Preparing for Winter V

Working_Mum

Kaylataste said:

I’m actually quite worried about my heating bill this Winter,last winter we were all out at work but now 3 of us are working from home a few days a week and we all walk or carshare so it’s not like we’re saving on our commute! I’ve checked and we’re on the lowest tariff. I guess it’s going to have to be hot water bottles and lots of blankets.

Have you checked if you're eligible for the weekly uplift from HMRC?? I am not sure what the mechanics are but I think it's about £6 per week - it's better off in your pocket

fionaandphil

I think each person in the household who pays tax would be eligible to claim too which may help a little. Last year we agreed that we'd all wear extra layers, have warm food at lunchtime and limited the boosts on the central heating. We did find that the house was warmer just with people not going in and out as much. Our heating costs were slightly higher but our biggest increase was water as we are on a meter. I think a challenging winter all round this year! Keep the frugal ideas coming

Kaylataste

No, I haven’t checked HMRC ,but I will,thank you! Never been entitled to anything before so I won’t hold my breath! Thanks fellow cold people x

Floss

Wilko tealights are 8hr...they do them online. Used to be 2 bags for less than double, but I think that offer has finished.

@Si_Clist thanks - I've put it onto my Amazon list for my sons!

greenbee

Kaylataste said:

No, I haven’t checked HMRC ,but I will,thank you! Never been entitled to anything before so I won’t hold my breath! Thanks fellow cold people x

The HMRC thing is straightforward - if you're working from home you're entitled to tax relief on £6/week in terms of increased costs. Apparently you can claim for last year as well... https://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2020/04/martin-lewis--working-from-home-due-to-coronavirus--claim-p6-wk-/

I do this through my tax return as I've worked from home for years (the allowance has gone up recently) but there's a simpler way to do it for anyone not filling in a tax return. 

Living_proof

I am trying to prepare myself mentally for what might be a bumpy winter. I don't cope well with isolation and certainly not the cold so I need to set myself some challenges to keep moving and be positive. I get the flu jab on Saturday, MOT on Friday and still have to book opticians for a two-year eye-test. No expense there, then! However, those UC claimants who will lose £20 per week soon will feel the pain even more. I really don't think that the Powers That Be appreciate just how high some families' fuel bills will be and that the eat-or-heat scenario is very much a reality. This comes hot on the heels of the back-to-school expenses which are hardly affordable for some. Food Banks and Fareshare, community larders etc. can all help massively with cheap food for those struggling, but there is no magic bullet to keep people warm. Let's hope for a mild winter season!

Jellytotts

We only became eligible for UC at the start of lockdown so had the uplift from the start, we lose £87 a month from November's payment onwards.  It's going to be very squeaky tight.  DH is disabled and I'm his carer so we don't have a lot of choice in upping our income in any significant way so it's all about keeping the costs as low as possible. Luckily we moved a couple of years ago and downsized so our mortgage is a lot lower and more manageable, we became eligible for help with out council tax when we started getting UC too which has been a godsend.

We have a log burner and plenty of wood for this year so the central heating will have to stay off as much as possible.  We have just purchased a thicker winter duvet and I'm going to cut the old one up to make cosy lap quilts to squish up with on the sofa, we have lots of blankets that I've made but I think half a kingsize duvet tucked around will be far more cosy.

We do have an electric car which will obviously cost more to run with the prices going up but by only charging it during the day when the solar panels are helping out has worked well so far and it's currently costing us around £8 a month in "fuel".

The slow cooker and halogen oven will be set up on the worksurface rather than being put away and a faff to get out, much cheaper to run than the big oven.

I've started the store cupboard stock up, I want to avoid the shops as much as possible so aim to try and only shop every fortnight once stocks up are to decent levels.

I could do with a new winter coat after losing 3 stone this year but am waiting to see what the charity shops can provide.  I'm pretty sure something will turn up.

Si_Clist

FWIW the biggest saving we made on winter fuel bills came about by turning the central heating down to 18° and setting it to go off an hour before bedtime, wearing more clothing in the house, and ... going to bed earlier!

boultdj

@Jellytotts, check your council website, you might be able to get a council tax discount because your DH is disabled.

Primrose

We seem to have adopted permanently earlier bedtimes since lockdown started which I've no doubt will probably become permanent now the darker nights are setting in.  Our heating and lights on timers, can probably be set for shorter hours now the warmth of duvets will be substituting.   Only small changes but can make a difference over time

havent yet figured out if there,s a way of reducing lost heating  if we're going to follow medical advice and have more windows  open for increased ventilation in winter though..  I,ve not seen any specific advice on what is deemed good practice without freezing ourselves  to death or massively increasing heating bills   Is  a good "blow through" for five minutes twice a day sufficient? 

A VERY THICK  quilted body warmer I'd put aside for a charity shop donation has been hastily retrieved as part of my emergency indoor winter warmer kit.