I'm cold...

Yellow_JoJo

I got my gas/electricity bill yesterday and I'm nearly £500 in arrears so I need to radically change something. I've decided I'm not going to use the heating at all when my daughter isn't here and only use it sparingly when she is but I need to find ways to keep us - and the pets - as warm as possible cheaply.

We live in a two bed end terrace which is relatively large. It is a nightmare to heat and keep warm, and every room has damp/mould growth so I'm not sure if that affects anything I can do. We can't have cavity wall insulation as it's only single brick, and we do have loft insulation although I will be getting it checked to ensure it's thick enough.

Obviously I can wear 24 layers and I'm planning on buying a hat and some gloves just to keep me slightly warmer but is there anything else I can do? Would covering the windows in bubble wrap/plastic sheeting/something make a difference? Does anyone have any ingenious ideas to keep the cats warmer? I was wondering if I could make some insulated cardboard box beds or something. If I boil the kettle for a hot water bottle each day/twice a day would I actually be saving much instead of running the heating? (I realise that one might be difficult to answer, just trying to consider everything). I'm currently on JSA so I can spend more time in the library using their computers to job search and keep warm but if there's anything I can do to improve our house a little I'd really appreciate any tips.

Thanks in advance for any help, and apologies if any of you think I'm a wally

Popperwell

You are not a wally.

Many are struggling who work and heaven knows how people manage on JSA etc...

Utility companies and well meaning on here tell me to stay warm and use the CH. TBH I could not keep it on for long. Recently I used the CH one extra hour daily and a new electric blanket...I used double my usual amount for the month!

Back to hot water bottles...warm drinks, flasks to save heating kettles all the time. Wearing lots of layered clothing, thermals, thicks sock, scarves, gloves, hats, duvets, fleece blankets all for indoor use and still you can be freezing.

No easy answers I'm afraid. Even charities like Age UK can only advise similar tips for the elderly. Prices are already too much and they won't come down.

I really have no idea what the answer is especially as wages are often low, benefits are frozen and new ways to reduce the welfare are introduced like the bed oom tax, some who were helped with council tax are no longer etc...its very depressing.

I have all the things that supposedly help keep the house warm(double glazing, loft/cavity wall insulation etc...)I don't feel any benefit.

I hope that someone is able to help you...what I have said you already know and sounds defeatest.

andygb

My OH is away for a couple of weeks (it is 25C where she is at the moment), so I have turned down the heating to 16C, and it is only cutting in from time to time. I have turned off all the rads except the living room and little room where the PC is, and I have all the curtains closed during the day.
I have three top layers on at the moment and it is a bit cool, I dread to think how much the fuel bill will be this time around.

nikki11

You could use tinfoil behind your radiator-reflects the heat back into the house, Closing curtains at night, not have radiators covered(by furniture,etc). Keeping doors closed. As for the cats what about a cardboard box with shredded newspaper? You could check with CAB and work out a plan to pay the arrears so much each week/month to get yourself caught up again! Forgot to say get a pair of long johns/janes-they are great,really keep u warm!

WestonDave

Cats will be fine indoors - their fur is pretty effective and if its cooler they'll grow a thicker coat. That said if you have some waste polystyrene, putting a layer between an inner and outer box will make a cheap insulated bed - stuff some old blanket or duvet in there and they'll be fine. Of course if you can tempt them to sit on you, there will be mutual benefits!

We used to put cling film over single glazed sash windows in our student days - won't make a vast difference but cut the draughts down a bit.

If you ever see builders insulation offcuts in a skip its worth grabbing - you might laugh but I have a bit that I use to sit on when watching rugby in an open stand, and it makes a vast difference to the chill from the seat (kingspan and celotex are the big brand names). A panel of that over a window at night would save a lot of heat loss - obviously you'd need to take it down for daylight. Trouble is its fiercely expensive stuff to buy - I know Wickes do big polystyrene sheets for loft insulation but not sure how much they are. Need to be a bit careful with things that might cause problems in a fire.

Unfortunately the damp and mould will come with the territory - ideally you need to ventilate out the damp air in the house but that will be at a cost of heat. To minimise it, make sure you don't air dry clothes on racks or radiators (use a dryer or outside), put lids on pans (stops steam escaping and is more efficient) and make sure that when you shower or bath the steamy air is vented outside. Mould is probably due to high humidity which comes from you creating moisture by breathing, drying clothes and heating water. If you are going to go for a cold day, venting the house out to change the air might still be worthwhile to lower humidity levels.

Yellow_JoJo

Thank you for your comments so far.

Admittedly things have gone from bad to worse since I was made redundant, there doesn't seem to be much, if any, light at the end of the tunnel either. Having said that my post has just come through and I've been sent a cheque for £19.22 for overpaid income tax so that's a nice surprise

I don't really drink hot drinks so I don't think I would save much by buying a flask but it's something to consider if I suddenly become a big tea/coffee drinker! I will definitely get a scarf as well though.

The tinfoil behind radiators is something I'll do, particularly on the outside walls as they're ice cold all the time. We only have curtains in three rooms but I do close them and the doors to get the rooms warmer, it does work well while the heating is on but the rooms don't retain heat well once it's turned off. We don't have any furniture covering any rads.

I didn't realise newspaper held heat well, that's a pretty simple solution for cat beds, thank you.

I spoke to EDF yesterday and arranged a payment plan with them but because of my seriously limited income at present unless I reduce our usage I will never get out of arrears

Yellow_JoJo

WestonDave wrote: »

Cats will be fine indoors - their fur is pretty effective and if its cooler they'll grow a thicker coat. That said if you have some waste polystyrene, putting a layer between an inner and outer box will make a cheap insulated bed - stuff some old blanket or duvet in there and they'll be fine. Of course if you can tempt them to sit on you, there will be mutual benefits!

