Preparing for Winter V

CumbrianLass70

katkin said:

I have started to buy coal early to build up a stock. We have a good amount of logs still, but I'll be on the look out for deals or freebies.

The coal is now £18.75 per 25kg bag an increase of £4.25 from March.

We have gas central heating but the fires really take the chill off the whole house and mean one room is kept super toasty. It helps us to keep the heating off for longer and at a lower temperature when it does need to be on. 

I've not worked out the financials (yet) of heating with coal/logs against gas and the electric that's needed to make the boiler work, but my gut instinct is telling me it's worth having all bases covered. 

Have been wondering if I can keep a gazebo up for longer this year and use it on rainy days to hang my washing outside under it. Can see that potentially turning into a disaster in high winds! But I've been doing well not using the tumble drier and would like to keep that up.

We’ve worked out over the last two years that we spend about £250-300 on fuel for the stove (mainly logs and some coal) and that lasts us mid October to March (ish). We have the heating on for an hour or two in the mornings, but otherwise light the stove late afternoon and it heats the whole house sufficiently until the following morning (we dampen it down around 10pm). 

We get into a little bit of credit with our gas and electric DD over the summer, but always “break even” by the time spring rolls around. I’ve never worked out what the cost of having the heating on would be instead, but I suspect these days it would be pretty expensive! 

I agree with your comment about it heating the whole house too. The stove also seems to heat the house in a nicer way than the radiators, difficult to describe but the air just “feels nicer!” We plan to use it to heat hot water this year, too, with a stove top kettle. Enough to make some cups of tea or do the washing up at least.

CumbrianLass70

YoungBlueEyes said:

katkin said:

If I could I'd like something like this, below. Seen it on a camping trip - and did use it, and it works! Maybe I should be looking long-term to get OH to fashion something similar. 

David Bellamy on his uppers is he? Good on him for inventing this though eh! 

I thought it was David Bellamy! I remember watching so many videos with him in school biology - think our teacher had a bit of a crush on him 😆

newlywed

We got our door curtain last year from dun elm. It’s fairly wide as we use it to block off the hallway area as it was easier to fit a bit further away from the door.

we used a pipe and pipe end fittings for it.

sammy_kaye18

Went to visit my sister yesterday and my mother had left a bag of clothes there for me which is mainly leggings, a top and a hoody so I have a few extra clothes to wear this winter now and made sure to go through my jumpers etc yesterday to to see if there is anything in there that needed replacing, mending or a freshen up. 

Also went out for a 5 mile ride this morning on the ebike as I figure if I can be more active I will generate my own heat and wont feel as cold but Im sure the extra few layers of blubber Im carrying are still keeping me well insulated! 

Grabs39

I'm off to IKEA this evening to buy curtains for the living room, along with matching for the front door and the french doors between the dining room and conservatory.  

Curtains seem to cost a ridiculous amount for what is a bit of fabric.  For our front window most places I've looked are at least £150, then another £50 for each of the doors.  IKEA have some on the website that are a tenner and seem just as smart; £40 all in.

Still panicking about gas prices and newborns, but thankfully most people I've spoken to say the "heating at 18C at all times" rule is rubbish.  A friend has even given us one of the fabled-but-never-actually-found-in-a-shop 3.5tog sleeping bags.

Doveling

Last years, we bought the little torches from T*sco and hung one on the back door and one on the conservatory door. Useful when nipping out to check the hens. Thought it might be an idea to hang one on each bedroom door handle in the bungalow during the winter in case of power cuts. Went to put some on my weekly T*sco order but they're only allowing two per order! Has there been a run on torches?
Will stick another one on next week 

Primrose

I wouldn,t be surprised if there was a run on torches!   I suspect sensible people around the country, especially people old enough  to remember the three day week with all the power cuts will want to be prepared for whatever his winter might throw at us.

Having  a series of small torches stored around the house seems an imminently sensible precaution to me especially to help prevent unexpected accidents like falls after dark, especially with the current state of the NHS and A&E departments.

We keep small torches permanently dotted around the house, including the toilets, and have been very glad of them on more than one occasion. 

florianatwobob

@sarahlouise1972 I’m also new to this board but have over the years been on a mission to make my 1929 former council house (and childhood home) snug. All of the following help;

Door curtains and draught excluders (both the cushion types at the bottom and the ones that go between the door and the frame)

chimney pillows (a load of old plastic bags would do the trick too) stop draught coming down and hot air going up

loft insulation (this made so much difference!)

thermal curtains (great in summer and winter) and close them when it starts to get dark to trap the heat in the room

Laura_Elsewhere

I keep my old bicycle front-light by my bedside in case of emergencies - it's a small but very powerful LED, designed to direct a beam for lighting your way rather than just throwing light out all round and half-blinding you, and it also has a small rubber strap that used to fasten round the handlebar but conveniently now slips onto a finger so I can actually wear it like a ring and see what I'm doing with switches or catches, etc... 

A decade ago I found small wind-up torches for 50p in Asda and bought several for family to keep by bedsides - Dad still has his I think. They've found it very useful when travelling, when older hotels often have that maddening thing where you have to cross to the door to turn off the lights and then find your way back to the bed in the dark...

Laura_Elsewhere

florianatwobob said:

chimney pillows (a load of old plastic bags would do the trick too) stop draught coming down and hot air going up

With a cord hanging down to remind you not to light the fire without removing it!  

But yes, my parents' draughty old house has been SO much cosier since they finally agreed to a Chimney Sheep, and also bought an electric fire instead of using the open grate - it's a big old room and so much cosier for their old bones!