I presently rent a room off my Brother-in-law while I'm working in London, the room is in an old victorian town house, it's at the back of the house.

The room has two outside walls and two frikkin huge (7ft high) single glazed sash windows where the window fit into the frame isn't the best, over the last few weeks it's been frikkin baltic in my room, we're talking blanket on the bed and waking up with head-aches it's been that cold.

They only have the heating on for 1.5hours a day (in this weather!!) and the house is permanently cold, to the point where he and his wife are wearing thick woollen jumpers during the evening to keep warm!

So the other day I toddled off to B&Q and got a little convection heater, told him about it he said it was ok so I plugged it in and the difference – on half power with thermostat @ 1/3 setting from lowest – was remarkable, no more uber cold room, no more condensated windows.

Anyhow I was working yesterday afternoon/night, when I got in at midnight I thought my room felt a little cold – he'd only turned the heater off!

What are the collectives thoughts on this situation (I know the freeze is over) on a side note he often grabs my laptop from my room and uses it for work stuff as his computer is broken!

buy a parrot.

Myna's warmer

a plug in timer will probably be more useful, won't require a cage, and won't crap everywhere, mind you I suspect that teaching a fan heater to say 'Polly wants a biscuit' may take a fair amount of time.
(why not nick a jumper off them)

Heater on all the time sounds pretty wasteful and heating on 1.5 hours sounds pretty tight.

cover the window frame with insulation film – makes a big difference

It's not on all the time as the lightly set thermostat sees to that.

I may get a timer so it comes on just before I get up in the morning and then when I come in from work.

The room can be so cold you can see your breath in it when you breathe out on most mornings/early evenings!!

Don't like animals so a parrot is out of the question 😆

Nice thick curtains help enormously and get an electricblanket set up with a timeswitch.

Won't make the windows fit the frames though will it?

Point me in the direction of this "Insulation Film" if you'd be so kind

I remember lots of mornings when the inside of our windows were frozen over as a kid

MTFU

Tell him to **** off and go and rent a room somewhere else. Life's too short for this sort of petty family sh!t.

when i was a student i had a room with ice on the inside of the windows

insulation film sorted it

piss easy to use, i suggest covering the whole frame to eliminate drafts

GJP -> it's getting to that point.

tribal -> if I stay, thanks

If it's a big room then pop over to decathlon and get a 2 second tent and sleep inside that in the middled of the room.
Oh, thick curtains provide better insulation than most double glazing.

When I was a student I lived in a van and oneday The doors were frozen cold and I could not get out-it was =6 on the inside so frankly MTFU and get a wolly jumper.

Seriously though if you are not happy explain why,come to a compromise or move

draft stripping on the window frames will make a big difference.

But you see junkyard I'm not a stoodent getting by on a pittance (no offence) – I just think it's unreasonable behaviour when I'm paying rent to be there.

I think it's probably due to the fact I'm family and he just thinks he can get away with it because of that – I'm gonna tell his mummy 😆

none taken and niee tactic=perhaps offer to pay a little more for the leccy ?

Leaving an electric heater on all day even on a thermostat is very wasteful and I would not be happy if I was paying the bill. Wearing a jumper rather than overheating the house is good sense.

YOu either MTFU or go to live with someone who shares the same outlook about wasting energy

Bizarrely, B&Q also have the answer.
Rolls of bubble wrap – found in the gardening section.
Tape the rolls over the widows, on the inside.
Thick curtains will do a similar job.
This will keep your room warm and make a huge difference to the ambient temperature.

The choice of heater is about as poor a selection as you could have made. No wonder he's turned it off. I saw my winter bills rise by £600 one year because of a South African lodger (I won't entertain female tenants any more)who had a similar heater (?). I presented said bill to her for being so utterly profligate.

Sorry, but I wouldn't have an unattended convection heater going either. Oil filled radiator probably a better bet.

How about a nice pair of finches?

Not worrying about the cost of running it, but an unattended fan heater is a big fire risk. Oil filled radiator is a much better bet.

Closing up the gaps around the window with decorators caulk (wilko's £1 plus gun £1.50) will help, then use one of these kits:

hairdryer double glazing film

A good pair of thick curtains down to drag on the floor(IKEA or eBay) will make all the difference too. If you get a caulk gun get some round any gaps below skirting boards too. Oh, and move out if you can afford to. Coming in and interfering with your stuff would normally be out of order, but it's going to cause a family bust up too. I'd never let to a family member or a mate, just too many opportunities for grief.

Finches, now thats an idea

Anyhow I was working yesterday afternoon/night, when I got in at midnight I thought my room felt a little cold – he'd only turned the heater off!

So your leaving a convection heater on when your working til late and expected it to be still on at midnight?

If It was me you'd have found the heater in the backgarden after falling it had fallen out of a top floor window.

As said above- window film. We were all students once 🙄

Put a login password on the laptop.

Put a login password on the laptop.

I give up.

Is he an eco nobber or just worried about the elecy? If its the former, punch him in the face, if its the latter than contribute a bit more to the bill!

But if a jumper keeps them (and you) warm – why bother with heating?

Wear a hat to bed. I did this and also had 3 duvets on the bed when I lived in a caravan in N. Wales. Winter like this just makes you appreciate warmer times.

I actually find that I sleep deeper/better the colder it is. No idea why? I'm guessing its like a snuggly/survival thing, whereas in summer I can twist and turn throughout the night.