Preparing for winter IV

Cheapskate

Last night, DH was asking when we're putting on the CH - not until at least half term, if I can help it, I said, get a blanket! Aren't I a good wifey? :rotfl:

We've had a dishwasher (our first) for a couple of months, and I can see our gas consumption reducing already - one side effect I hadn't thought of is that it makes the kitchen warmer. Our kitchen is usually frozen in winter, even with a radiator and the boiler in there, so it's a pleasant surprise! I've cooked and baked quite a lot over the last week, which has kept the kitchen warm, too.

Need to get the plumber to service the boiler and fires - not been done for a few years - and get someone to do our gutters.

Just got a new card for M@talan, so thanks for the post about their flannelette sheets.

A xo

[Deleted User]

I think we're there with our preps for a warm winter, the log store is full, the chimney swept, the boiler serviced, the freezers groaning with home produced fruit and veg. We have warm coats, hats, gloves, scarves and waterproof footware, we have hot water bottles, snuggly throws on the sofa, warm dressing gowns and slippers. We have an ample storeroom with basics in both food and household and we've upwards of 15 gallons of home made cider maturing in the shed. I'm sure there will always be something else we could have done but I'm feeling fairly happy with it all so far, Cheers Lyn xxx.

krustylouise

Hi,

Please could someone advise where is best and cheapest for fleece blankets? I would like 2 with patterns like zebra print and spotty. 1 extra large 1 200x240 and 1 large 1. I've looked on fleabay and found some but wondered if there were any cheaper than £18.

Thanks
Kirsty

aligerdie

Possession - Thank you very much, does the ski-wear on ebay go for cheap? I nearly had a heart attack when I was browsing the shops at ski wear lol.

XSpender - thank you,they sound fab I've sent you a pm.

Another question, sorry! I've just found out our house has cavity wall insulation, does it make much of a difference in terms of keeping the house warm? We usually have very high gas bills over the winter as we have the heating on constant because my 6 year old has cerebral palsy.
She really suffers in the cold, but I seriously need to try and cut our fuel bills as much as I can as our finances have taken a nose dive

Thanks again. xx

b_girl

Hi all,
Been lurking on this thread for the last few weeks and remember having a look last year too.
This summer we bought our first house, had been living in a 1 bed flat for last 5 years and moved due to having our little girl.

I'm determined to make sure we have as comfortable a winter as possible and to be prepared especially as money is really tight at the moment. Have been taking lots of what you are all saying on board and have made a list of things I need to get done in the next few weeks.

So far I need to...

• Buy curtain pole for living room curtains
• Get curtains for dining room and living room
• Get thermal blind for DD room
• Buy a door curtain for front door
• Buy outdoor mat for front and back
• Buy DH wellies
• Line our bedroom curtains with fleece
• Find out our draught excluder and make a few more
• Clear out car and stock with winter essentials (de icer, spare socks and clothes, ice scraper, blanket, hand warmers)
• Batch cook some meals for freezer (chilli, bolognase, soups, chickpea curry)
• Stock up the store cupboard
• Plant spring bulbs
• Wash hats, scarves, coats and hang in hall
  
• Buy some flannelette sheet for our bed (done, bought these on BOGOF from very)
• Buy flannelette sheets for DD's cot
• Get out hot water bottles and bring downstairs
• Make foil radiator backers
• Cut back hedges and bushes in garden
• Stock up medicine kit (pain killers, throat sweets, vicks, cough medicine, calpol)
• Find and wash slanket and blankets
• Check if DH needs more slippers

Hoping to keep up with the thread

tori.k

Anybody know anything about Night storage heater's? any recommendations? We've never really used electric heating we have an upside-down layout to this house wood heats the up-stairs living area lovely but downstairs needs some background heat we have E7 meter fitted as there is no backboiler on the woodstove so water is heated overnight (house was made to be a holiday let originally so insulation is not great) but we have the added complications of it being a listed property.

[Deleted User]

ALIGERDI we had cavity wall insulation about 8 years ago, we're both retired and our local council had an offer for pensioners for cavity wall insulation and loft insulation for £250. It really has made a tremendous difference to how warm the house stays and it keeps us cooler in the summer. To the point where we now only use the woodstove for heating never the central heating. We only heat water with the boiler now, and that is for 1 hour twice a day. As your little one has a medical need it might be worth enquiring to see if there is any sort of financial help available to have the cavity walls filled, I'm sure it will help keep you warmer and reduce heating bills. Cheers Lyn xxx.

PRINCESSX87

ToriK: We have electric storage heaters here, We used them once in 2010. For a few hours of an evening / early starts - But never throughout the day. Our electric bill nearly tripled. I’m my opinion they do not give enough heat for the price they run at. We now have made a choice of having candles & a calor gas fire which is only put on - On the coldest days.

sunset_gold

Hi all

Cold here today in north Essex, been raining almost non stop since 7.30am. Have shut all the windows for the first time in ages, always have windows open in bedroom at night, but it is a bit blowy today and my feet, with two pairs of socks on, were feeling frozen while cleaning in the kitchen. Although I am trying to reduce my hefty electricity bill (£105pm!) I did a 10 secon blow of my hairdryer into each slipper and made a cup of tea and am feeling a lot warmer, I did shove a wooley hat on too!

Won't be putting the CM on until mid/late October if I can hang out that long, going abroad end of this month and expect to really feel the cold when I get back!
Hot water bottles and fleecey throws to the rescue!
SG

boultdj

tori.k wrote: »

Anybody know anything about Night storage heater's? any recommendations? We've never really used electric heating we have an upside-down layout to this house wood heats the up-stairs living area lovely but downstairs needs some background heat we have E7 meter fitted as there is no backboiler on the woodstove so water is heated overnight (house was made to be a holiday let originally so insulation is not great) but we have the added complications of it being a listed property.

Very expensive to run, we've got it here, due to the fact there's no gas pipe[it went along the main road, forgot about the village] so only thing's I can think of is portable gas heater or electric fan heater:(, which arn't much cheaper