How to live without heating - save £000s

YoungBlueEyes

@Jyana Try looking for man-made fibres for the layer closest to your skin. Well all the layers actually. Polyester underthings would have me ripping my skin off in a week! 

If you're short on pennies, trawl the charity shops. There's plenty of good stuff (cotton/linen) out there for cheap if you're patient

dealyboy

Well I've just checked my thermal long sleeved vest and long-johns, both 50% cotton, 50% polyester.

I think they have been very beneficial as base layers, 5 layers on top, 3 on legs. One thing I have noticed is that with one brand of thermal vest the material is slightly brushed and may be the cause of some very mild irritation sometimes.

HertsLad

Another approach I suggest to avoid skin irritation is to use 100% cotton as the first base layer, then add polyester (a better insulator) as the second and possibly third layer. I also swapped out my 100% cotton shirt for a polyester mid layer. It's helped me to live without heating even more effortlessly this winter.

As for anyone turning off their heating, see here:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/today-exact-date-you-should-29532742

Brave! What a load of rubbish.

The temperature in my house is still only 11C. I am still wearing all my base layers and the down filled trousers.

dealyboy

These days I put on a thickish 100% cotton T-shirt (I have several of these from Asda/George 2 for £6 last summer) under the thermal top.

My indoor temperature surprisingly today has been around 15C, no heating, 7C or 8C outside, must have retained some heat from last few days outdoor temperature. I'm in Hitchin.

HertsLad

dealyboy said:

These days I put on a thickish 100% cotton T-shirt (I have several of these from Asda/George 2 for £6 last summer) under the thermal top.

My indoor temperature surprisingly today has been around 15C, no heating, 7C or 8C outside, must have retained some heat from last few days outdoor temperature. I'm in Hitchin.

If your T shirts are short sleeved, try long sleeved instead! You live in the same county as me and are lucky your house is warmer than mine, now at 9C.

dealyboy

... it's now 12C indoors 3:45pm ... they are short sleeved but I do have 3 long sleeved sweatshirts. I only have 4 thermal long sleeved vests though, so I do mix and match.

I wear 2 or 3 thermal tops or fleeces (mid and upper layers) and I can always wear my nanook of the north coat, so I'm fine.

I believe you're in an older house whereas I'm in a small park home (less volume to gain or lose heat) and the main double glazed windows face east and south.

Have you managed to make any progress on an insulation grant from the council ?

PS. when I said 'thermal top' in my last post I meant 'long sleeved thermal vest'.

Nelliegrace

It is chilly this week but we have come through another winter.
We have been taking a middle path with the heating, 14°C all day, 7°C as usual at night. 
I have health issues, but it has been warm enough. I have a warm lap rug if I am sitting reading. 

I have my morning mug of tea, cosy in bed, and get up when the house has warmed, and go to bed with my hot water bottles, before it get cooler at night. 

I am in five layers, with a wool layer sandwiched between two cotton layers. I have bought merino wool thermals and a feather and down jacket in the sales, but really it hasn’t been that cold. They will keep for future years. A wooly hat makes a difference, as much as an extra layer. 

I wore an extra pair of socks under my usual Crocs, but that caused problems. The gentle pressure bruised my toes quite badly over several days, and I didn’t notice because it didn’t hurt. I have shearling-lined slippers now. 

matt_drummer

I have read some of this topic, not all of it.

Whilst I admire the determination to save money it sounds utterly miserable!

Money is a man made idea and the only point of it is to buy goods or services to enjoy  its useless for anything else and you can't take it with you.

Some of what I have read sounds really unhealthy.

I am not criticising, it's your lives.

Nelliegrace

So many people don’t have the luxury of choice @matt_drummer

It is called making a virtue of necessity. 

matt_drummer

Nelliegrace said:

So many people don’t have the luxury of choice @matt_drummer

It is called making a virtue of necessity. 

OK, i don't want to argue or offend.

I'm keen to understand.

Is it really necessary to live without heating in the 21st century in the UK?

I'm not clued up on this at all, I thought there was support for people in this country who would struggle with energy costs?

Why are some people not getting this support to enable them to heat their homes?

I thought everybody got at least £550 last year (assuming band d council tax)