Preparing for winter II

clairehi

Re stockpiling, it would be worth getting in supplies of Value dishwasher salt to deice paths, in case we have snow and ice like last year. My local tescos completely sold out during the snow last year!

happyin_devon

Rummer wrote: »

I am very anxious about this winter as I have already been told by my elec supplier that they are going to double my monthly payments so I need to start looking to switch before that happens.

Usually I start to get my bits and pieces in early but my OH was made redundant in June and we are finding things tough day to day let alone planning ahead.

Sorry moan over here is what I need to organise:

• Curtains up in the living room
• New PJs and slippers for all
• Dressing gown and wellies for DD
• Couch fleeces
• Hall door curtain
• Blind on hall stairs
• Foil behind radiators
• Lots of warm clothes for us all

There is also a lot to do for the animals:

• Insulate the shed
• Get coverings for the outdoor hutches
• Get their food in
• Think of ways to keep them snuggly!

One thing I am so glad of is that we got cavity wall insulation at the start of the year so I am hoping that will have an impact on our bills.

I am sure there are many more things that I need to do but they have not sprung to mind yet, going to have a good read through the thread and maybe edit my list.

i use the silver bubblewrap stuff(sorry cant remember its real name) that is meant for lining the eaves of lofts etc to cover the tops and sides of rabby and guinea outdoor hutches,just cut to size and staple gun on,mine has lasted 2winters now,i just remove in spring and re attach in autumn.
seems to keep hutches much warmer,that and extra straw and hay of course!

Trow

Rummer wrote: »

I am very anxious about this winter as I have already been told by my elec supplier that they are going to double my monthly payments so I need to start looking to switch before that happens.

Be careful! If they are increasing your payments, then you probably owe them money. If you switched then they would be looking for all the money owed straight away, instead of over a period of time.

You should check with your current energy supplier how your account currently stands before you switch, and make sure you can afford any balance.

gtx

carriebradshaw wrote: »

it would still be a good idea, if the weather gets as bad as last Winter then people that haven't stockpiled will suddenly panic buy and the shelves will soon empty and then if containers can't get through because of icy roads you'll be stuck. It's nice to have a little stock pile of stuff to rely on in hard times as well,including toiletries and washing powder etc :cool:

Thanks - hadn't thought of them not being able to get supplies, my stockpiling list just got an awful lot longer:o

gtx

rachbc

gtx wrote: »

hi everyone

I
Going to consider what to stockpile - asda and nettos are only a couple of mins away so not sure if its worth doing?

take care

gtx

If you generally keep a well stocked store cupboard then imo stockpiling isn't really necessary if you leave near shops - we never went without anything during the snow last winter - in fact I got some of my best ever whoopsies on the evenings no one else could be bothered going to the shops! I do chuckle at the british obsession with buying bread and milk - like the whole world would stop turning if you don't have these 2 things!

Annie56

I keep looking round my new flat and thinking whilst I love the high rooms and lovley old features, Im thinking the heating bills are going to be high.
I only have 2 storage radiators in the place 1 in the lounge and 1 in the bedroom, both under a large sash window single glazed and very draughty, one of the only things I wish the Landlord had not done was paint shut the lovley window internal shutters:(, such a shame thay would have been a lovley feature and another way of saving the heat.
I have had 2 nice pine fireplaces from my old home with backing boards and hearths so have put these against the chimney walls in the bedroom and have a electric firethat looks like a woodburning stove on them, Im going to have to look at the heating rate of these fires but I love the fact that I can just turn on the flame effect and it really makes me feel warm.

Ive just scoffed my first peices of HM bread and HM soup, lovley, and very filling and cheap.
Also I have my camping stove and wind up lanterns ready for the many power cuts that the neighbour says happen in the area plus have stocked up on candles and tlights.

Next thing on the list is a emergency car box and medicine box, and maybe a couple of fleeces...

The list goes on :rotfl::rotfl:
Annie56

Fruball

Looks like everybodys winter preps are going well

I just bought 3 wind up torches from ebay - some good deals on there. I got 2 penguin ones for the kids, and an extra one for me - will keep on in car and one in handbag so I will never be far from it!

