Avoid using GAS and ELECTRIC !

chardonnay_2

ikea are selling really cheap fleecy blankets in a variety of colours

chardonnay_2

sammy- we used to have really bad condensation in a rented flat in a conservation area that would only allow single glazing. you were kept awake a t night by the condensation dripping. we solved the problem by buying mini dehumidifiers from woolworths. it was a plastic box you placed on your windowsill and it absorbed the damp/ condensation. they were quite cheap and might solve your problem

seven-day-weekend

Haven't read all the thread, but have a funny story.

When some friends of ours moved here to the mountains in Spain, in January, they didn't expect it to be as cold as it was. (Bl**dy freezing because of the altitude). Their house, like ours, being a traditional Alpujarreno style, is full of ill-fitting doors and windows (because usually you need to let the draughts in to keep the house cool). They had no heating whatsoever in the house and there was a bank holiday for three days.

They kept themselves warm by wrapping themselves in the bubble wrap that they had transported their fragile items in!

We never had an electric blanket till we came to Spain! The house has no central heating (most of them here don't) and no insulation. Because of the style of the house and building materials used, there is no way to insulate it. In the winter it is VERY cold once the sun has gone down.

Anyway, what we do is, we inherited a load of wood when we bought the house, and have since been given some more, so we have a wood burning stove on the ground floor (the only one with a chimney) and this keeps our large kitchen and the utility room warm. Some of the heat also goes up the stairs into the living area (open plan at the top of the stairs), but we also have two calor gas convector heaters, one on the half-landing and one in the room. These keep the living area surprisingly warm. We have an oil-filled radiator on the second floor. We don't heat any of the other rooms except the shower room just before we use it. We have an electric blanket in the bed (cheaper to warm the bed than the bedroom).

Thought you may be interested in how we get on in rural Spain.

MIRRY_2

DONT BUY BUBBLE WRAP,

I collect mine from the fruit and veg department in shops, it sits under the fruit in the boxes, I collect a sheet at a time and lay it flat in my trolly and place my shopping on top.

jessicamb

Spirited wrote:

Question - sorry if it puts people off. Can I use dog hair as a stuffing for a draft excluder - ours is shedding in handfuls at the moment, and I'd like todo something with it to offset the extra cleaning I'm having to do?

I think I saw a programme where some people were knitting jumpers with it a bit since so I dont see why not . Dont know if you would have to wash it or anything though.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

yep you can knitt with dog hair.... i was a dog beautician for 20 odd years.. and some one gave me a book on how to knitt with dog hair...

i personally woul not put dog hair in the door draft excluder...as after a while it will smell and if you ever have probs with fleas... it would be an ideal home for them...to lay eggs as a flea egg can lay dormunt for up to 18 months...i think thats right...

gentlepurr

my mom once knitted a pair of gloves out of her dog's hair - friend had spun it for her!

great tips on here, lots of them i already do, but it doesnt hurt to be reminded of things.

loved the idea of using solar garden lights indoors, they should work if they are by a sunny window during the day.

when i was little, we used to have a parrafin heater on the landing, that took the chill off the house a bit, the small of parrafin even now makes me feel all warm and cosy.

i wear a fleece gillet (i have 4 or 5 of them!) when its a bit chilly.

warm your nightclothes by the fire/on the radiator for a few mins before going to bed.

if you're redecorating, remember that wallpaper helps to insulate your room, rather than just painting the walls.

leave the oven door open after use to benefit from the heat.

invite friends round, amazing how much body heat a group of people gives off!:D

move into the sunniest room of the house for the winter, even the winter sun takes the chill off the rooms that little bit. oh, and if you have a sunny porch, open the internal door to let some of the warmth into the hall or lounge.

old newspaper is a great insulator, sit on it, or put it under your feet, or use it to put ontop of your floorboards under the carpet to stop drsughts comming through the floorboards

...love this thread:D

xx

COOLTRIKERCHICK

my hubby...just before.. we jump into bed.. gets the hairdryer lifts the covers and points the hairdryer in.. the as soon as he switches the hair dryer off we jump under the covers.. and its all nice toastie warm.....

its just a blast of hot air.... between the bed and the duvet... and then when you jump in the hot air is trapped.. and its soooo cosy...

Rage_in_Eden

Has anyone heard anything about B&Q offering gas and electric? I've had an e-mail today about it so I presume it will be on their website. I may be checking that out later as our dual fuel has been "reviewed" to £81 per month :eek: On the topic of vests though I went into my local discount outlet the other day (to buy theatre tickets) and the underwear shop "Camille" is closing down - knitted thermal-type vests were half price so I am now wearing a rather fetching aqua one under my top for the grand total of £3.50!! I'm sure somebody will pop my balloon by saying they can get it cheaper don't know whether it's just that branch or a national thing so you may want to check it all out. Right, now off to the the front garden...

sammy_kaye18

Im goign to have to buy some thermal vests i think.

Bf is probably going to need som etoo because he cycles back and fourth to work too every day which is a good 15 mintue cycle but im sure he'll feel the cold at 8.30am!

Have got a lovely pot fo veggie soup cooking at the minute so will tuck into a bit fo that later.

Good fun aint it. Have jsut been on phone too to my sister on how to help her save money this winter. She direct debits £30 a month to each and thats her bill overed but she said even as a young single mum she needs to save as much money as she can becasue the dad isnt around so she is sole provider and carer for her 10 month old.

so everyone is benefiting form these pages now!