# What's the British standard of living like in 2008? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580 "2008-05-25T18:18:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/141 "2008-06-06T18:02:28Z")
Some apartments have those electric storage things, which charge up overnight using off-peak electricity, if that’s what you mean. But central heating is pretty much universal, usually in the form of hot water radiators. Houses with gas-fired central heating will often have a fireplace. A fireplace in which you actually burn coal or wood is less common, too much hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/142 "2008-06-06T18:10:06Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] Some apartments have those electric storage things, which charge up overnight using off-peak electricity, if that’s what you mean. But central heating is pretty much universal, usually in the form of hot water radiators. Houses with gas-fired central heating will often have a fireplace. A fireplace in which you actually burn coal or wood is less common, too much hassle. [/QUOTE] We have central heating, but we also have a electric fan heater (complete with imitation coals) in the fire-place. This comes in handy on chilly spring or autumn evenings when it’s not worth turning on the central heating. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/143 "2008-06-06T18:14:24Z")
We only have electric storage heaters in our house - no central heating. And my parents only installed the storage heaters some time in the 1980s - the house was built in the 1960s and had no built-in heating at all as far as I remember, apart from the open fire in the lounge (which we still use most days in winter, burning logs, but more for atmosphere than for heat). I certainly remember my bedroom being icy cold in winter, with frost ferns on the inside of the glass in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/144 "2008-06-06T18:17:03Z")
[QUOTE=elbows] But each of the houses seem to have a funny sort of heater in what would be the fireplace. What’s that about? [/QUOTE] I wonder if what you’ve been noticing are rather old gas fires. Mains natural gas supplies are common in urban areas, and a gas fire of this kind can pack a serious punch when it’s wanted. Modern ones just don’t look awful. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/145 "2008-06-06T18:21:44Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] I wonder if what you’ve been noticing are rather old gas fires. Mains natural gas supplies are common in urban areas, and a gas fire of this kind can pack a serious punch when it’s wanted. Modern ones just don’t look awful. [/QUOTE] My parents have one in what would be their fireplace. Old gas fires tended to look like [this](http://www.fireplacesuk.org.uk/images/matchless/FiregemVisaHighline.jpg); nowadays you’d be more likely to see something like [this](http://www.stovesareus.co.uk/catalog/images/firecraft_xl09_gas_fire.jpg). Some people have “fire effect” things that don’t actually give out any heat, just look pretty (or at least are meant to; they actually mostly look naff). ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/146 "2008-06-06T18:37:40Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] We only have electric storage heaters in our house - no central heating. [/QUOTE] You’re right - for some reason I mentally filed storage heaters under central heating. I guess what I meant was that every or nearly every room is heated. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/147 "2008-06-07T01:49:41Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] Some apartments have those electric storage things, which charge up overnight using off-peak electricity, if that’s what you mean. But central heating is pretty much universal, usually in the form of hot water radiators. Houses with gas-fired central heating will often have a fireplace. A fireplace in which you actually burn coal or wood is less common, too much hassle. [/QUOTE] True, and also in some areas (cities, mainly) they’re just flat out not allowed. Or else you have to use that anemic smokeless fuel. Some city bigwigs obviously got the idea that the London smogs were bad, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/148 "2008-06-07T02:57:37Z")
Remember that in southern England it never gets that hot by American standards and it never gets that cold by American standards. Thus while many British houses don’t have air-conditioning and don’t have very powerful heating, it actually doesn’t matter that much. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/149 "2008-06-07T13:17:14Z")
[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner] Remember that in southern England it never gets that hot by American standards and it never gets that cold by American standards. Thus while many British houses don’t have air-conditioning and don’t have very powerful heating, it actually doesn’t matter that much. [/QUOTE] Quite right. In many parts of the country a whole winter without snow is nothing unusual, and winters where it hits -10C are talked about for years. Similarly aircon would be a waste for all but a week or two every year (offices may be another matter, but private homes don’t need it). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580/150 "2008-06-07T16:49:34Z")
[QUOTE=PaulParkhead] Some city bigwigs obviously got the idea that the London smogs were bad, or something like that. [/QUOTE] Yes, 12 000 people dying from breathing problems from 4 days of smog in London in 1952 was seen as not a good thing, and led to the Clean Air Act 1956. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-british-standard-of-living-like-in-2008/450580.md?page=7)