How to live without heating - save £000s

RavingMad

I warm it up to about 18 in the morning so the family can be comfortable getting ready for school/work and it's been dropping down to 15/16 during the day. In December I took a picture of the thermostat at 9.5 in the morning! If I ditched the gilet, the next choice would be a coat I think and I'm not sure I'm ready to go to that extreme if you follow? I have 3 layers on legs, one of which can be Craghopper's winterlined trousers, which are great.

elsien

I have a house kept at 17 during the day. Two pairs of socks including one thick  pair. And still got chilblains on my toes.

diystarter7

gunner786 said:

Dreading the upcoming bills....

Hi
Try to keep on top of them give your supplier a call and see if your monthly DD is current.

We've been caught out with a 400 deficit when the old supplier went belly up and my inlaws were 1700 behind.

Best to keep tabs on it. As we are in credit by a bit, we do turn up the heating especially when grandkids are around after school.

Thanks

HertsLad

RavingMad said:

I warm it up to about 18 in the morning so the family can be comfortable getting ready for school/work and it's been dropping down to 15/16 during the day. In December I took a picture of the thermostat at 9.5 in the morning! If I ditched the gilet, the next choice would be a coat I think and I'm not sure I'm ready to go to that extreme if you follow? I have 3 layers on legs, one of which can be Craghopper's winterlined trousers, which are great.

That's not very cold and you already seem to be wearing quite a bit. If it doesn't include two layers of base garments, both top and bottom, try adding those. As they will be hidden, hopefully you won't consider it too extreme.

RavingMad

I think I'm getting soft but I do feel the cold at 14/15 but the gilet only gets worn when it's lower. It's usually a thermal base, then a t-shirt, jumper, fleece/hoodie then gilet. 

HertsLad

RavingMad said:

I think I'm getting soft but I do feel the cold at 14/15 but the gilet only gets worn when it's lower. It's usually a thermal base, then a t-shirt, jumper, fleece/hoodie then gilet. 

As I said, try doubling up the thermal base layers. It works for me, for around 6 months of the year. I then add other clothes until I am warm enough. As I also said, I wouldn't wear anything short sleeved. Try adding/replacing a layer with long-sleeved down or thinsulate insulation on your top.

Max68

RavingMad said:

I WFH and I won't put the heating on during the day as I'll quite happily wear 5 layers including a gilet but it's the inactivity ie sat in front of the computer that makes me feel the cold. If I were to get up and walk around, it affects me less so.  Got a cold spell next week, so that'll be interesting.

I work in front of the PC a lot.  I've bought a couple of fleece dressing gowns from a supermarket and use a hot water bottle at my feet, both help dramatically as the dressing gown isn't tight.

HertsLad

Max68 said:

RavingMad said:

I WFH and I won't put the heating on during the day as I'll quite happily wear 5 layers including a gilet but it's the inactivity ie sat in front of the computer that makes me feel the cold. If I were to get up and walk around, it affects me less so.  Got a cold spell next week, so that'll be interesting.

I work in front of the PC a lot.  I've bought a couple of fleece dressing gowns from a supermarket and use a hot water bottle at my feet, both help dramatically as the dressing gown isn't tight.

I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would use dressing gowns as a means to stay warm. I should think the appearance is highly dishevelled, too. Whatever they cost, there must be better alternatives for a similar outlay, with a much improved insulation quality.

miss-tified

Not sure what kind of quality you've had for your previous dressing gowns but I'm delighted with the very warm, cosy, snuggly, fleecy one I got for Christmas, and the mad penguin slippers! Of course, I could wear my thermal leggings, silk thermals tops, ski-pants (designer, naturally) and then top everything with my silver fox fur jacket and the genuine USSR fur hat with Kremlin badge, but it seems like a lot of layers and a lot of trouble to go to when I'm working from home all the time.
I try and brush my hair every couple of days to make sure there's a difference between the "dishevelled unkempt woke up at lunchtime, where's the vodka" look, and the "just had a lovely wake-up stretch & tone, good morning lover boy  let's do it again, slutty bed head hair," look.
I do have certain standards... as well as alternatives for body warmth. 

drphila

HertsLad said:

drphila said:

Sea_Shell said:

But even if 90% of people (probably single) could do what you do, I doubt anyone who had a choice would.

 I have a choice and I do.

To earn the couple of thousand I save, I'd have to work 2 months full time...

Interesting. It sounds like your saving is similar to mine. What's your approach to minimise the costs?

(Sorry for the delay in responding - l haven't been on here very much).

I've been working towards my current lifestyle for the last few years. My heating energy costs so far this winter are zero. So, no general, bathroom, bedroom or bed heating.

I'm pretty sure my house temperature is not as low as yours. I had thought it never got much below 9 or so degrees. So, l was a bit surprised when I measured it during the cold snap before Xmas and the hall was 4 and the living room 6.

On the bed I have a 13.5 duvet, cover and woollen blanket doubled over my top half. The initial shock of getting in lasts about 30 secs and then l'm fine.

Clothes wise I wear sandals and ordinary socks and thermal base layer and denims on the bottom. On top, thinsulate gloves, hat and snood. t shirt, long sleeve cotton shirt, artic fleece, woollen jacket and padded outdoor jacket. In the evenings when I am less active and it's cooler (or all the time during cold snaps) I supplement these with nylon leggings and double base layer on top.

Apart from the base layers which I bought at your suggestion, I am reluctant to spend,say, £25 on a duck down jacket, when that would pay for,say,150 hours of a 400w halogen heater.

Finally, a lot has been said on here about the adverse effects of the cold on health, but nothing about the well-documented benefits of short-term exposure.