Not sure whether to splash out on wind up radio and wind up lantern... Anybody got these? What do you think of them? Do the radios generally get good signals? I guess that depends morre on area than product tho ???

pink_numbers

Now that I've lined all my curtains with fleece and foil blankets, the house is so toasty that I am sitting ON the bed (not in the bed) in shorts because the house is so warm

knithappens

jackieglasgow wrote: »

knithappens and anyone else, really. If your doubleglazing seal has blown, you can replace the glass units without replacing the frames, find a good local glass/glazing company and ask for a price for replacement sealed units. If you are handy or know someone who is, its usually quite straightforward to replace the old units and put new ones in, and very cheap. We did it in a previous house, so about six years or so ago, and at the time we were about £26 per unit. Obviously it depends on where you live, etc. but it can be a real alternative to new glazing. HTH.

the seal is fine, it is the stuff/seal around the outside of the frames where it is cracked not aroudn the glass , if you get what I mean, but thatnks for future reference.

twiglet98

I've had couple of days off so a nice long weekend, but haven't got as much done as I'd hoped. Explored Home Bargains for the first time yesterday, will go again but it's 20 miles away so won't be a regular thing. I meant to Cuprinol the fence and hen houses today, and the weather was ideal, but as everyone went out and I had the kitchen to myself I started baking and batch cooking, which would actually have been better saved for a wet day. And nobody came home hungry so the parsnip soup, HM bread, fairy cakes, turkey drumsticks done in the slow cooker as pie filling, and blackberry and apple crumble, have all gone in the freezer after just taking my portion!

Last winter, thanks to the first PFW thread, I got white fleeces for £2 each from Te$co (nicer than A$da's fleece) and used them to line all the curtains. The fleeces are blanket stitched round the edge and I just slipped the curtain hook through the stitching. Also got a heavy door curtain from a charity shop for the draughty front door, and for the even more draughty back door (west-facing stable door, with a large cat flap) I used two thin cotton patio door curtains hung back-to-back with a fleece sandwiched in between them. A thick white rope tie-back from the market attached to a cup hook screwed into the door frame holds it to the hinge side as there isn't room to pull it completely out of the way. I have a roll of foam strip to fit round the door frame, should have done that today before the door gets wet again.

I always look for throws and blankets from charity shops and the skip at the recycling centre, and we use duvets or sleeping bags to snuggle under to watch TV or use the computer. My tribe are all grown up but still need reminding they can warm up without turning the heating up, by adding layers and using hot water bottles.

I had a sack of wheat in for the ducks and used some to fill odd socks to make microwaveable heat pads, my old terrier likes to have one in his bed, under the fleece.

The kids all have double beds now, and big duvets, so their old single duvets are in use as mattress toppers.

I'm collecting loo roll inners and stuffing three folded tubes into one, to make firelighters, also stuffing old envelopes, junk mail and till receipts into them. I wonder about grated candle wax, does it not make an awful mess of the grate? I put the ash out in the chickens' sand pit, not sure wax would suit them.

Lucky winner of a car-boot full of wood on freecycle last week, the sweet lady emailed today to say her neighbour had some which I could also collect, and this pm I gathered two sacks of dry branches and twigs for kindling, as well as a carrier-bag full of blackberries. Picking up dry wood becomes a bit of an obsession, it's comforting to know at least one room will be warm if I can't afford any more oil.

The tumble drier broke down in February and my DDs hate being without it, but the difference to my electricity bill is so great I'm going to try and do without it. We have two ceiling airers (from eBay), as well as radiator airers, two concertina clothes horses and a three-fold gare style one, and a clothes rail standing in the bath. All the curtains are on rails so we can hang wet clothes from them too, though of course the curtains can't then be closed! Getting the girls to think about the weather, and plan their laundry so they wash towels and jeans on a good drying day, is proving difficult - they were spoilt by relying on the dryer for so long. I work until much later than the rest of the family, and more often than not when I get home, they will have forgotten to bring anything in off the line, even though they'll have ducked under it to go and shut the hens away.

The medicine box has plenty of aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol (with a drink of hot water, lemon juice and honey, is much cheaper than a prepared 'flu remedy), plus cough mixture, Halls Soothers, and vaseline for chapped lips. I also keep a spare pack or two of balm tissues.

Long day at work tomorrow, grabbing all available overtime at the moment to get the car serviced and some more heating oil before winter sets in.