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[Alex Atkin UK]

Excellent information about condensing boilers, I can see how a lower temperature (but with higher flow to compensate) makes sense. IF you have the right controls.

We have an old-school gas boiler with gravity (convection) hot water heating and a fixed-speed heating pump so that probably doesn't apply to us in any sensible way. 

We've actually not used our heating since the council replaced the boiler, but we did find the hot water is a lot quicker as I think the flow rate is a lot higher.

[broadstairs]

Alex Atkin UK I was talking generally not about people who for medical/health reasons need higher temperatures. Our son and duaghter-in-law have their house so hot we don't like going in it in winter! We just visited our granddaughter at her student house and that was too hot as well!

Stuart

[Alex Atkin UK]

But one could argue that if they find that comfortable they likely do have a medical reason, even if not diagnosed.

[Chrysalis]

Alex Atkin UK I was talking generally not about people who for medical/health reasons need higher temperatures. Our son and duaghter-in-law have their house so hot we don't like going in it in winter! We just visited our granddaughter at her student house and that was too hot as well!

Stuart

Same here, I got a family member who always has her car like an oven as well as her house, different people have different tolerances to cold.  I e.g. get very sweaty and uncomfortable in summer but can tolerate winter better than most people.

Potential undiagnosed health issues I agree might be a factor.

[parkdale]

Our heating is set to 16°c day time, then 18°c 6pm to midnight, then 14°c till 6 in the morning, then each rad in turn comes up to 21°c for half an hour, starting from the ground floor rads. We've also replaced 4 double glazing windows with trickle vents to get rid of some moisture problems upstairs in our 1955 bungalow.

[chenks]

room temps will depend on the type of house.

i've just moved from a 10 year old "new build" house to a 1930 solid brick wall (internal and external).
old house i had the daytime/evening temp at 18 (and the heating rarely ever needed to come on ).
new house it needs to be 21 daytime/evening, and the heating is on almost all the time to keep it at the temp (not 100% power obviously but kicking on and off as required to keep the temp stable). extremely high ceilings mean the room takes a while to get to temp, and can easily drop very quickly.

if i set my new place to 16 daytime/evening we'd be sitting freezing.
we both work from home, so the room temps need to be stable all the time.

overnight it goes to 16.

we are getting all the windows replaced, but in reality it's the style of house that often determines what you need the heating set to.

[tickmike]

I am now gaining the rewards of building our own home brick by brick and adding twice more insulation than required at the time. 
We installed (new at the time) hot water underfloor heating pipes in the floors, with shower room and bathroom with it built in the walls as well    .
There was no gas when we first designed the property 30+ years ago so we put in an open fire with wraparound boiler plus large water heat store for the hot water and central heating.
A gas main was put in our lane in our village about 10years  ago so I put in a Condensing boiler and took out the heat store.
The open fire (about 10 to 15% efficient  )was in use in the winter time until about a month ago, since then I have installed a Multi-fuel Stove (85% Efficient    )  that I lit for the first time two days ago, what a difference of the heat it gives out all with free wood from trees I have cut down and dried.
I have been having the gas boiler on 2 Hours in the evening and a half hour boost in the morning.
With this new stove it looks like I will be turning down the time the gas boilers on for.

Going back to Eric's first post, Yes I do 'change the boiler temperature', but my system is totaly different to the norm.

[Chrysalis]

I ordered some gloves, woke up to a chill today, surely the coldest December for a while?

[Ronski]

But one could argue that if they find that comfortable they likely do have a medical reason, even if not diagnosed.

Not really, people get used to a temperature, it then starts to feel cold, up goes the thermostat, and around we go.

Thermostats here are set between 16 and 20 depending on the room, and time of day. Only turned the heating on, on Monday.

[Alex Atkin UK]

Not really, people get used to a temperature, it then starts to feel cold, up goes the thermostat, and around we go.

Citation for that as I can find no evidence that this is a thing but plenty of articles about medical conditions or just age causing you to feel cold.

You can absolutely get used to a hotter temperature so anything cooler feels cold, but I've never heard of healthy people needing to keep cranking up the temperature.  If that was normal we'd all have our heating set at max.

[Ronski]

No citation needed, it just my opinion and observations.

I'm getting rather old (although not overly old), so have many years experience, my brother who does suffer a lot of illnesses is quite happy in a house at about 14 degree's, it what's he's use to, me more 18 to 20 depending on what I'm doing.

[Alex Atkin UK]

But your observation could equally be explained by undiagnosed medical conditions, as in something that causes them to feel cold.

How else would you explain why someone would suddenly not feel comfortable at the same temperature they used to?  Plus it depends what time period / age you are observing as its normal for people as they get older to not be able to keep warm as easily.

My point is, its not some irrational thing where that person should just turn down the heating, doing so would be detrimental to their health.

[roseway]

I'm one who really feels the cold. It's getting worse as I grow older (currently 77) but all my life I've had mild symptoms of a rather poor circulation, so my outer extremities go blue in freezing conditions. So in the context of the question which I raised at the start of this topic, I certainly won't be following government advice to lower my boiler flow temperature.

[chenks]

But your observation could equally be explained by undiagnosed medical conditions, as in something that causes them to feel cold.

How else would you explain why someone would suddenly not feel comfortable at the same temperature they used to?  Plus it depends what time period / age you are observing as its normal for people as they get older to not be able to keep warm as easily.

My point is, its not some irrational thing where that person should just turn down the heating, doing so would be detrimental to their health.

you're voicing an opinion just like the other person.
you're assuming there must be a medical reason for it, are you basing that opinion on your experience of medical care?

people get acclimatised to temperatures, be it cold or hot. that's why, when you go to a hot country, you feel it very warm, but the people who live there don't particularly find it warm, and vice versa for people who live in colder countries.

[chenks]

I'm one who really feels the cold. It's getting worse as I grow older (currently 77) but all my life I've had mild symptoms of a rather poor circulation, so my outer extremities go blue in freezing conditions. So in the context of the question which I raised at the start of this topic, I certainly won't be following government advice to lower my boiler flow temperature.

lowering the flow temperature doesn't equate to colder rooms though.
don't confuse flow temperature with room temperature - they are not the same thing.

lowering flow temperature allows condensing boilers (which will be most of the combi boilers that we use in the UK) to condense properly meaning it runs more economically. it doesn't mean your overall room temps are lower though.

the only way room temps will be lower is if you lower the temp on your room stat.