13-11-2013 1:55 PM
Due to the fact that the energy prices are rising and I have no spare money....what wonderful tips can you give to keep warm.
I have the heating on for two hours at night just before running my bath - that's about as much as I can afford. I have a shower in the morning but that has to be done in the cold.
In the daytime if I am at home I keep my slippers on and sit underneath a chenille blanket.
I have a little "hippo" that you put into the microwave - that helps to keep the hands warm.
Any useful tips would be appreciated by me - and I am sure others would appreciate tips as well.
Thanks 🙂
13-11-2013 6:06 PM
You ought to try some jeans or a skirt too mercs,you'll be even warmer!
13-11-2013 6:32 PM
How's stumpy doing now Merc?
13-11-2013 6:36 PM
Do you still use your Stumpy Warmer?
13-11-2013 6:42 PM
Good point by Sam about wearing leggings under jeans. I have several pair of actual long-johns and they are so cosy. I love wearing jeans but they are not warm to wear and in the Winter take an age to dry. Cords are lovely to wear in the Winter.
Leg warmers..... not 'kids from fame type btw'!! I made some last year out of some jumper sleeves when the jumpers had holes in and I was going to throw them out. I stitched some elastic round top and bottom and wear them either under or over trousers now. They are great as they keep your ankles warm up to your knees and close the gap where your socks end!!
13-11-2013 7:18 PM
13-11-2013 7:41 PM
My mum wears long johns in winter and she thinks that they are brilliant. Hadn't thought about leggings though.
We always stock up on the essentials as well such as milk, tea, coffee, bread and so on.
13-11-2013 7:47 PM
making sure you arent blocking radiators with furniture or drapes
draught excluders are good too
13-11-2013 8:17 PM
The only radiator on our bungalow that is under a window is in my bedroom. When I draw the curtains, I always but them behind the radiator then the heat isn't heating the window instead of the bedroom.
13-11-2013 8:25 PM
can you get some fingerless gloves Merc, and sew up stumpies bit? he could keep warm then.
Our heating is storage heaters, luckily, they come on for 3hrs in the afternoon too so it helps to keep the house a little bit warm, it's not warm enough though, but we just can't turn it up as it's costing £35 a week already to heat eat and shower. The warmest room is the bedroom heee heeee, now there's an idea....to keep warm laydees STAY IN BED xxx
13-11-2013 8:40 PM
Maggie...your mitts have been used throughout the year - & still going strong
But there are some things that you can't do wearing mitts
13-11-2013 8:43 PM
If your cold in bed invest in a thermal sleeping bag , sleep in that then cover with your duvet...toastie. If you get too hot just flip your duvet off.
13-11-2013 9:22 PM
the cheap and cheerful imitation suede fur lined boots are much warmer than slippers I find. I also wear thermal long johns under my jeans, and a hat makes a load of difference. There is always a pan of soup on the go during the winter and even a small bowl will warm you from the inside, and a bowl of porridge in the morning, with some evap milk on it, is a lovely warmer after I have fed and watered the hens.
13-11-2013 9:45 PM
We always have plenty of soup in and I agree, soup warms you up in winter.
13-11-2013 9:55 PM
Ooh La La - when you didn't use any heating for that time did you find that your home had a lot of condensation. I have noticed that since I have tried to restrict the use of the central heating that my windows are wringing wet.
14-11-2013 12:46 PM
They have nice Thermals for us ladies in m & s,,, and for the gents too,,, there not frumpy like they used to be,,,, all SPARKLY if you want them????.
14-11-2013 4:34 PM
Mum's already got her long johns on for the first time this winter.
We have a curtain up in the front hall which certainly keeps it warm in there. It's only a small room with a small radiator in but the curtain certainly makes a difference.
14-11-2013 6:51 PM
I know it sounds a contradiction but it is cheaper to have the heating to come on about half an hour before you get up and to go off about half an hour before you go to bed.
Set the thermostat to 17C and have the radiators set on 2-3 except the lounge where you should have them on 4.
It costs more to heat a house from cold than it does to maintain a steady temperature.
Did this last year and our heating bill was less than the year before by £14.00.
You can also contact your heating (Gas/Elecricity) supplier and ask if you can claim under the goverments 'Stay Warm' scheme.
Worth £135.00 if you qualify and you get it as a credit to your fuel bill in Feb-March next year.
14-11-2013 8:44 PM
15-11-2013 12:07 PM
We don't have gas here either, in fact none of the villages we have lived in have had it.
We do have LPG (big tank) for central heating, cooking and hot water which is incredibly economical - less than £500 a year and that's for a 4 bed detached house in a very exposed site, granite with no insulation.
Might be worth thinking about rather than ineficient expensive storage heaters - we recently had to have a new boiler and it was £1400 and is proving more economical to run than the old one.
15-11-2013 2:24 PM
how much is your gas chips? i'm in a small croft house 4 radiators i bedroom and i'm nearly £700 and i have seperate cylindars for cooking