How to live without heating - save £000s

elsien

No, I'm firmly in 18 degree central heating territory. It was lower last year, but as prices have gone down I'm not feeling the need to be so careful.
I am starting to get chilblains on my feet already though which is another reason to be warmer - already wearing ordinary socks and thicker ones.

I know that you would encourage more people to join you on your journey - never going to happen with me - however I am interested in what you are doing, and do still follow to keep track. 

bob2302

HertsLad said:

As mentioned before, I am moving away from Thinsulate as my preferred  insulation material and back towards down. 

Do you mean this literally? Bird feathers?

MarzipanCrumble

I love my feather/down mattress topper and my down/feather duvets - light and warm up as soon as you get into bed.  No need for electric blanket.  I have a wool filled duvet too but that is heavy, so I don't use it unless really cold.

I bought a polyester fleece type duvet cover (I was going to buy a brushed cotton but got seduced).  It is like a fleece in that it traps air which is warmed up by body heat and it works really well when cold.  I was worried it would be 'sweaty' but it isn't.
https://www.dunelm.com/product/traditional-check-duvet-cover-set-1000247302?defaultSkuId=30909568

masonic

HertsLad said:

I returned home from a week in Egypt yesterday, where the temperature was high 20s Centigrade and felt perfect. What a shock to return to UK temperatures in southern England of below OC at night and only a bit above during the day. I returned home to my cold house at 2am, where the thermometer in my bedroom read 3.5C. I climbed into bed ( 2 x 13.5 tog down and feather duvets) wearing my denims and down jacket, as well as base layers. At around 11C when I departed, that would have caused me to overheat, but last night I was 'toasty warm' which is perfect. 

As mentioned before, I am moving away from Thinsulate as my preferred  insulation material and back towards down. At present (4C), I am wearing 2 x polyester long sleeve base on my top, 1 cotton shirt, 1 pure wool sweater, plus 2x down filled jackets. Below the waist, I am wearing 2x base bottoms, 2 x down filled trousers. I normally wear an oversize fleece on top and oversize denims below, to protect the insulating layers but, even without them, I remain perfectly warm.

How are you managing? Has anyone else managed to avoid turning the heating on?

So far so good for me. It's been around 8C for the last couple of days and I've not felt cold when layered up. I really struggled below 14C last year, so I don't know what is different. Perhaps I've just been more active. I do have the luxury of an electric blanket overnight though.

HertsLad

bob2302 said:

HertsLad said:

As mentioned before, I am moving away from Thinsulate as my preferred  insulation material and back towards down. 

Do you mean this literally? Bird feathers?

Yes, down filled products are readily available, as MarzipanCrumble alludes to. Goose down is probably the best. Duck is another.  Most mixes are something like 90% down (the fluffy stuff) and 10% feathers. Or a higher proportion of feathers for lower cost and a drop off in the insulation quality. I adore the sumptuous, luxurious feeling. Some lesser products with man made insulation use a term such as 'feels like down'. In reality, I don't think there is any substitute. Anyone who doesn't use down filled products is probably missing out. 

elsien

Unfortunately, I’m allergic. Had a feather duvet on holiday once, Found it really comfortable until I woke up the next morning and couldn’t breathe. 

wrf12345

Just started with half hour slot for the CH, obviously runs flat out and works out around 40p, need it in the morning rather than night at the moment - that is with layered up clothing. Sleeping in cold bedroom is fine for me with couple of duvets. Have not used my infrared wall heater in the bathroom yet (wake up with cold water shower). Have the option of moving my office into the lounge and closing down another room, so would just be heating two rooms as the spare bedroom and kitchen are not heated (the latter works as a fridge and former is a workshop). I think it is a circulation issue for me and have ordered a £130 cross-trainer machine from eBay, usually warm up after a few miles walking but that is undermined by all the rain we are having. Loss of the winter fuel allowance is very annoying as I did not mind handing over "free" money to the energy companies, not keen on giving them any more of my own dosh, though. We are due a severe winter or two so may get interesting.

HertsLad

wrf12345 said:

Just started with half hour slot for the CH, obviously runs flat out and works out around 40p, need it in the morning rather than night at the moment - that is with layered up clothing. Sleeping in cold bedroom is fine for me with couple of duvets. Have not used my infrared wall heater in the bathroom yet (wake up with cold water shower). Have the option of moving my office into the lounge and closing down another room, so would just be heating two rooms as the spare bedroom and kitchen are not heated (the latter works as a fridge and former is a workshop). I think it is a circulation issue for me and have ordered a £130 cross-trainer machine from eBay, usually warm up after a few miles walking but that is undermined by all the rain we are having. Loss of the winter fuel allowance is very annoying as I did not mind handing over "free" money to the energy companies, not keen on giving them any more of my own dosh, though. We are due a severe winter or two so may get interesting.

Interesting, thanks. Could you please let us know the materials you are using for layers, and the room temperature in the morning?

HertsLad

masonic said:

HertsLad said:

How are you managing? Has anyone else managed to avoid turning the heating on?

So far so good for me. It's been around 8C for the last couple of days and I've not felt cold when layered up. I really struggled below 14C last year, so I don't know what is different. Perhaps I've just been more active. I do have the luxury of an electric blanket overnight though.

I think you are probably closest to what I am doing on here by getting down to 8C.  Are any of your layers simillar to what I wear?

masonic

HertsLad said:

masonic said:

HertsLad said:

How are you managing? Has anyone else managed to avoid turning the heating on?

So far so good for me. It's been around 8C for the last couple of days and I've not felt cold when layered up. I really struggled below 14C last year, so I don't know what is different. Perhaps I've just been more active. I do have the luxury of an electric blanket overnight though.

I think you are probably closest to what I am doing on here by getting down to 8C.  Are any of your layers simillar to what I wear?

I don't get on with the base layers you favour, so don't use those at all. Last year I invested in a sherpa-lined hoodie, which I wear over a long-sleeved fleece top and a couple of t-shirts, and below the waist I have fleeced-lined joggers and very thick socks. That's a lot less than you by your previous account, but is enough to have kept me reasonably comfortable so far. I think I am probably at my limit at 8C though. I think it is unlikely my well-insulated and draught-free home would get any colder unless we have a really severe and prolonged cold spell.