Electric heaters reminder

As the weather gets colder, colleagues are reminded that all heating issues should be reported to Estates to be dealt with by our team of technical experts.

Please be aware that electric heaters, such as fan heaters, should never be used in offices and work spaces because they create a fire risk. Portable heaters of other kinds, such as oil filled radiators, can also be problematic as they interfere with building heating systems. This can ironically make buildings colder for all users.

Portable heaters, apart from those issued by Estates to address a confirmed heating fault, may be confiscated this winter if they are found being used inappropriately.

Temperatures in work spaces will continue to be monitored this winter, while smarter heating measures have been introduced to help keep colleagues comfortable while aiming to waste less energy.

If you believe your workspace is generally heated to below the heating set point of 19°C stated in our Heating and Cooling Policy, please contact the Estates Helpdesk on 0118 378 7000 or estates@reading.ac.uk.

This will allow the Building Maintenance team to investigate the cause of the problem, rather than just the symptom, and provide a safe and effective solution that does not inadvertently cause other issues.

This can include providing a suitable heater in some circumstances, and exploring the best location to place this. More complex and sustainable solutions to localised heating problems will then follow.

Colleagues are asked to be considerate of different heating preferences in shared spaces and wear appropriate layers for their needs.