Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

BitterAndTwisted

Hippeechiq wrote: »

I'd like to have it on more if I could, but I don't know which way of running the heating is the most cost effective.

So I was wondering if any of you knows which uses less gas:-

a) Putting heating on at 20ºC for an hour at a time 4 times a day
OR
b) Putting heating on at 20ºC, and then keep it running at that for for two 2 hour periods a day
OR
c) Have it running solid from say 8:30am - 8:30pm at 16-18ºC?

Or if none of the above 3 what the most cost effective way of having your heating on is please?

I think the only way to be absolutely certain is to experiment with all three options taking meter-readings before and after each day with the starting-temperature the same in each case.

I honestly think that getting the heating up to 20 degrees might not be strictly necessary, depending on how hardy you both are. Granted, I'm bundled up in a couple of fleeces but I've got my system thermostat set at 14 and and it's not balmy but perfectly comfortable. Plus, I'm only actually heating the one room I'm in. I'm worried about the bill but I'll have to find the money in February so money could be earned or things sold to pay for it by then. Or at least, I hope so.

janb5

gailey wrote: »

Well maybe I was bit ambitous yesterday in my plans and some has rolled over today.

last night made about 25 twinks and 25 gingerbread biscuits.

But neither were total sucess anyone work out where i gone wrong.

With the twinks hubby says they too chunky and have gone really hard for his teeth so maybe dipping biscuits I guess?
Where did I go wrong followed the original twinks recipie, added half teaspoon bicarb only variation was out 2tablespoons golden syrup instead of 1.Should i make smaller balls and increase the bicarb maybe?

The gingerbread was good food recipie website had good ratings.
Said bake for 10-12mins think some slightly overdone.
added ginger and cinnamon.
Biggest issue I had was dough just too stick so had to dust with a lot of flour and some look too floury..

Hi Gailey!

Have you got a small spoon and use that to measure out the Twinks - that way you`ll find it will make a lot lot more! I also use a melon baller. I wouldnt use 2 tablesppons golden syrup - one is fine and wait until you have melted the marg and syrup + water before adding the bicarb which foams a bit. I made a few mistakes the first few times I made them so hopefully this will help you. Great recipe for getting the kids to help.

Did you mean Gingerbread men? This made me smile as when my children were small - all boys - I insisted that they had to make a gingerbread woman just to even the balance! Pretty sure that Delia has a recipe on her online site. HTH

shegar

grandma247 wrote: »

hippichiq I find the last one is the cheapest way to go. The other day when it was freezing cold and we had not had the heating on overnight it took from 8am till 1pm to get to 16C(I have no idea what it started at but it was bitter) It then took till 4pm to get to 18C and the thermostat was on at 22c.It cost me £5 that day.
I left it on low after that at about 15C at night and 17C during the day till after lunch then 19C for the rest of the evening turning it back down before bed. It costs me around £3 for the 24 hours.

It may depend on the type of heating you have. Ours is a combi boiler on the wall.

We also wear winter clothes as I told the kids we don't live in the bahamas and I am not heating the house for them to wear summer stuff.

Reads like you struggle with getting your house up to temp, we usually have thermo to 21 degrees , with that temp I always wear a fleece top, but I think thats me, cos I cant seem to do without a fleece most times of the year, even in the summer I have long sleeved cotton tops on........

My thermo goes up to 30. weve never gone up to that temp, even with last years cold weather the most we had it on was 24 a couple of times......

This place rarely drops below 15 at night, ive checked that when ive get up to go to toilet .........

I really feel for you lot who struggle to get a decent temp, and also for the poor folks in scotland, how the hell they put up with what the weather throws at them I will never know....they dont even get a decent summer....:eek:

flowertotmum

Hi all...my little chap is doing great and had some porridge for his tea and a nice warm bath,he is tucked up nicely in his cot and is fast asleep..the nurses at the hospital are great..they put him and my daughter in a little room of their own and fionna my daughter has got her own bed and a bathroom..they even gave her a sunday lunch..so she is having a bath and then going to get some sleep too..they have reduced his oxygen intake from 1litre right down to 0.3 litre in 12 hrs so hopefully the worst is over...feel more relaxed now..my daughter and her partner are going to get the nurses some flowers and choclates to say thank you...
Well after a really busy day cleaning and baking i am pooped...going to have a nice tea and then a warm bath myself and early night...
My thermometer outside is reading -3 at the moment...everywhere is nice and cosy inside ..lovely...
Goodnight all...

lilmisskitkat

Afternoon all

Flowertotmum - Glad little Sam is on the mend, poor little thing. Also that your DD enjoyed her birthday

Gailey - re. baby's xmas stocking, my DD was 14 months old her 2nd xmas and i remember putting a couple of bath toys, a small picture book, some milky buttons, a character face cloth and some socks in her stocking. Hth

Kidcat - hope your littlies get well soon, sounds like last week was in our house!

Its been a lovely day here, clear blue and freezing cold - my favourite kind of day I had a lie in this morning and DH brought me breakfast in bed, lovely man. The kids played for ages in a den i made for them under the table with a huge throw and now they've gone to my mam & dads for tea so the house is peaceful.

