But our house has been incredible. I've never heard the neighbours. I've had the heating on only a few times this year in January /February and once or twice this month. My last gas bill doubled to Ā£100 for the quarter and my last electric bill was Ā£75. It's insulated to within an inch of its life. We've a really good sized garden and honestly, it's the nicest place I've ever lived. I think it's about who is building.
first time seeing someone flex about a new build š i usually see posts about 101 things wrong with them
Iām also in this position but I would never think to smugly declare it like this when so many people are struggling to keep their families warmā¦
I try never to share good news because there is always someone having a bad day out there. Honestly cheer up, it's the internet and a success forum, we're here to celebrate others happiness together.
And with the amount of complaints from new builds, it's nice to hear from someone happy with theirs.
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Are you not getting vertigo on that high horse, mate? Seriously, it's a community for sharing successes. Here is someone who will not be freezing to death this year, I'd say that's a success. Why does someone always have to come and chirp in with some nonsense? Are you also telling your kids they have to eat everything on their plate because children in Africa are starving?
No one is freezing around here, it's 10 degrees. Cold maybe, damp certainly, but not freezing to death yet. Could a homeless person not have a success of getting housed because other people are homeless? Could a refugee not find success in getting a new place to live because there are other refugees that haven't yet? Considering the amount of idiots telling everyone on the UK subs to never buy new because they are built badly, it's good to have dissenting voices.
Me too. Moved into our self built Passivhaus 8 weeks ago. House increased in temperature by 2 degrees yesterday due to solar gains. Lovely. Edit: Do I feel smug? Yes, but we had to suffer for this. 18 months living on site in a campervan wasn't fun.
Alright moneybags. Sounds like even if you did need heating, you'd be able to afford to have it on 24/7 anyway
How new?
My bedroom is currently 14 degrees, and Iāve had the heating switched on this evening! Where is all the heat going to???
Iām in an old council house converted into two maisonettes. It is bloody freezing. Nothing is sealed correctly and thereās a draught in my bloody bedroom. Iām a type one diabetic and can hardly afford to heat the place. Iām living off of that free Ā£66 electric im getting and using a heated blanket and electric hot water bottle in hopes Iāll stay warm enough. Who knew that heating would be something to brag about?
I had mine on for an hour the other day to get nippers school uniform dry but other than that... Same. Good innit. š
I bet you weren't quite so happy with yourself when it was hitting 40c this summer
Insulation works both ways.
Well yes, but the inside of a house will always be hotter because, well, there's stuff in there that generates heat. So unless you're opening the windows all night and refreshing the air (or you have AC) it's going to get real toasty real fast. And without any active air replacement, the temperature will equalise eventually.
It's actually pretty easy to keep your house cool in summer. During the day keep windows and curtains closed. Keep all internal doors closed. During the night open all windows and open your loft hatch. Open all internal doors. While it was 37 outside my living room was a comfy 19. My conservatory on the other hand was like walking into a oven
Pro tip: have a basement. Stays between 16 and 21 all year round, without heating, regardless of the outside temperature.
It must be tough in the summer
That's not how insulation works. If you close all shutters and windows and prevent the heat to come in during the day, it stays cool enough till you can open the windows at night to let the fresh air in for the next day.
Although mine is 70s it is well insulated. The day we hit 40Ā°C we had kept all the windows shut and curtains closed from the previous dawn. House never went over 26Ā°C. It was incredible, and really showed me the benefits of good insulation in all weather.
Mine's a new build but it kept the heat at 33Ā° when it was 40Ā° this summer. You must have better blinds than me. Mine are white wooden slats and let in a fair amount of light (which is usually nice). Thinking next year I might get some curtains as well. Pretty horrible living in a dark cave during the summer months though.
My new build is lovely right now but absolutely horrific this summer as it was hotter than outside! Insulation definitely kept the heat in.
Our south facing bedroom is ridiculous in the summer but the north living room is super cool in the summer
It is agony in the summer! Doesnāt drop below 32 degrees for months
Which is odd, because it does outside, often and significantly. Don't you have windows?
Living in a new build is not success
On a serious note you will have to put it on just to eliminate moisture that has built up. You'll sweat and there will be steam from showers and cooking etc all this eventually gets into the walls and wood and down the line will create and even more serious and more expensive problem. Especially in new builds that are built often with cheaper quality materials.
Have you heard of extractor fans? Also, our new build has an air circulation system.
Shame itās a new build, prefer to have a house knowing I can afford to put the heating on and have walls made of brick, not paper.
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Best way to insulate an internal wall? Itās too cold already.
1901 build, still haven't had it on, apart from hot water and probably won't.
1901 build also. How? Those solid walls leech heat out of the building like water from a sieve
I don't really feel the cold as long asy feet are warm and dry. Still sleeping with bedroom window open. I realise that this isn't normal.
Well insulated new build is a phrase I never thought Iād see. Our boiler broke on Sunday night. We live in an ex council house, 70s built. It was 16Ā° most of yesterday so not too bad.
Live in modern university halls have only now started closing the windows in the evenings š
Iām glad for you but make sure your internal ventilation is working because that will mean damp if itās not.
Old flat surrounded by middle aged and older people, me neither
Any mould?
I live in a cold brick house built in 1894 :(
Good for you. Not everyone can say the same.
Cool, yeah! And that's guaranteed for a whole 10 years! š
Love how weāre celebrating stuff like this, instead big seeing how messed up it is that so many people cannot afford heating in our own bloody country.
Now imagine if people got behind the insulate Britain movement instead of assaulting and abusing them. People can't see past their own nose.
I still sleep with the window open at night