I suppose the easiest way for me to know if it's cold or not, is by the 'Butter Test'.
Just recently the butter has been decidedly less easily spreadable than was the case just a few days ago. Conclusion: it must be getting colder.
We haven't yet started heating the house, it really isn't cold enough; although we do know people who have. I don't think our home is any better insulated than others (apart from double-glazing throughout), so there is no particular reason why it should remain warmer than elsewhere.
Being in a terrace, we have houses either side of us, and we rely on them to keep our mutually shared interior walls as warm as possible.
Last winter (this year) we turned off our central heating around March, and didn't feel cold at all.
I think people these days are too quick to artificially heat their homes. Having lived out in the country (in France) for the past 50 years, where big old stone houses have no central heating, insulation, or double glazing, one learns to dress correctly for the weather, and to light fires. Yes, we may have been cold on occasions, but it always seemed normal and healthy.
It's not yet 'cold' here (10 C this morning), but of course it will get colder before Christmas. We have no intention yet to turn on the heat; we'll leave that to the last moment.
We'll also save a LOT of money; heating doesn't come cheap!
I know what you mean about "the butter test". In summertime, it's always nice to butter your crumpets with soft butter. Like most other members of my generation, I grew up in a house that did not have central heating - nor double-glazing.
ReplyDeleteAnd we never thought about it! That's simply how it was.
DeleteYes, I grew up in a house with no heating and just draughty metal framed windows. School uniform piled on top of the blankets so we could get dressed without getting out of bed; ice forming on the inside of the windows. Happy days!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was at school we would find our glasses of water by the bed, frozen solid in the mornings. Yes, happy days indeed!
DeleteHi Cro, I reluctantly turned our heating on a couple of days ago. Our house isn't double glazed, we have fireplaces in every room that blow a gale down all of them. The sash windows let in more cold air and there are gaps under all of the original panelled doors !!!!! Also, my husband complains he is cold all of the time and, with his condition I feel I need to keep the house warm. But, I am dreading the bills !!!!! We now have underfloor heating in the new conservatory and kitchen and I now find out that it costs a fortune !!!!! I use Lurpak softest spreadable so that isn't a good indicator of the weather 🤣 XXXX
ReplyDeleteI've lived in houses like that for most of my life. I need a good looking and warm HAT; my head is the only bit of me that really feels the cold.
DeleteIt is getting colder. And we are a bit chillier than you are in the far south!!
ReplyDeleteIf Pirate didn't have a health problem I would be using the heating far less than I do.
Our house here is quite 'bijou', but even so the heating bills can be very high.
DeleteWarming up to 16ºC at the moment, the sun is out and just about reaching the treetops. Yesterday, mid- afternoon it was 28ºC!
ReplyDeletePerhaps I was fortunate that from an early age my parents had houses that had central heating, but not double-glazing, which was unheard of back then. I can remember staying with friends and marvelling at the frost inside the windows on a very cold morning, it was quite a novelty to me but not for them!
It's 11C here at the moment, and probably won't get much above 15C later. Not too bad really.
Deletewe are a small block of 6 flats and we are upstairs, in the middle. I swear we are kept warm by being surrounded. We get sun round the front in the morning and round the back in the afternoon. See some lovely sunsets through the trees in the wood.I grew up in a house with no central heating too.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that surrounding house's heating heats your own house/flat. I'd rather they spent their money than us!
DeleteMy heating and cooling system switches from one to the other as needed on it's own, I have lived this way for decades, and can't imagine not being always comfortable at home.
ReplyDeleteWe're certainly not uncomfortable. As soon as we start to feel cold the heating will come on, it's just that we probably have more tolerance to 'cool' than many.
DeleteIt is 38 degrees F outside this morning. The house is cool but not uncomfortable. Double glaze windows and super insulation works well to manage inside temperatures without burning oil. I like a cool home. Wearing layers and using the duvet seems normal winter practice.
ReplyDeleteI would far rather be slightly cool than be too hot. An extra jumper always does the job.
DeleteTis the season for wool socks. I do love my wool socks.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think you're right. I think all mine are cheap synthetics.
DeleteTrying to reply to your reply!! More insulation needed?
ReplyDeleteWe have loft insulation but I think it dates back to the 60's.
DeleteThe butter here no longers liquidises after 2 minutes out of the fridge. It lasts at least 5 minutes before it's too soft.
ReplyDeleteStill unusually warm in Greece. We are in short sleeves and keeping in the shade
Long live soft butter!!!
DeleteI used the very same test sixty years ago. In roughly the same butter dish. Way back then I couldn't afford the gas bill to heat, and kept the house at 58. It didn't stunt my children. Since we also had no air conditioning, I used the same test in reverse, to test summer.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was small people would judge the economy by the price of Mars Bars. Now we judge the weather by the solidity of Butter. Nothing changes!
DeleteDouble glazing makes a LOT of difference. in Australia 10C IS cold to many of us. I will wear extra clothing, but not go so far as to wear my coat inside, I'd rather warm the place, but with electricity costs still rising I may cave next winter and wear my coat and beanie and gloves while reading blogs.
ReplyDeleteI always think of 10C being the minimum acceptable temperature. It is midway between feeling cold or warm.
DeleteIs that 10 C outside or inside your house before you put the heating on?
Delete10C is usually night time temperatures in late autumn and early spring, sometimes as low as 7c or 5C, so really no need to rug up since I am asleep in bed, but daytime temps sometimes have me a bit shivery at those seasons too, really anything under 16C feels too cold to me. Australia is a "hot" country, with short winters.
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