Preparing for Winter

gemma1984

Well I've just taken the plunge and bought three draught excluders and a letter box draught excluder from ebay. (Sorry, I just don't have the time to start making them myself right now with the baby due in a few weeks!!)

So I'm looking forward to soon being the proud owner of
3 of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FABRIC-Draught-Excluder-Door-Sausage-NATURAL-34-INCH_W0QQitemZ150298200967QQihZ005QQcategoryZ122846QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262
and one of these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Letterbox-Draught-Excluder-Brown-FREE-P-P_W0QQitemZ380066250892QQihZ025QQcategoryZ20593QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Just have to get hubby to help me to put up our tin foil and get us some hot water bottles and we're sorted

LoopyLinz

housebug wrote: »

Do you not have a thermostat somewhere in the house that you set the temp with? I'm not familiar with oil heating here in England, but in Canada, thats how you regulate the temperature.

Awwww thanks for your reply, honestly.........I have no idea! Bad I know!!

We have some sort of brick boiler thing outside maybe its in there. Will have a look!

Rummer

Hello

I have been following this thread with great interest and have learned loads of valuable things, thank you! Matalan sell really warm fleecy type slippers and as posters have mentioned before the dressing gowns from Primark are super snuggly. So far we have managed without the heating but it is getting harder and I have been wearing loads of layers. I bought a hot water bottle today so I can have a warm bed tonight! Going to finally get that draft excluder made and start negotiations with the OH about getting a curtain rail put over the front door for the super thick curtains my mum gave me. I am going to sneak a fleece under our bottom sheet too. Anyway I am off to make a flask of tea, keep warm everyone!

Katie-Kat-Kins

pigpen wrote: »

• I bought a new airer to I can dry more wihtout the aid of the tumble dryer.. I am going to try to cope with just the 1 this winter *gulp* 2 adults, 8 children and only 1 dryer.. that's scary!!, I've had 2 dryers for the last 5 years so got pretty reliant on them.

Should keep me occupied for a while!

Two dryers!!! Good grief your electric bill must have been through the roof! Dryers are sooooo expensive to run. Cheaper to stick the central heating on and drape the wet clothing over the radiators to dry (you don't need airers unless you don't have enough radiators for a full load of washing).

This way heats the house as well as drying the washing. Only thing is you need to spread your washing through the week rather than doing a washing day because if you do several loads a day you will run out of space!!!

[Deleted User]

I just had a flashback::
I remember my dad covering a draughty letter box with a rectangle of lino, which he tacked on at the top overhanging the letter box. I suppose a rectangle of anything would do, even cardboard would help

npsmama

GlasweJen wrote: »

Another question, where do you all get your blankets?

Charity shops!

miserly_mum

KatP wrote: »

Two dryers!!! Good grief your electric bill must have been through the roof! Dryers are sooooo expensive to run. Cheaper to stick the central heating on and drape the wet clothing over the radiators to dry (you don't need airers unless you don't have enough radiators for a full load of washing).

This way heats the house as well as drying the washing. Only thing is you need to spread your washing through the week rather than doing a washing day because if you do several loads a day you will run out of space!!!

Believe me with 8 kids and 2 adults she'll be doing a helluva lot more than 1 load per day and she WILL run out of radiator space.

I have 6 kids (only 3 still at home) When they were all here I did at LEAST 3 loads of washing a day for 8 of us..

I tumble dried, line dried, used radiators and airers and still could never quite get to the bottom of all the wash baskets.

It really is a never ending task.

housebug

Flannelette sheets. De rigeur for Winter anywhere in the Northern hemisphere. And if its really cold where you are, invest in one of those fleecy or faux sheepskin mattress toppers.

We need to revive the old custom of warming pans for the bed. Except today you use a couple of covered hot water bottles to get the bed toasty before you get in.

I don't know about anyone else, but I think it doesn't help that you build almost exclusively with brick in the U.K. I know wood is scarce and has been for a long time, but its much easier to heat and keep warm than brick. I'm told there's a new "thermal" brick out now thats soon to be the new standard in the building codes, but thats cold comfort (no pun intended) for most of us. Adequate insulation seems to still be a novel idea as well. There's still grants out there to upgrade your home to make it more energy efficient. With the constant rises in energy costs, make sure to find out what you may qualify for.

Isabelle

IKEA do lots of cheap but warm duvets, throws, blankets, etc...
Just sent off eldest son to uni with armfuls of Ikea stuff, poor lad can't afford heating bills (shared house)!

Katie-Kat-Kins

lil_me wrote: »

Got some deicer for DP for work as he doesn't like sitting waiting for the car to defrost when he finishes work at 4am, neighbours near where his boss lives not keen on him having the car sat running either.

.

Buying De-icer is also much cheaper in the long run that the petrol you will use sitting in a stationary car with the engine running just to de-ice the car. Nevermind the environmental effects of all the fumes the car is belching out.

Our neighbour feels the need to sit in his car with the engine running for ages on end every morning and it drives me nuts - especially as the fumes are going all over our garden plants!!