Student Accommodation Heating Policy
The reason for the policy
This heating policy has been established to ensure that Blackfriars accommodation building spaces are being kept at a comfortable working temperature and that valuable excess energy is not being wasted through overheating. The aims of the policy are: (1) to achieve consistency in temperature at key times; (2) to set the temperature parameters within which requests for changes to temperature will not be met; (3) to set expectations for how our heating equipment is used, including what will happen if heating is either over-used or mis-used in ways that can cause damage to the heating system.
To respect the use of energy as a valuable resource, all students living in our ccommodation are requested to report over-heating to the Hall Bursary (bursary@bfriars.ox.ac.uk).
Heating charges at Blackfriars
Every resident in Blackfriars’ student accommodation is charged a fixed accommodation cost at the beginning of the academic year, or the beginning of their first term in residence. The basic charge for heating is included in the room rent.
Electricity usage is metered, and the meters read each term. A heating allowance is made which is deemed to be adequate for student rooms, and use in excess of this allowance is charged to the individual occupants. The allowance and usage record can be consulted in the Hall Bursary.
Heating season
The heating season is dependent on the outside air temperature but will largely follow the pattern of being turned on during October and switched off in March/April. As a guide, if the daily maximum temperature falls below 16°C for three consecutive days, the heating will be switched on. Likewise, if the temperature is above 16°C for three consecutive days, it will normally be switched off. If there are unusually cold or warm periods, heating will be adjusted accordingly.
Heating times
During the heating season, residential buildings will normally be heated from 6:00am to 10am and 3:30pm to 11pm seven days a week. In 16 St John St, where the heating system relies on storage heating, heating outputs are user controlled.
Maximum heating temperatures
No area should be actively heated to a temperature higher than 22°C (± 2°C to allow for control variances), and circulation spaces should not be actively heated above 18°C.
All student rooms include a wall thermometer to allow us to assess whether temperatures are being kept reasonably within these parameters, and these thermometers should not be removed.
If you believe your room or an area of your hall is hotter or colder than outlined in this policy and you have tried the above measures, please contact the Bursary to help you.  Please note, in an office working environment, the Health & Safety Executive recommends a minimum temperature for sedentary staff of 16°C.
Supplementary heaters
Electrical heating results in at least twice the CO2 emissions of a controlled gas heating system. In addition, the un-controlled use of portable electrical heaters can result in the conventional heating within the building shutting down or being damaged as sensors pick up false readings. These heaters also introduce additional health and safety considerations.
Portable electrical heating must be avoided unless heaters are issued directly by the Hall Bursary, for example if there is a problem with the main heating system. Where portable heaters have been supplied by Blackfriars, they must be used in line with the provided guidance and must be returned on request to avoid additional heating charges.
Any extra heater that you supply for yourself must be approved by us for fire safety purposes, and PAT tested. Please contact the Bursary for more details: bursary@bfriars.ox.ac.uk
Consistent over-heating or other misuse of heating equipment
Residents in our accommodation need to be aware that if it comes to our attention that the heating system is being repeatedly misused – for example, if radiators are being kept at a constantly high temperature, which damages the thermostats and pumps in the heating system – this falls under the Hall’s non-academic disciplinary procedures and may be reported to the Senior Dean.
Keep warm in winter
We understand that everyone’s tolerance for the cold is different. The following are common sense steps that will help you to make the most of the heating system and conserve energy:
- Wear appropriate clothing; if possible, put on extra layers to help insulate your body, including your head and feet.
- Please do not open windows when the heating system on. If the temperature is too hot, turn down the heating instead.
- Consider investing in a thicker duvet for the cold months of the year.
- Avoid blocking your radiators with furniture, clothing, towels etc. – let the heat fill your room.
- Keep doors and windows closed. This will keep the heat in and reduce cold draughts.
- If you notice any poorly fitting windows or doors, or if they don’t close fully or require draught proofing, these will be leaking heat. Please report these issues to the Bursary so that we can assist you.
Storage heating in 16 St John St
The storage heaters in 16 St John St work by drawing electricity over the course of a few hours at night, and storing it as heat in a ‘bank’ of clay or ceramic bricks to use the following day. The advantage is that they can consume electricity at night and give out their heat many hours later. We advise the following schedule during the heating season: in the morning, to warm the room up, turn the output to medium output. Once the room is warm, output should be turned down to low. In the evening when it becomes chillier, the heater can be turned to medium/high to use up the remaining stored heat.