In praise of central heating

[ComedyPilot]

Gone are the days of sleeping under layers of blankets in thermal nightwear, scraping ice of the INSIDE of bedroom windows, and huddling round a portable electric fan heater till the coal fire got going.

 

[Aperitif]

<panto season mode> Oh no they haven't! Although I don't get ice on the inside.

 

[ComedyPilot]

It is cold out there, but I am assured by my dad that the winter of '63 was worse than this, and the winter of '47 was a really bad one.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

Gone are the days of sleeping under layers of blankets in thermal nightwear, scraping ice of the INSIDE of bedroom windows, and huddling round a portable electric fan heater till the coal fire got going.

Not if you live in Spain, they ain't

 

[numbnuts]

There is a lot of people in this country that have central heating, but can't afford to put it on

 

[Baggy]

It is cold out there, but I am assured by my dad that the winter of '63 was worse than this, and the winter of '47 was a really bad one.

Even though this winter has two months to run...it can't be as bad as '63 'cos that was In The Past and will therefore be worse than anything that happens now Not keen to see a repeat of '47 again though! Central heating is great - but we're still relying on our coal fire for the most part, it's more economical if we're just using one room most of the day.

 

[beanzontoast]

There is a lot of people in this country that have central heating, but can't afford to put it on

Very good point.

 

[Gromit]

No central heating here, nice gas fire heating the living room, not so good storage heaters upstairs. Hot water bottles at night, who needs a heated bedroom at night?

 

[Riverman]

Don't have central heating myself, I live in a large studio flat with one big storage heater. It does the job very well but I also have cavity wall insulation and a separate hallway that acts as a buffer.

 

[Arch]

Don't have central heating myself, I live in a large studio flat with one big storage heater. It does the job very well but I also have cavity wall insulation and a separate hallway that acts as a buffer.

Ditto, except it's a small storage heater, and crap, and I have single glazing and stone walls...

I roast my feet with a fan heater, and wear sweaters and a hat. And get into bed early. I haven't needed a hot water bottle yet, I have a duvet and a quilt, and a fur throw in reserve if I need it, and wear flannel PJs and an extra fleece jumper on the coldest nights.

I'll admit, it's nice to walk into a house with heating on, but then I'm not paying for it.

 

[ASC1951]

I am assured by my dad that the winter of '63 was worse than this

It was, at least where I was at school in the Black Country. More snow and it stayed below freezing for a lot longer - we were still sliding about on the local ponds until just before Easter.

We didn't have central heating then either. Does anyone else remember heating old pennies on the stove and making spy holes through the frost on the inside of the windows first thing in the morning? Tell that to young people today....

 

[Night Train]

I am grateful for my central heating system but it costs. However, the cost is worth it for the comfort and happiness it brings to my life when I remember how cold and depressing it used to be when I first moved in.

I am happy to forego the trappings of Christmas to be able to afford to keep warm.

I worry about my folks though. Year on year I keep offering to put in radiators for them and Dad keeps refusing. In winter he says 'We're ok, save the disruption for Summer.' and in Summer he says 'It's not cold so we don't need the disruption.'.
It is frustrating as I have already put in the boiler and all the plumbing, I just need to get the 'ok' to move their furniture about and put the radiators on the walls. The boiler is already live and supplying their hot water and that took a couple of years to let me disconnect and remove the old immersion tank.

If I made Dad pay their electric heating bill that might make him change his mind!

 

[Arch]

It is frustrating as I have already put in the boiler and all the plumbing, I just need to get the 'ok' to move their furniture about and put the radiators on the walls.

Do they ever go away for a couple of weeks holiday?

 

[Night Train]

Do they ever go away for a couple of weeks holiday?

No, unfortunately. They used to do a week in Snowdonia when Dad still had his driving licence but not anymore. Besides, I would still want their approval before turning their home upside down.
I might just start placing radiators near where they should go in the hope that Dad will move stuff to place the radiator out of the way against the wall. Then I can just add plumbing.

 

[Downward]

Crazy how you get used to it - I know we moved 7 years ago, no double glazing, draughty doors, no insulation, cavity wall insulation, No radiator in hall/landing.
now 7 years on and all this done it's toasty.

Our bedroom is above the living room and we have to turn off the radiator and sleep with the fan on still.

Went to wales a couple of years ago - Massive old house, massive bedroom with 2 radiators in it and still freezing so loads of blankets.