HM mushroom soup for tea, just the weather for it and we've got some chocolate brownies to finish off, bought them at an Xmas fair yesterday.

My cousin gave me 2 bags of baby clothes in various sizes the other day so have had a sort through those and will keep my eyes open for other bits and pieces to pick up, in the sales/ebay/car boots etc. Finding out Roo was another girl has thrown us a bit as we'd kept everything from DS and were sure we would have another boy, only kept a few bits from DD because we had nowhere to store things so its like starting from scratch, i'm being very MSE about it though, hunting for bargains!

Hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend, take care and keep warm

Kate xxx

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Good news about little Sam, wishing him a speedy recovery and the same to kidkats little ones.

Managed to keep on track so far with my ambitious plan for today :j and even managed to make bread sauce and stuffing balls which are cooling and will be portioned up and frozen.
OH has been helping me and for a change we have worked well together in the kitchen. I usually prefer to be left alone in the kitchen but it was nice working with him.
It’s his GP appointment tomorrow, I’m still not sure he will tell him everything as he still does not think he is depressed. Time will tell.

Roast chicken and trimmings for tea tonight (smells good) then rubber chicken Mon in risotto, in tomato sauce with pasta on Tue and chicken and veg soup with a pudding on Wed.

It’s been really cold here today but I have been toasty in the kitchen cooking. Have turned the heating up now but will turn it down again before bed.

Keep warm everyone and enjoy the rest of your evening.

kidcat

Have abandoned all hope of achieving anything as all four kids are now ill, have run out of buckets and toilet rolls!! Have done nothing more than basics!!

jackieglasgow

Just throw them all in the bath with a blanket over them kidkat :rotfl: in all seriousness, that's awful, poor kids, and poor you, look out for yourself, because you know as the mum it will be you next. Get some soup on so that they can eat when you're ill. xxx

Fruball

Oh Kidcat :eek: 4 sicky ones Poor you, and poor them - I really hope they are all better soon.

Like jackie said, get some soup on, and do any other preps you need to do in case you get it. I remember 'knowing' i was going to come down with something nasty years ago and did a load of preps... next day, as guessed, I was sick as a dog and having everything prepared was a huge relief as I was able to lie on the sofa, DS playing or watching videos, and stay there til i recovered.

Hope you get some sleep tonight xx

Hippeechiq

ifonlyitwaseasier wrote: »

iirc having it on lower constantly should be better as it doesn't work as hard to get up to temp each time

grandma247 wrote: »

hippichiq I find the last one is the cheapest way to go. The other day when it was freezing cold and we had not had the heating on overnight it took from 8am till 1pm to get to 16C(I have no idea what it started at but it was bitter) It then took till 4pm to get to 18C and the thermostat was on at 22c.It cost me £5 that day.
I left it on low after that at about 15C at night and 17C during the day till after lunch then 19C for the rest of the evening turning it back down before bed. It costs me around £3 for the 24 hours.

It may depend on the type of heating you have. Ours is a combi boiler on the wall.
We also wear winter clothes as I told the kids we don't live in the bahamas and I am not heating the house for them to wear summer stuff.

Thanks for that grandma247 & ifonlyitwaseasier Ours is a combi boiler too, so it seems low and constant is the way to go

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I think the only way to be absolutely certain is to experiment with all three options taking meter-readings before and after each day with the starting-temperature the same in each case.

I honestly think that getting the heating up to 20 degrees might not be strictly necessary, depending on how hardy you both are. Granted, I'm bundled up in a couple of fleeces but I've got my system thermostat set at 14 and and it's not balmy but perfectly comfortable. Plus, I'm only actually heating the one room I'm in. I'm worried about the bill but I'll have to find the money in February so money could be earned or things sold to pay for it by then. Or at least, I hope so.

Mmmm - I think that's a good idea BitterAndTwisted

I've looked at last years bill for the period November 09-May 10 to see how many units we used, and divided that by 26 to get an average weekly use, so that I have a rough idea of how much we shouldn't be using more than IYSWIM

I've taken a reading tonight, and was intending to take another next Sunday, and every Sunday thereafter to see if we're keeping on track, but maybe daily would be better to try all 3 options :think:

I'm going to start off by trying having the thermostat at around 15-17º, and have it on all the time, so that the house doesn't get completely cold several times a day and overnight like it is at the moment (it was 13º in my lounge yesterday morning when I got up) Although I will only have it at around 10-15º during the night.

I think I'll take a reading tomorrow and decide what to do from there about the other 2 options....I just find it a bit disconcerting that since I decided earlier in the day to have the heating on constantly, and the thermostat at 15-17º, the boiler has constantly been firing up - then again, it is bitterly cold here today.

Thank you for everyone's input

MrsVegPlot Would hubby let you go in with him tomorrow? It's the only sure fire way you'll have of knowing that he does actually tell the doctor just how bad things are for him, instead of glossing over the bad bits, or worst of all, not even mentioning them. His GP can't help him if he's not informed of all the facts.

Good luck with the appointment either way though, I hope something positive comes from it

Awww kidcat how awful :grouphug: I hope things improve soon hun