When it comes to heating, most of us work to a general heating routine with a little wiggle room to accommodate for the unpredictable British weather. But there are two types who could be called ‘heating extremists’ that fall into distinctly different camps:
The Heat Fanatic
The main symptoms of being a heat fanatic
- You always feels the cold, be it a cold snap in the middle of winter or the faintest midsummer chill.
- You leave your heating on year-round, perhaps just turning down the thermostat or switching off a radiator or two, even when it’s lovely and warm outside.
- When guests first step into your home, it seems cosy and inviting, but soon starts to feel stifling and uncomfortable, with outbreaks of perspiration.
Pros of being a heat fanatic
- It’s easy to maintain a consistent temperature if the heating is on all the time.
- You don’t fall victim to those sudden drops in temperature which occur sometimes in the summer or wrestling with the decision of whether to cave in and stick the heating on.
- There’s no need to worry about additional heating costs to take the chill off the house, such as an oil-filled heater or gas fire.
- You can get away with leaving the heating on low, rather than feeling the need to turn it up high to warm up the house from cold.
- All of your laundry dries in no time at all in the house – no need to worry about rushing it inside when it starts to rain!
- You don’t have any problems with your boiler seizing up, as the constant use keeps everything ticking over.
Cons of being a heat fanatic
- Being boss of the boiler may mean you have a lovely warm home, but it comes at a cost – literally! With heating accounting for around 55% of your total energy bills, running it when you don’t need to creates a lot of unnecessary spending.
- This extra use of energy is also damaging to the environment.
- It is possible that all of this extra use is putting unnecessary strain on your boiler. This may mean more wear and tear and more repairs.
- You are probably using a lot of hot water, which, depending on the rest of your plumbing fixtures, may mean a few cold showers for the family!
The Heat Foe
The main symptoms of being a heat foe
- As soon as spring is declared, your heating goes off and stays off no matter what.
- You’re often heard telling people to ‘put another layer on’.
- You’d rather chop and burn a tree than use gas from the utility company.
- You may even be seen wearing shorts despite a covering of snow on the ground.
Pros of being a heat foe
- You save a chunk of money by being frugal with your heating.
- When you actually put on the central heating, you really feel the benefit.
- It’s easier to heat up a cold room than trying to cool down a room when you’ve accidentally left the heating on.
Cons of being a heat foe
- The infrequent use means that your boiler is more likely to seize up or for your pipes to freeze in the winter.
- You and everyone else in your house probably suffer from various ailments like aching backs and near-permanent colds. This is particularly bad for children or the elderly.
- A cold house can be very uninviting, so you may find yourself without any visitors.
- You may end up spending money on faster, more expensive forms of heating when you want a quick boost but don’t want to put on the central heating, such as oil-filled or electric heaters.
Which one are you?
So, having read the symptoms, do you fall into one of these categories or do you know someone else who doest? We’d love to hear back from you; name and shame if necessary!
Oh, and for those amongst us who have no choice of whether their home is roasting or freezing due to faulty equipment, rest assured that our comprehensive central heating services mean we are fully equipped to repair temperamental thermostats or radiators wreaking havoc.