Is your heating ON or OFF?

SuzeQStan

@Swipe - we love our dehumidifier - and run it every night at the cheap rate like you do. It’s amazing how it keeps the whole house humidity low - clothes dry, no wet windows and no scratchy throats.

Swipe

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82175360#Comment_82175360

I agree. I have a couple of them, a compressor one for the warmer rooms and a desiccant one for the unheated spare bedroom. I ran mine last night for the first time this autumn now the weather has suddenly gone a bit damp. Luckily, as there's just me, I'm still able to get my clothes bone dry on the greenhouse washing lines within a few hours if I time my washing machine cycles overnight before any sunny days.

SuzeQStan

interesting about the desiccant dehumidifier - do you find that type works better in colder rooms?

Swipe

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82175454#Comment_82175454

Yes, it works great, even at very low temperatures. It does use more energy than the compressor one but it also warms the room by about 5C. I normally just put that one on the timer for 1 or 2 hours and it easily gets the room down to 50%.

SuzeQStan

thank you - we were looking at a 2nd dehumidifier so that has made my mind up which type to get

prowla

Here's an approach for the real penny-pinchers:

• If you have a bath, wait til it's gone cold (ie. is at room temprerature) before you empty it, otherwise you're throwing your heat down the drain.
• Also don't open the window to let the air out (if your house isn't prone to damp),
• Similarly if you've cooked; don't rinse the pans out whilst hot.
• Made a pot of tea? let it go cold before you empty it down the sink.

Bridlington1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82175799#Comment_82175799

I give and take a few of those pennies. I don't bother with baths and instead prefer a cold shower so that saves heating the water in the first place, I like to have some fresh air in though so tend to have the windows open, especially during the day, though at the moment I'm warm enough at home in shorts and a jumper.

I go one further with the kitchen though, save washing the pots till you've got cold hands (often after I've had my cold shower), you might as well get the benefit of that hot water before it goes down the drain and it's surprising how much it warms you up.

Throwing away tea? That's heresy in my place, stick it in a flask if you don't want to drink it now and get the benefit later with no extra cost to you.

Fill your freezer up too, not only does it use less electricity when it's full than it does when it's half empty, but if there's a power cut, your food will last longer before thawing, so if a power cut lasts 24 hours, your food will survive frozen, if the freezer's half empty, you're pushing it a bit. Make sure cooked food has cooled properly before putting it in the freezer whilst you're at it.

Cosmos1234

No heating on yet, though the weather outside is miserable again today.

A friend recommended a chimney balloon or equivalent a couple of years ago to stop the cold wind coming down the chimney. I ended up getting a chimney sheep, it works the same way, but felt it was better for the shape of chimney here. (I assume there are other variations on this idea too)

Fairly sure it's helped delay putting the heating on since getting it, and the tiles around the fireplace are definitely warmer.

Now wondering what to do about the air bricks/vents which are ankle height and the really cold air coming through them, I know there needs to be air flow.

I'm debating putting something similar (a thin layer of treated wool) behind the vents as it's supposed to be breathable, so I guess should be safe and OK but am not completely sure. Any thoughts/ideas welcome!

Still thinking about that (while we feel like our ankles are are being cut off by the cold wind)!

Keeping my fingers crossed we'll be in November before the heating goes on this year.

Rosa_Damascena

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82175799#Comment_82175799

If that is your poilicy, go a step further and use a bucket and the used the bath water to flush the loo.

Houses need year-round ventilation. Obviously not during heavy precipitation!!

72kit_co_uk

One for anyone in the south with Storm Austen due on Thursday night: most gas central heating stops in a power cut, because the boiler and pump need electricity. So it's worth having hot water bottles and a flask ready, and an extra layer by the bed, just in case. Not a reason to put the heating on early, just a cheap backup plan.