It's time to start digging up those Squirrelled Nuts!!!!

Stubod

..not getting out of bed is a good plan. As part of our "electric usage reduction programme" we aquired a single heated under blanket which we put across the top half of the bed. We find that putting this on 5 mins befor we get in get the bed plenty warm enough and means we have no need for anyother heating in the bedroom, (we prefer a "cold" bedroom, but hate getting into a cold bed!).

Sea_Shell

At my age, maybe there will be some benefit in having hot flushes!!!

I've always "run hot" and regularly have to stick a leg out the bed, even in the middle of winter, without any heating on at night.

We also like a cool bedroom, and I'd rather wear a fleecy bed jacket to read, than have had the heating on.

I guess that's why our gas usage is already only c.10500 kwh per year. 

pensionpawn

Sea_Shell said:

At my age, maybe there will be some benefit in having hot flushes!!!

I've always "run hot" and regularly have to stick a leg out the bed, even in the middle of winter, without any heating on at night.

We also like a cool bedroom, and I'd rather wear a fleecy bed jacket to read, than have had the heating on.

I guess that's why our gas usage is already only c.10500 kwh per year. 

Same here. So in next years list of pre-retirement capital projects is a domestic A/C installation for all three bedrooms and the lounge. Oodles of spare energy stored up during the summer so effectively free to run after the capital cost. Will also gently heat during the winter.

MallyGirl

Sea_Shell said:

At my age, maybe there will be some benefit in having hot flushes!!!

I've always "run hot" and regularly have to stick a leg out the bed, even in the middle of winter, without any heating on at night. 

Sadly those hot flushes are not very "turn off and onable" to quote the creature comforts advert 🥵

All this talk of merino layers has me itching - I can't wear even a tiny percentage of wool. I once spent a strange evening in a hostel in Masterton, NZ "The Home of The Golden Shears" with a wool salesman trying to convert me to the joys of wool based underwear! 

Never gonna happen.

I certainly remember sitting in a sleeping bag watching tv when I bought my first flat - econ 7 storage heaters were useless by the evening.

michaels

If heating your home is going to cost 300-500pm over 3-4 months of winter perhaps it makes sense to spend those months in Spain or Thailand or somewhere?!

cfw1994

MallyGirl said:

Sea_Shell said:

At my age, maybe there will be some benefit in having hot flushes!!!

I've always "run hot" and regularly have to stick a leg out the bed, even in the middle of winter, without any heating on at night. 

Sadly those hot flushes are not very "turn off and onable" to quote the creature comforts advert 🥵

All this talk of merino layers has me itching - I can't wear even a tiny percentage of wool. I once spent a strange evening in a hostel in Masterton, NZ "The Home of The Golden Shears" with a wool salesman trying to convert me to the joys of wool based underwear! 

Never gonna happen.

I certainly remember sitting in a sleeping bag watching tv when I bought my first flat - econ 7 storage heaters were useless by the evening.

That’s an unusual line in chat-up technique 🤣
& duvet days?  I’m a great admirer of Grandpa Joe 😎👍

Sea_Shell

Good Morning....looks like we're in for a few lovely sunny days     

Not much to report really, but our ISA's appear to have stabilised and clawed back about £10k of their recent losses.   Still up on 12 months ago.

DH has set up his first drawdown (Aviva) to start from 20th April.   We're starting at £1150 per month, on a current (crystallised) pot of about £40,000, so will be interesting to see how long that lasts, before we need to transfer in his other main pot.  (leaving that with Aegon on low charges for now).

I'll do a full round up at the end of March (sort of tax year!).

We're still waiting on the £4200 due back from HMRC after cashing in another smaller pot back in September, after they deducted emergency tax, which we expected - He applied in October 21, got a reply (wanting more info) and they received (and logged) this in November.   We didn't expect to have to wait this long to get it back!!!   

jimpwarsop

Sea_Shell said:

Good Morning....looks like we're in for a few lovely sunny days     

Not much to report really, but our ISA's appear to have stabilised and clawed back about £10k of their recent losses.   Still up on 12 months ago.

DH has set up his first drawdown (Aviva) to start from 20th April.   We're starting at £1150 per month, on a current (crystallised) pot of about £40,000, so will be interesting to see how long that lasts, before we need to transfer in his other main pot.  (leaving that with Aegon on low charges for now).

I'll do a full round up at the end of March (sort of tax year!).

We're still waiting on the £4200 due back from HMRC after cashing in another smaller pot back in September, after they deducted emergency tax, which we expected - He applied in October 21, got a reply (wanting more info) and they received (and logged) this in November.   We didn't expect to have to wait this long to get it back!!!   

Yes its a sea of blue this morning.

Sea_Shell

Before we get to the end of the month, we now have all our notifications in of our new Direct Debits for our Utility and other monthly bills.   

These now average £409 pm
On top of that, allowing for a 10% increase in what we spent last year (ex Boiler), all our other spending (excluding holidays), would come to about £750 pm

So that lot comes to £13,900 pa.

Add in holidays* (finger in the air....£4000?), then we're getting up to ~£18,000.

If we can maintain a total pot of £600,000, and get a 3% return.....that should just about cover it. 



*For me, my "holiday" category includes days out, eating out, magazines, cinema, film rentals...all things "entertainment" really. 

Bravepants

Sea_Shell said:

Before we get to the end of the month, we now have all our notifications in of our new Direct Debits for our Utility and other monthly bills.   

These now average £409 pm
On top of that, allowing for a 10% increase in what we spent last year (ex Boiler), all our other spending (excluding holidays), would come to about £750 pm

So that lot comes to £13,900 pa.

Add in holidays* (finger in the air....£4000?), then we're getting up to ~£18,000.

If we can maintain a total pot of £600,000, and get a 3% return.....that should just about cover it. 



*For me, my "holiday" category includes days out, eating out, magazines, cinema, film rentals...all things "entertainment" really. 

If you are a member of your local county library you should be able to access electronic publications for borrowing including up to 3000+ magazines. I use the Libby app on occasion to borrow mags, saving about £5 a pop.