We used to put cling film over single glazed sash windows in our student days - won't make a vast difference but cut the draughts down a bit.

If you ever see builders insulation offcuts in a skip its worth grabbing - you might laugh but I have a bit that I use to sit on when watching rugby in an open stand, and it makes a vast difference to the chill from the seat (kingspan and celotex are the big brand names). A panel of that over a window at night would save a lot of heat loss - obviously you'd need to take it down for daylight. Trouble is its fiercely expensive stuff to buy - I know Wickes do big polystyrene sheets for loft insulation but not sure how much they are. Need to be a bit careful with things that might cause problems in a fire.

Unfortunately the damp and mould will come with the territory - ideally you need to ventilate out the damp air in the house but that will be at a cost of heat. To minimise it, make sure you don't air dry clothes on racks or radiators (use a dryer or outside), put lids on pans (stops steam escaping and is more efficient) and make sure that when you shower or bath the steamy air is vented outside. Mould is probably due to high humidity which comes from you creating moisture by breathing, drying clothes and heating water. If you are going to go for a cold day, venting the house out to change the air might still be worthwhile to lower humidity levels.

Thank you for taking the time to reply

We had a survey done on the damp/mould and apparently the cause of it is not due to us, the management company are being worse than useless at sorting the problem though, each time a tenant moves out they just patch up the house and rent it out to the next unsuspecting person.

We don't have any outside space so drying things indoors is the only option but I avoid drying on radiators unless desperate - things often take up to a week to dry in our house. I didn't know about the pan lids (stupidly) so I'll dig them out and start using them, and we do have the bathroom window open every time we shower and for as long as we can cope with afterwards - in the warmer months it only gets closed at night but we can't bear the cold for that kind of time in the winter.

It's mainly one of our cats that I worry about as she's solely a house cat and I worry about how the house affects her little lungs as my asthma has been affected. I guess I just want to make sure she stays warm enough so that's one less thing for her body to cope with I will have a look out for some polystyrene sheets as I'd like to cover my gecko vivariums in that too.

I hadn't even thought about the fire safety so thank you for pointing that out!

angchris

We have just bought a 4 bed detached and it is the coldest house I have ever lived in! Our gas and Leccy Bill since Oct is 960 quid Omg! We have to change the windows and doors as soon as poss because the curtains just waft in the breeze! It's going to take us forever to save up so we need to batten down the hatches for the next few years.
Other half has turned the hot water off so we aren't heating a tank every day and not using it (use dishwasher overnight and shower heats itself) we have turned all the the radiators off upstairs, turned thermostat down and oh turned the boiler down. We are sat in the evenings under a blanket on sofa with flasks of coffee and layers of clothes. Have been sleeping in my jumpers lately.....Brrrr hurry up sunshine

FairyPrincessk

We have similar issues. I only realize just how cold our house is now that I'm staying somewhere else. It is miserable--but you can manage with less heat.

-Heat only the rooms you are in most of the time and try to time this for when you are bathing/getting changed. I find it takes me much longer to warm up than to stay warm so if I have a hot shower and get dressed while warm then I stay warm longer.

-Wear thermal socks (can usually find these in pound shops) and a hat. I have a very fetching one with ear flaps:D Layer slippers over your socks. If your top and bottom ends are warm the rest of you will be warmer.

-If you have one of those lightweight fleecy dressing gowns, then put that on over your clothes.

-Blankets-as you've mentioned. If you're up and about doing things and will be sitting down shortly, go ahead and stick your hot water bottle under it. Warm your seat up and then when you sit, move the hot water bottle to your feet.

-If you have a microwave, then you can fill and old sock with cheap rice, tie it off and microwave for an alternative to a hot water bottle. Be careful not to microwave too long (I'd start with about a minute) as there are some horror stories of people leaving them unattended in the micro and they catch fire. But, if you aren't silly about it, then it is perfectly safe.

-Wear thermals. If you don't have any, then no need to buy fancy ones. You can use a vest top and leggings the same way.

-Check the sales (usually about this time of year) at places like millets. I've found fleeces reduced to £2 a piece. I'm small up top so a child's 12 fits me snugly which is great as it doesn't add bulk. Even if it won't fit you, will be great for your daughter.

Moving around will help--so when you're home on your own during the day and get cold, try doing the vac then. Alternatively, in the evening with your daughter the two of you can curl up under a blanket with books and mugs of hot choc, herbal tea or the like. If she is old enough to be careful, light a few tea lights and use words like "cozy" to make it seem fun for her. If you'll be heating her bedroom, then perhaps move in there instead of the lounge. Play a board game or something before bed so you minimize the time that she is in the unheated portions of the house. Serve soup in mugs with sandwiches on the floor on Friday nights and make it a "treat" game night.

FairyPrincessk

Sadly, I think damp issues in rental properties are often handled like that. I've been outright told by a landlord that he will just paint over it, and I have yet to live in a property in the UK that does not have some sort of damp issue. It does get you down, particularly when you feel you're doing all you can regarding drying washing, ventilating etc. but know that you're not alone!

As for the cat--one of those microwaved socks in her bed will do her nicely, particularly if you get into a routine and she knows when to expect it to be warm!

FairyPrincessk

Just saw your comment about the curtains. If your curtains are thin, you can try lining them. Fleece blankets with safety pins works well, but if you don't have any then things like sheets or old towels can also function the same way. I would also suggest using fleece blankets as curtains on the windows that don't have any covering. Someone on the preparing for winter thread did this with the ikea ones with a border on the edge and they actually looked quite nice.