Home working and don't want to spend too much on heating!

Biscuit_Tin

cadburymisshape wrote: »

Hello!

I recently started working as a freelance translator from home and in the meantime, my partner is also working from home. Now that the colder weather has arrived, I'm a bit concerned about our heating bills over the winter.

Any advice about saving money when WFH would be appreciated, but particularly:

Would it be cheaper to buy 2 fan or halogen heaters and only heat the 2 rooms we work in during the day rather than using our gas central heating to heat the whole house?

Many thanks in advance!
Cadburymisshape

Heating a smaller space will use less energy.
But of course, as soon as you open the door then any heat in the room will quickly transfer to the remaining cold house.

Also it's not really nice going for a cuppa or a comfort break in a freezing cold place is it? That's why they invented central heating, so that you could move around the whole house in comfort

Remember also that, for the same energy, electricity is 3-4 times the cost of gas.

Rather than wasting money on buying electric heaters (and then the electricity to run them) perhaps consider investing in thermostatic radiator valves (if not already fitted) so that you can set the temperature in each room of the house at a suitable temperature.

Remember also that heat flows across a temperature differential, and the bigger that differential, the more rapid the heat flow.

Living_proof

I have worked at home for many years and in one house in particular suffered badly with the cold. I have since moved to a much newer house with excellent insulation, fully double glazed and combi boiler, etc. This last year I was never cold although rather hot during the summer!

I have come to the conclusion that it is better to keep the central heating on low throughout the house for a couple of hours in the morning and late afternoon so that the overall temperature is comfortable enough for odd breaks outside the small room I use as an office. Very occasionally I use a halogen heater to boost the temperature in the office, but my longterm plan is to have solar panels installed and I will then use an oil filled radiator in the office and even in a low-generation situation like today, my baseload would be covered free of charge. On high generation days I will be around to wash/dishwash etc. to make the best use of the solar energy I have.

Once you get cold in a sedentary environment it takes a helluva lot or a hot bath to remedy it!

tyllwyd

I work from home and have the gas central heating on all day but on a thermostat. To me it makes sense to have the whole house heated to about 18 degrees - if I get cold I can turn the thermostat up just enough for it to turn on, that way it warms the radiators up but doesn't overheat the house. If I need more in the room where I am sat, I usually have a blanket on my lap, and an electric heater if I need it.

nzmegs

Fluffy blanket over my knees, knitted arm warmer type fingerless gloves, loads of layers, move so you are away from a window, use thick curtains, hot water bottle under your feet/shoved up your jumper, heat only the room you are in, door snakes, secondary interior glazing (the plastic stuff).

I have been working from home for a few years and leave the central heating on the whole time. But i still have to resort to the above measures to make it bearable (I am very susceptible to cold).

I feel that if i was working in an office I wuld be entitled to a minimum temperature and I should allow myself the same at home. You can claim back a percentage of your heating bills on your tax. I claim 10%.

GlynD

Claiming it back it the best answer. Keep your old bill as an example of what your costs were before starting to work from home and them compare them with your new bills. You'll be able to claim quite a bit back as well as claiming for use of bathroom and kitchen for clients etc.

Plus you've not got the cost of renting premises so there's so much in your favour.

System

Get a 500W heater


Around 7p an hour to run

cadburymisshape

Thanks for all your suggestions! My new regime involves: shutting the door on my small room to keep warmth in, blanket on knees, I got myself a poncho to wear over loads of other layers and that seems to be working so far, hot drinks (obviously, can't work without my coffee!!), fingerless gloves at the ready too......

What is interesting is the whole heating on low v. halogen heater debate. Have bought a small cheap halogen heater although now don't need it immediately and tracking how much electricity we normally use ie before we start using the heater, so we can judge how much it's costing us.

Thanks again!

YORKSHIRELASS

I had the same problem. We have oil heating which is expensive and I cant believe that heating the whole house costs more than running a low wattage heater in one room with the door shut.

If its office based work you feel cold because you are not moving about and actually putting your coat on and going for a 20 minute walk outside can make you feel a lot warmer when you come back in.

Charityworker

I don't work from home but my office is freezing in the winter. I wear lots of thin layers with one thick layer on the top. Also put your feet in a cardboard box. Heat from your feet seems to stay within the walls of the cardboard. I'm thinking of buying a heated waistcoat this year as the thought of another winter in that office is unbearable.

Oddjob

I work from home most of the time, even late into the night. My central heating broke down about three Winters ago and I couldn't afford to get it looked at. I live in a cold three storey Victorian terraced house. I bought 3 oil filled radiators, one for the back room where my dog sleeps, one for the bathroom to stop the pipes from freezing and one for where I sit working. I have the bathroom one on low most of the time in Winter, it switches on and off as necessary. If it is very cold, I put the one on in the back at night for my dog, although most of the time he is warm and ticked up in his 'den' with lots of blankets. I sit and work in lots of layers, socks and warm slippers, finderlessgloves, fleecey jumpers, big thick cardigan on top, fleece jacket, and last Christmas my friend bought me a very thick fluffy dressing gown. I can honestly say, hand on heart, I have not had my radiator on in the room I work in since she bought me that, I put it on, on top of other thick layers and have been as warm as toast. I don't even have the doors closed. I have got thick thermal lined curtains and I do keep them closed all the time to cut out the draughts from my old rotten window frames, but honestly, I have not had my little heater on at all. For the first couple of Winters, I used to put it on for a while to warm the room up, then turn it right down, but haven't had any of the radiators on at all yet since about last Feb/March and as I say, mine hasn't been on since Christmas. Just put plenty of layers of clothes on. When I was little, we never had central heating although I do think coal fires tend to heat the whole house up better as the chimney breasts seem to keep the heat longer and take the chill off.