Any new tips for heating your house in winter??

greenbee

Rosa_Damascena said:

Tbh with kids in the house I wouldn't skimp but perhaps restrict the number of rooms used to the smallest, if that makes a difference.

I grew up in a long thin house with no central heating - we used to run down the hallway from the kitchen (Aga) to the smallest room at the other end of the hall which was used as the living room and had a fire. My bedroom was above the living room so got some warmth from the chimney. My brother's was above the kitchen so had the Aga chimney. We both had oil filled radiators in our bedrooms and hung our clothes over them in winter then stuck a hand out of the bed clothes when we woke up to turn them on. As the clothes warmed up we'd pull them into bed and get dressed under the blankets!

Hot water bottles kept us warm at night. We did eventually get a woodstove for the hall, which kept it and the landing above from being arctic. And eventually we did start using the central heating - but it wasn't until my mid/late teens that it became affordable (big house, original 1930s radiators and pipework, oil-fired hot water and central heating). I'm pretty sure that carting logs for the fires/woodstove and anthracite for the aga kept my parents fairly warm too. 

jennystarpepper

Check windows for condensation, usually the main bedroom / one that gets the early morning sun / or main adult bedroom..

I've done some work in the past with social housing... people came into complain about damp and mould... I asked them if they have 'wiped the windows down' every few days .. .. or checked for condensation and have drawn a blank, I have advised that I have this problem (as can happen in older builds sometimes) and windows need to be wiped / cleaned... not all but sometimes one window can be a problem.   

Curtain on the main door, my hall was Arctic until I put one up... good for avoiding door knockers.... and sausage for main doors as suggested is great... kids understand what I meant when I shouted 'sausage'.

-taff

I'd also go with wrist warmers as well as leg warmers. If your wrists are warm, your hands are more likely to be. I've made some in the past with wool offcuts or jumpers or even just cut the foot part off some long socks and used those [ there were holes in the foot part]. Don't underestimate the power of a good thick curtain to keep heat in and cold out and if you're lighting your fires, they will warm the bedroom usptairs from them.Last year when we were running the fire pretty much 24.7 the chimney breasts heated up enough to raise the temperature of the upstairs bedroom we use from way too cold to more or less bearable. Get hold of some free wood for your fires. One of my neighbours in wales works on an industrial state and he said they were just burning their pallets because they couldn't get rid of them. It'll burn quick but burn hot so a small fire a day to take the chill off would be welcome. Ask at places that do woodwork for offcuts or pellets, some places do pellets for free as a by product

For beds, put spare duvets or a blanket under your bottom sheet, it acts like a sleeping bag does. I put a padded mattress topper under our electric blanket last year and went all winter with that, flanelette sheets and duvets, or brushed cotton as they're called these days, and a woolen 4 tog duvet with a couple of blankets on top. I have got a ten tog feather and down duvet but that was just too hot.

Open the curtains for solar gain in the mornings, shut them befroe the sun goes to hold on to the heat. Don't skimp on good bulbs, not because they'll do anything spectacular, but I hate not being able to see things in good strong light in the day.

Jellytotts

I've never had heating on over night so don't worry too much about rooms cooling down, children will stay under their duvets and will be absolutely fine.  

I didn't have central heating until my first daughter was 2.  I had an electric fire in the living room but couldn't afford extra heaters so just wrapped up warm.  Kids don't tend to feel the cold as much as adults as they're generally running around.  

I can't find slippers I like (I like some structure to whatever is on my feet) so I have a pair of fleece lined, normal boots that are my "house shoes". Those and a pair of the fluffy lined knock off crocs do me absolutely fine.  A shawl or blanket scarf around the shoulders and neck is really helpful and I have a heated neck collar (purchased to help with neck issues a few years ago) but is amazing at warming me up if it gets a bit chilly when I'm sitting.

Air your house each day to keep the moisture levels down (turn the beds back and air until lunch time if you can so they have chance to release all the built up sweat) and keep a window front and back of the house on a safety catch or open trickle vents.  There will be a small amount of cold air coming in but it won't kill you. We have the bedroom and bathroom window open all night to let air flow. You soon get used to the chill in the air.

A blanket or spare duvet on the chair you're sitting on all day will help lots too, it will hold a bit of warmth and cut down on draughts.

Eat a hot lunch if you can, even something like beans on toast will do, give the children warm drinks (mine used to love hot squash and still drink it now as adults).

My midwife was horrified that I was taking my baby home to an unheated house in early December, there was snow on the ground. She asked how I thought I was going to keep her warm and safe....I asked how she thought that humans had managed to keep going since the beginning of time. She didn't answer.

greenbee

@Jellytotts - good point about the hot food and drink. Keeping your core temperature up is key. Also the ventilation … although I had to close the bedroom windows at 2am as they were rattling in the wind! 

It’s much more important to air your bed than make it. And it’s particularly important to open the windows and air the house if you’re drying laundry inside (this is where the TD wins, as it removes moisture from the house, which drying on airers doesn’t. So there are pros and cons to both. 

mumf

We don’t seal our house up either.My wife is a big believer of the merits of fresh air. I am having a lazy start today,so drinking tea,lying in bed right now! The windows are open,and the back door too,so the dogs can come and go. We never have mould problems as a result. We have no central heating,but we have wall mounted electric radiators in each room ( and all rooms have doors to self- contain them), which we use when needed. Our main heating though,is in our largest reception room,by way of a wonderful multi fuel stove,which is still ticking over from last night. 

And we wear clothes.Our daughters live in big,modern places,with tiled floors and laminate,no curtains,just Venetian blind thingies.They crank the heat up,wear next to nothing,then moan about the bills!The decor of their houses is more suited to Spain than Britain. We have carpets and curtains,and that makes a difference. I am a fan of fleeces rather than heavy jumpers,and I always wear socks. All day I have to wear heavy PPE,so I like to go without footwear at home,so I have good ‘house socks’,as I hate slippers.

As the gas and electric gets scarcer and so more expensive, we shall all have to learn the ways that many of us remember from childhood. All this walking around in a sauna- like house with nowt on in February is a very recent phenomenon. 

MandM90

Thanks all, funny slippers are being mentioned - I’m currently on the hunt for some new ones. The ‘posh’ White Company ones DH bought me last year are falling apart. And no wonder, the sole was made of cardboard it’s now apparent. I’m on the hunt for some with proper soles as I must admit I do occasionally shuffle out onto the patio with them on! I’ll either go cheap this time or invest in some that may last more than 365 days…identifying those that belong to the latter category is proving tricky, though…

oystercatcher

This thread and the 'winter' thread have reminded me to chuck my slippers in the washing machine. They are M&S faux suede boot style and the label says washable. I must have had them 4 or 5 years , not worn constantly but a fair amount. They have worn really well and no signs of any cardboard. I suspect the fashionable shops expect us to buy new slippers every year rather than wash and wear again!

greenbee

I have sheepskin boots from Celtic & Co. Not cheap, but machine washable and they last. I have a pair of 'house' boots that have pale, ridged soles so you don't get dirt stuck in them and they're OK for nipping out quickly to the washing line/garage etc. And then I have other pairs with more robust outdoor soles with a bit more grip! I've bought several pairs over the years as they were handy for work, I've also had them repaired/resoled etc. They are lovely and warm, and I used them a lot when working in Scandinavia on occasions that didn't quite merit snowboots (or when I'd left my snowboots in the office). 

penny_less

I would second a pair of crocs- toasty warm and survives nipping out to the garden!