Does anyone here not have central heating and what do you use/how do you cope?

Notsosharp

I do have central heating but not at the moment because the bolier is broken (the flame went out and won't go back on despite mine and my Dad's best efforts).

For hot water I turn the immersion heater on for a couple of hours and that does for the rest of the day. It has overflowed a couple of times but without it I would have no hot water at all! I just have to be careful and don't have it on too long and I don't go out and leave it on.

For heat there's a gas fire in the living room and there's a blow heater in every room. The gas fire is on rarely I use the blow heater instead. I think so long as you keep the one room where you spend most of your time warm it doesn't matter so much.

I've got an underactive thyroid too so I feel the cold BUT I also hate being too hot and I do get hot because I can't regulate my body temperature too well. In the bedroom I've got a heated blanket which has actually probably not been off at night once this year!

The only thing that does bother me is getting washing dry, I have a line in the yard but in winter it still takes ages to dry outside. I can't cart the whole lot off to the launderette either because wet washing is heavy and I don't drive. The poor old washing machine is on a spin cycle constantly to try and get the washing as dry as possible before it gets hung out. If it's raining the washing is hung on the radiators but I'm not kidding when I say it takes a week to dry and even then its not always totally dry and it's a bit smelly

I'm managing though and I've not really missed it and even if I did have CH I couldn't afford to have it on anyway!

Marmiter

This thread has made me really grateful for the fact that we have CH!
I am a bit wary of putting it on too much tho, in case we get a whopping bill! (only lived there a short while so not sure on the annual bills yet!)
I do tend to go for blankets and candles in the lounge for as long as possible before turning it on!

Faith177

Calor gas heater in the front room a bottle costs about £30-40 lasts me on average a month. Have a duvet in the cupboard under the stairs.

Use the tumble dryer for my clothes as I needed to wash and dry things quickly due to work.

No heat in bedroom hate hot rooms but two double duvets to myself (OH works away) and lots of cats lol

POPPYOSCAR

We have central heating but we do not use it.

It is oil fired. When we moved in oil was 8p a litre and it is now around 60p a litre.

We have an aga in the kitchen which keeps the kitchen warm and dries all our clothes, an open fire in the front room, a multifuel stove in our bedroom and oil filled electric heaters wherever else needed.

This works out much cheaper for us and we prefer the real fires and flexibility anyway.

When we decorate we are going to remove all the radiators.

Dreamnine

I have it, but generally just turn it on for visitors..

I have an electric blanket, a hot water bottle and plenty of jumpers to wear. I don't really feel the cold much unless it's been below zero for a few days running.

sammyjammy

I currently have central heating but try not to use it. I find if its on a timer and it comes on then i'll let it stay on so I make a point of having it completely turned off until I'm really cold and have put some layers on. I have been known to put it on for the cats before though .

I remember in the early 80s moving to a three story married quarters in Helensburgh, Scotland. My mum used to go down to the kitchen on the ground floor and make us porridge before getting us out of bed so we could eat it and dress around the gas fire on the 1st floor which was the only heating in the whole place. It was January!!!

good_advice

Hi all, we have gas CH. it is on 3 hours a day due to costs.
We also have a small coal/wood fire that is lit a few times a week. Not every day.
Our semi is well insulated and I air the house every day by opening windows and doors.

The washing machine is on most days and I try to hang it on the line.
In the house washing on clothes horses takes just over night to dry most things.
I have a tumble dryer but it rarely gets used as I try to keep the fuel bill low.

Now the CH is on I think I can say the weekly fuel bill is about £20 or £80 a month extra. Without the heating on DD is £66.12 per month for duel fuel. Quite low users compared to most people for a family.

Will be paying a lump sum in as extra to pay for CH to manage the account.
Fuel bills are strange things... as my account went x3 over DD they sent me a cheque, so not in credit for winter.

samtoby

I'm just about to move into a property solely heated by night storage heaters. What are the best alternatives for me to consider?

I have to say I'm really inspired how many people don't have heating at all and use old fashioned methods to keep warm!

lostinrates

samtoby wrote: »

I'm just about to move into a property solely heated by night storage heaters. What are the best alternatives for me to consider?

I have to say I'm really inspired how many people don't have heating at all and use old fashioned methods to keep warm!

I think it's important to remember for a lot of people it's not a choice. Also that we know that over use of resources leaves less for future generations as things currently stand, which for some people makes the choices easier, for others is a defining choice in itself.

For most people minimising heating, and minimising Heat LOSS rather than doing without (not necessarily ch but some heat source) is the best compromise for health, comfort, finances and resources.

When all else fails, do the ironing, it warms you up a lot. . There are lots of hints and tips on the old style board on threads called things like 'preparing for winter' and is your heating on and off. On the latter thread there are some with out heating through need, some by choice, (even if it's a bleak choice) and some with heating sparingly and some who love their heating, but there are very, good tips on both threads

POPPYOSCAR

lostinrates wrote: »

I think it's important to remember for a lot of people it's not a choice. Also that we know that over use of resources leaves less for future generations as things currently stand, which for some people makes the choices easier, for others is a defining choice in itself.

For most people minimising heating, and minimising Heat LOSS rather than doing without (not necessarily ch but some heat source) is the best compromise for health, comfort, finances and resources.

When all else fails, do the ironing, it warms you up a lot. :). There are lots of hints and tips on the old style board on threads called things like 'preparing for winter' and is your heating on and off. On the latter thread there are some with out heating through need, some by choice, (even if it's a bleak choice) and some with heating sparingly and some who love their heating, but there are very, good tips on both threads

OH NO anything but that!!

I would rather dress like an eskimo!!:)