Best cost-effective way to stay warm (rented flat)?

Norman_Castle

Normal mattresses can be cold to lie on and drain your heat regardless of what you are lying under. Try a few blankets underneath you or a foam mattress topper.

Anthorn

winspiration wrote: »

How about a hot water bottle or modern equivalent - wheat bag which is heated in the microwave. When it's really cold, I take a couple of these to bed with me and they keep the heat for a long time. They also help to warm me up occasionally during the daytime if I'm feeling really cold.

The modern equivalent of the hot water bottle is the microwave heat pack but ouch on wheat bags: There are a few horror stories about regarding wheat bags being dried out, overheated and bursting into flames and setting the bed alight.

My own preference is a "Hottie" which is a microwavable heat pack which has a fail-safe where it bursts when overheated and contains mostly water. Expensive at £8.99p per heat pack if you overheat them a lot. Not to be confused with the Hotties produced by Aroma Home UK which are wheat bags and who also make children's cuddly toys containing wheat bags!
Hotties: https://www.hotwaterbottles.net

Overall my own methods of keeping warm are concentrated around my bed and bedroom:
Hotties
Wool filled mattress protector from The Wool Room
Wool filled duvet from Baavet (smells of Lanolin)
Portable halogen heater for a quick burst of heat when I need it

jasdev

Cheers - given the recent colder weather it's probably worth reporting back on my experiences.

I purchased the electric throw mentioned in my edit above. After some fooling around learning which of the five heat settings is best for what outside temperature, I'm finally happy with it.
The one I purchased does not quite cover my entire double-size duvet, but as I like to sleep with my head under the duvet, this is actually a good thing, because it means my head doesn't overheat and i can breathe in cooler air as needed.


I also had my landlord send someone round to replace my wireless thermostat, as I long suspected it was faulty. I also relocated it from the enclosed hallway where it was wall-mounted, onto a stand inside a built-in closet in my bedroom (so, coldest part of coldest room in flat).

The difference is staggering - it's like I didn't have central heating before and now I do. I have decreased the setting on the thermostat from 35 degrees to 14.5, if that indicates just how faulty the setup was before. Now toasty in a t-shirt.