Ran out of Oil, no money, 5 kids, advice pls

Olive_Oyl

What a terrible situation to be in uptheleft. Have you considered a crisis loan ? you don't have to recieve benefits to apply .

https://www.gov.uk/crisis-loans/overview

uptheleft

Dasa wrote: »

As for the fireplace, have you used it before? is the chimney in working order? has it been swept lately? There are loads of factors in ensuring its safe.

We have had the house from new, about 6 years. The chimney was swept in the summer as we had a birds nest! A cowl was fitted to stop anymore being built! But we have never used it :-(

nixe wrote: »

i feel for you i really do, but things happen and everyone at times needs help.
its to long to go with out heating and this freeze we have is not helping.
you have to put your pride aside and get help
tell your hubby it happens to the best of people,
you are not a bad mum you are a good one otherwise you would be bothered that the kids have no heat.
with the fire place has the chimney been seviced?
if not then defo no would not light it.

I really dont want to ask for help, I just cant.
I know its selfish, but I really dont want to.

jollyme

Crisis Loans can be a help but they do have to paid back and don't always arrive as soon as you'd like. If you need to borrow money then often good friends are invaluable

Dasa

uptheleft wrote: »

We have had the house from new, about 6 years. The chimney was swept in the summer as we had a birds nest! A cowl was fitted to stop anymore being built! But we have never used it :-(



I really dont want to ask for help, I just cant.
I know its selfish, but I really dont want to.

No one can give you the kind of advice you're looking for on a forum and you would be foolhardy to take it if they did. Fires can be dangerous and get out of control very quickly. Without someone professional looking at it I would be very wary. Don't do something silly in desperation.

highrisklowreturn

Are those your outstanding debts under your posts??????



First thing, if you haven't done already, put a brick underneath the far end of your oil tank, so any trapped oil in the tank's grooves gets to the burner.

Next, stick the longest thing you have up the chimney to make sure it's free of debris - you might to take apart the fire to get access.

Next, start some sort of small fire at the bottom, or something that gives off smoke. Have someone go to each room above through which the chimney passes, and get someone to go outside to make sure a) there is no leak into the rooms and b) the chimney is ventillating the smoke.

Assuming it is working, I, speaking as a non-professional, would say the chimney is good to be used. It would be best if you had a neighbour or relative good at diy or with the tools to help you here.

Greenfires

You mentioned having the house from new? If the chimney was built to serve a gas fire then it may not be suitable for an open fire. If there's no fireback/fireplace and you just have the builders opening, it's not a good idea to build a fire in it against the actual wall of the house. You really need to get a chimney sweep or at least someone who actually knows what they're talking about to have a look at it. In many cases though, that means more expense. If you were near here I'd come and do it for nothing but not everyone thinks like that!

If it was swept in the summer and has had a cowl fitted ever since then it's probably not blocked - but if it's not a big enough diameter internally to serve anything more than a gas fire, then an open fire would not be a good idea.

muckybutt

^^ seconded what greenfires says ^^

Take what highrisk says with a pinch of salt ! name says it all.

SEE

uptheleft wrote: »

We have had the house from new, about 6 years. The chimney was swept in the summer as we had a birds nest! A cowl was fitted to stop anymore being built! But we have never used it :-(



I really dont want to ask for help, I just cant.
I know its selfish, but I really dont want to.

You must ask for help. Swallow your pride and think of the nippers. If you can, when any spare money is available, invest in some hot water bottles.

I live on a very tight budget and although this isn't the place to discuss it, I boil a kettle first thing and put it into a large flask. It saves my electric not boiling the kettle 10 times a day for tea and coffee.

Heavy door curtains can be had from the second hand shop and dyed to your own requirements in the washing machine for a fiver.

Shop at supermarkets who discount their goods. They usually do it at around 4pm and huge savings can be made and the food put in the freezer. Shop on Sunday at around 2pm in Supermarkets when large joints of meat can be had for a couple of quid etc

I really feel for you:(

Padstow

uptheleft wrote: »

**absolutely**
They are a very worthwhile charity, and i regularly donated to them. I saw the help first hand, to families with a lot of illness. I cant tho, my OH would be horrified, really horrified. I am so very ashamed, but i can post on here anonomously, I just need to know if i can light a fire in the fireplace, without killing us all with fumes :-(

If you light a fire keep a nearby window open to allow poison gases to escape. Also if this is the first fire in a while, warm the chimney by lighting some paper or kindling as a cold chimney blows back smoke.
Don't burn anything but wood. You say you have wood in the garage, but if it has glue, varnish whatever, do not set light to it.

Child benefit is just that. No child in this country should be cold or hungry.

Remember though that we now expect so much, whereas we as kids of my generation, knew of no heating apart from one coal fire, No benefits of any kind then. We survived.

Hot water is what I missed most when I was really stuck. recently, I hope you have that.

You live the rural life which is very expensive. Perhaps collect wood from the lanes for next year.

whitewing

Have you any candles? If you carefully dot some about the place they will maybe make it feel a bit warmer.