Help - how do I keep warm in winter (other than wearing lots of jumpers)

redxs

Cab any of you guys help?
I have an apartment with large windows. It only has electric heaters.
I am out for most of the day, when I get home it takes forever to heat my main living room.
My main living room is an L shape, and unfortunately the heater is the wrong side of the room for me.
Is it reasonable to leave the heating on low all day to keep the room warm or would this cost too much?
Can anyone recommend a heater I can buy which will heat a room quickly and cheaply?
Thanks :money:

Naf

All electric heaters work equally efficiently (99.9%), and will therefore cost the same amount for the same power rating.
What kind of electric heater is the one currently in your living room? How high is the ceiling?

Dieselman

Buy another free standing one and leave it on.

redxs

Thanks for your reply.
They're siemens but I can't find the product code. They were installed in 2002.
I'll get in touch with the management company and ask for original instructions as I'm sure they have timer controlled facility.
If I go for a new heater, can you suggest any?

Naf

redxs wrote: »

Thanks for your reply.
They're siemens but I can't find the product code. They were installed in 2002.
I'll get in touch with the management company and ask for original instructions as I'm sure they have timer controlled facility.
If I go for a new heater, can you suggest any?

I mean are they oil filled radiators, convectors, blow heaters, storage heaters?

forgotmyname

Insulate the windows and get some thick thermal lined curtains and close then when you go out.

Help to retain the heat. Renting? Not as much to do if renting. False ceilings if the rooms have enough height. Stud walls to make the area you want to heat smaller.

monty-doggy

Sounds really simple but if you have laminate floor, get big rugs, and invest in slipper socks or warm slippers, makes a huge difference. I always have a blanket or fleece on the sofa. I find some freestanding heaters give me a headache as the artificial heat is dry and makes me drowsy. Rather than put layers of jumpers on, I also put a camisole or summer vest top under my t shirt or top, again this really helps.
In my bedroom I have an electric blanket

Foil down the back of the radiator helps keep the heat in the room too.

akaekb

If you can't afford new, well lined curtains, go to your local fabric store and get thermal blackout fabric. If you have uPVC double glazing, you can use adhesive velcro and stick the cut to size blackout fabric to the window. If they are wood frames, you might need to make a channel and hang it like a net curtain from a wire across the window. Either option requires minimal sewing (the adhesive velcro would need to have a few stitches to fasten it to the blackout, believe me, I've tried!) and keep loads more heat in.

And close your curtains at dusk. I know the lights outside can be lovely, but you do keep a lot of heat by closing the curtains as early as possible.