Learning to walk before I run

Suffolk_lass

You could try an oil-filled radiator on a timer instead of the fan heater... - we use a tumble dryer for 10-20 minutes then hang stuff on hangers over a pulley rail - even pants and socks using pegs on the cross rails of the hangers and it dries in a day (overnight, actually) near the boiler

badmemory

When I read the instruction for my drier it said an hour & half, it actually takes less than half that.  My original intention was to put things in for a while then finish them off round the house.  Even 2 loads of washing in there don't take 50 minutes.

savingholmes

There are 30£ halogen heater at bnq etc that are supposed to be good and relatively cheap to run.

SuperSecretSquirrel

I don't see any reason to buy a different electric heater. They will all be pretty much 100% efficient at turning electricity into heat, so if you already own one that gives off sufficient heat,  replacing it with an oil filled or halogen heater would be a false economy.

I think you're heating an empty room Ed? In that case I absolutely wouldn't be replacing the heater (though I would consider turning it off and using the central heating if there are radiators up there).

A habited room is slightly different. An oil filled radiator gives more even heat over time, but they're not really more efficient, just slow release. They all get the same amount of heat out per unit of electricity, but an oil filled radiator avoids the hot/cold swings so tends to feel more comfortable for the occupier.

edinburgher

It's DD1's bedroom @SuperSecretSquirrel, so habited. I agree re. not replacing the heater (although I appreciate the helpful comments made by posters). It's just not worth it when the existing heater is used at something like 1/4 output for 15-20 mins a day max during winter, probably more like 10 mins on reflection, just to take the edge off as DD1 gets ready for bed.

SuperSecretSquirrel

In that case the blast of extra heat while getting changed for bed and then it feeling a little cooler once under the covers sounds pretty good, a fan heater is probably ideal 🙂

I missed the 1/4 output... If its a 3kw heater, set to 750w, and only on for 10 minutes a day, you're talking about 4p or so a day. Probably not something you need to worry about 🤣

edinburgher

Indeed - it looks like I've finessed about as much as I can for now - off to turn the thermostat back onto automatic

edinburgher

Mhhh... I have been paying down the credit card fairly aggressively but I worry that my virement will not sustain itself. 10 days left until February's budget and the pots are looking somewhat empty I think I will need to rein it in for the rest of the month unless I get a fresh infusion of cash, £2,692 to go. There's definitely some extra cash coming in February (few £££ from overtime, Mrs E will go back onto something like 70% of normal wages as maternity leave winds up and no council tax) but that's February and it feels a long way away at the moment.

I should probably give some thought to focusing a little more on keeping cash vs. getting rid of debt, even if my target of no unsecured debt by my 40th is appealing...

DD1 going to a pal's for a sleepover today, she is a wee bit nervous about it, I think 7 is a little young for this sort of thing TBH. Still, it's a good friend and it's her and another friend will be spending the night. We trust the parents (all kids in the same class at school, they only live 1 street away), we're just very (too?) protective. Mrs E and I might get a grownup dinner together I have defrosted a cracking looking rib of beef (£25 to £5 M0rrison's YS!) and a couple of bags of HM beef stock to make a demi glace to go with it. 

South_coast

I've overdone it this month as well, £1.60 to last until payday (31/01 😱). Fortunately I've got £40 of survey money in transit, so the credit card is my friend for the next few days!

SuperSecretSquirrel

£25 down to £5 😲 What a find that beef rib was!