OT? Heating: does it matter if a room is North- or South-facing in winter?

[The Legal Occupier]

Preparing for next gas/leccy Armageddon, I live in a poxy 1-bedroom ground door flat, West Midlands (sorry!). Window insulation is alright and, finger crossed, there are no moulds yet.

My bedroom faces North and my living room faces South. At the moment, the temperature difference is huge. It's alright at night in the living room but it was freezing last night in the bedroom.

Bedroom is 3.20 x 3.20 x 2.5 metres, whereas living room is 4 x 3.20 x

2.5 m. So living room is warmer but bigger.

My first thought was to swap living room with bedroom, but then I asked myself: will it matter much in winter? Especially on non-sunny days?

[John Rumm]

You will get significantly more solar gain in the south facing room in the summer but it will be less noticeable in the winter.

ISTM having the "warmer" room as the lounge makes more sense - since you probably spend more time there and are covered by less bedding!

If the walls are not already insulated, then "dry lining" them with added insulation would probably help.

[David]

The sun isn't as hot in the winter, but the low level means that you are more likely to get direct sun for most of the day when it is out. Assuming there is nothing which casts a long shadow, of course.

You could always just use the bigger room as a bed sitting room.

Cheers

Dave R

[Andrew]

How old is the building ?. If 'modern' with cavity walls, are they insulated ?. A lot of purpose built blocks of flats have cavity walls but the freeholder/managing agent won't allow cavity wall insulation, in which case you have to line the inside with insulation + plasterboard. Combined with refitting skirting, and repositioning electrical outlets this used to cost- effective only if DIY'd, but with a quadrupling+ of energy costs, new rules apply.

[The Legal Occupier]

It's a late 60s council estate, so I assume there is no intelligent isolation put in place. Never mind asking the council to put extra isolation, it won't happen.

[Andrew]

Well that means solid, well-made houses but built when the word 'insulation' referred to the asbestos sheeting around a solid fuel appliance to prevent a fire.

If the council still own it then they have access to lots of insulation grants. My local authority has been adding exernal wall insulation, and re-rooofing some of their properties with solar PV inset roof tiles. These are late 60's , early

70's terraced bungalows that have cavity walls. I assume (I hope) that they have also filled the cavities to stop cold air circulating *behind* the external wall insulation.