You’re right @CreatureCuddler. I did a 2 week sit near Murcia end of February/beginning of March when there were 5 days of unusually cool weather with overnight temperatures going down to 4c. The only heating inside this villa for the open plan kitchen, doing room, lounge and 2 bedrooms was a small wood fire. By the early morning the wood had burnt down and the cold was biting! I remember having 2 duvets and a blanket on the bed to stay warm!!
@richten1
Do you think those tariffs with cheaper electric during the night ( but more expensive during the day ) are worth it?
I’ve been considering switching to a similar tariff.
I have ‘Economy 7’, which uses two different rates. The day rate has just increased to around 31p/kWh and night rate to around 15p/kWh. I think the day rate tends to be more expensive than that of a single tariff day rate, so it’s only really worth it if you can make good use of the night time tariff. It works well if you have ‘storage heaters’, which draw electricity on the less expensive night rate, and then release the heat during the day. I also set my washing machine on a delayed setting so that it switches on during the night, and use an electric blanket overnight in the coldest months.
The switch between day and night is controlled by a radio-transmitted signal, and I’ve recently been contacted by my supplier to say that this signal is soon to be discontinued, so I will need to have a smart meter installed if I want to continue to make use of the dual tariff. It might be worth doing a bit more research into this before you sign up to anything.
Thanks, I’ll do some digging. That day rate is 50% higher than i currently pay and the night rate around 37% cheaper. Hmmmm
Oooh, interesting. Are you UK-based? If so, who is your supplier? If not, I guess this at least partly explains why us Brits are so damned stingy when it comes to heating our ancient homes! 
EDF, price fixed until May 2025
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Hi @CRU
Prices increase this month for those not on a fixed tariff by 7% and are expected to be at this level till January at least. According to Martin Lewis (money saving expert) a fixed rate is better if you spend £1000 or more on your electric bill a year. Been debating it myself as depending on how many sits I do in winter (I turn off my heating while away but can switch it back on the day before I return) I spend anywhere from £730 to £1200 a year on my electric bill.
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@richten1
Its definately better us being on a fixed tariff, when it ends in May, I’ll look at the prices of a dual tariff like yours. To be honest, i thought the duals stopped years ago-how wrong was I?
If we go away in the Winter, we don’t turn the heating off, the temperature gets lowered and length of time is reduced but we still get the benefit of air movement though.
Airing the house - open the windows
Drying the clothes - hang them outside or use the dryer
Person is cold- put more clothes on.
In the UK the heating is usually on first thing in the morning and in the evening. It’s not a new trend although the energy tariffs are ridiculous. Northerners are “canny”. Southerners are learning to be frugal. Scottish (and I’m one of them) are just mean with money and the rest, who knows.
Dress for the weather, that’s my advice.
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Your next ho sounds like a keeper!
she in an angel.
A lot of English houses have log burners in the living room, and it’s really nice to load it up and have it crackling and heating in the evening. And the best thing is I can wrap a few sweet potatoes or normal ones in foil and toss them in the coals for an evening snack
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I’ve done sits with wood burners, like in Glasgow, but haven’t needed them. One less thing to fuss with.
At home in the U.S., we have gas fireplaces indoors and out, so flip a switch and they’re on or off. Mostly, they’re for ambiance, rather than heat, unless you sit up close. Our dog likes staring at the fire. If we end up at a hotel with a fireplace, he hogs the best spot to stare at it. 
I like my house to be warm and have heating on at least 20-22C. I also leave instructions on how to control the heating, so please don’t let that put you off UK sits. I have a two week sit available in December and now I’m wondering if that’s why I’ve had no applications? 
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@Debsquinn have you mentioned this about the heating in your listing? If not, it might be worth updating it to reassure potential sitters that they will be comfortable.
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I’m sure it would be a massive help if you stated something like that but be careful how you word it.
Certain sitters may try to take liberties and ramp up the heating.
Good luck, hope you get a sitter sorted soon.
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Good idea I’ll do that.
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I’ve updated it now. I set up a timer for the heating to come on in the morning and off at night and they can turn the heat up if they like.
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We have found that most of our sits this last quarter of the year, the heating systems have been controlled by homeowner apps, or inadequate heating. On a recent sit the upstairs was heated through an air heat pump and when the temperature dropped to -2c it blew cold air, so cold it was 14c one morning. So how are you all finding it ?
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We don’t go away anymore in the wintertime specifically for this reason. We wouldn’t expect any guests (HS included in this) to live I our home which isn’t as toasty as it could be. I don’t have our heating more than 15 during the day when I’m out and boost it up in the evenings and down again at bedtime. I’ve lots of toasty blankets and throws though. The issue is smart meters which tell us how much we’re spending! 
