winter fuel allowance

margaretclare

chesky wrote: »

Well, I swear by a good hot water bottle, as long as my feet feel warm when I get into bed, then the rest of me always seems fine. (apart from last night of course)

What happened last night?

margaretclare

sheep-ali wrote: »

Last winter we could not afford to buy oil for the central heating, so our very old house got very cold and damp.
I have copd and ended up in hospital because of an exacerbation of my condition.
I am now in receipt of some dla and have oil but we keep the thermostat at 15c because it costs so much. The heating comes on for a few hours morning and night but I am dreading this winter especially as my condition has deteriorated so much due to that exacerbation.
I would advise anyone who can afford it to make sure that the temperature is kept reasonable especially if anyone has a lung condition. Putting on another layer is not enough believe me, I tried that.
We also have a coal fire but it only heats that one room and does not really help my breathing.

This is exactly what I was trying to say.

I am not sure it's helpful, in 2013, to describe how we grew up as children, having to do homework wrapped in blankets etc. I myself did my homework by the light of an oil-lamp, living in a cottage with no electricity, one cold tap, no hot water. Every drop of water had to be heated on the coal fire. I think the coal fire did manage to warm the cottage to an extent because of gaps in the floorboards of bedrooms above.

Nowadays I live in a modernised 1930s bungalow which is heated by a modern combi boiler in the loft space which is itself insulated to modern standards. There's a small gas fire but we never need to use that, have only used it a couple of times in the coldest part of the last 2 or 3 winters. I've adopted the habit of having a hot shower last thing before bed and that makes sure I'm warm all over including feet, before getting into bed. We have a goose-down duvet which is light but very warm. I agree that it's a good idea to be warm before you get into bed rather than relying on body heat to warm up the space between you and the (cold) blankets.

Errata

I am not sure it's helpful, in 2013, to describe how we grew up as children

Thank you, of course it isn't, it makes no more sense than children in the 1940's being told what their living conditions would have been in the 1870's.
What does make sense is to look around the house in one's 50's and making sure it's ok in terms of affordability and heating for one's 70's.
If it isn't that's the time to take steps to remedy the situation, not trying to bolt the stable door long after the horse has bolted.

Dunroamin

sheep-ali wrote: »

Last winter we could not afford to buy oil for the central heating, so our very old house got very cold and damp.
I have copd and ended up in hospital because of an exacerbation of my condition.
I am now in receipt of some dla and have oil but we keep the thermostat at 15c because it costs so much. The heating comes on for a few hours morning and night but I am dreading this winter especially as my condition has deteriorated so much due to that exacerbation.
I would advise anyone who can afford it to make sure that the temperature is kept reasonable especially if anyone has a lung condition. Putting on another layer is not enough believe me, I tried that.
We also have a coal fire but it only heats that one room and does not really help my breathing.

Sitting over a coal fire is probably one of the worst things you can do with COPD. I'd switch to an electric heater or a portable calor gas fire to heat the room you're in and ditch the coal.

chesky

margaretclare wrote: »

What happened last night?

see post 104............:)

Dunroamin

Errata wrote: »

Thank you, of course it isn't, it makes no more sense than children in the 1940's being told what their living conditions would have been in the 1870's.
What does make sense is to look around the house in one's 50's and making sure it's ok in terms of affordability and heating for one's 70's.
If it isn't that's the time to take steps to remedy the situation, not trying to bolt the stable door long after the horse has bolted.

I don't think that's a reasonable analogy.

Those of us who grew up in the 50s and 60s were one of the healthiest and happiest of generations (unlike those who grew up in the 1840s) so looking back to most conditions then is looking back at a better time than now.

Whilst future proofing a home is a good idea, personally I think that 10/15 years before you retire is too early. I've known many people to install new boilers, double glazing etc at this time, only to find that it needs redoing in their 70s when they may have less money to do it and less able to bear any upheaval while it happens.

If you do things like this when you actually retire, with any luck the improvements may see you out.

[Deleted User]

I just want to say that it is really nice to be having a discussion without any tantrums makes a change from some threads

We programmed the pellet stove to come on from 6 this morning as it is so cold out now, with high pressure so will stay cold for days. It took until 12 to warm the house to its core, all the fabric and heat sink wall and floor. I turned it off early as it is now cosy everywhere. I could only do so much with just electricity and the sun was helpful but turn on date for the stove is today and we are thankful that the weather has been ok to now, hopefully winter will feel shorter. The program I have chosen (out of 70) is 6-8, 11-2 and 5-9 but I can see me turning the power off to skip the mid times

someone mentioned about thinking of future heating needs at 50ish. Quite right, that is when we downsized to a modern well insulated house with gas ch and have since moved again to an eco house.

seven-day-weekend

Today I have lit our woodburner and turned the CH off.

pollypenny

My point about wrapping in a blanket to for my swotting was to show the difference between then and now.

We can keep warm, reasonably dressed for the season of course.

I don't understand these non-heating Spartans!

margaretclare

Errata wrote: »

Thank you, of course it isn't, it makes no more sense than children in the 1940's being told what their living conditions would have been in the 1870's.
What does make sense is to look around the house in one's 50's and making sure it's ok in terms of affordability and heating for one's 70's.
If it isn't that's the time to take steps to remedy the situation, not trying to bolt the stable door long after the horse has bolted.

The cottage I grew up in would have been no different in 1940 than it had been in 1870, with the possible exception of a cold-water supply being added. I can - just - remember going with my Grandad to fetch a bucket of water from the communal village pump, and that was immediately before WWII.

I agree that one's 50s are a good time to look hard at everything and make whatever changes are necessary.