Keep warm in the winter by wearing five or six layers of clothes indoors

theoldmiser

In the winter, I hardly ever turn my heating on, and I wear thermal long Johns, a thermal vest, two pairs of tracksuit bottoms, and three thin tops and two or even three fleecy (vegan) jumpers, and I am perfectly warm, in a house that is only 15 degrees centigrade. I use an electric fan heater in the bathroom for about ten to fifteen minutes in the morning, and in the evening, and that's it.

Yet NOBODY in the mainstream media is even suggesting to people that in order to stay warm this winter, while using much less heating, they should simply put on layer after layer of clothes. What a crazy idea!

I actually know somebody who was Skyping me in a lightweight top, and then said she had to go and turn the central heating on "because she felt cold". She turned on her central heating, in order to heat up a massive downstairs room (her downstairs is one ridiculously huge room, the kitchen, dining room and living room have all been 'opened up'). I suggested to her that she put a jumper on, she claimed her husband 'feels the cold', so I suggested he puts an extra jumper on too. I was met with a dumbfounded expression. Are people really this stupid? Apparently so. Apparently, there are millions of people in this country who are actually sitting at home in the middle of winter with the central heating belting out ridiculous amounts of heat, wearing nothing more than a single top and trousers. I wonder if they will have the intelligence to actually stop doing this this winter, when their bills have gone through the roof?

Guess what - people who go OUTSIDE in the winter don't suddenly drop down dead from the cold. People going to shops, people walking around the streets of Britain at all times of the day and night, are NOT dropping dead from the cold - that's because they wear MORE CLOTHES outside when it's cold. So to stay warm inside, just do the same, it isn't rocket science.

Doozergirl

No one in the mainstream media? 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/heat-the-human-not-the-home-save-energy/

Have you ever heard of Martin Lewis? 

theoldmiser

I'm sorry, I hadn't seen that article before! I was just going to Radio 4, the BBC, and all the newspapers that I read. They all seem to talk about everything BUT keeping yourself warm by wearing more clothes indoors.

That article only mentions THREE layers. Why? Why not wear five, six or seven? I just keep putting on more and more jumpers until I can hardly move my arms. There's no need to list certain types of clothes and where to buy them - we already all have enough clothes to keep warm, you just need to put on five or six layers of them.

" if you're not warm enough in your base and midlayer, you could add an extra jumper or jacket over the top."  Of course you aren't going to be warm enough just wearing TWO LAYERS. So actually even MoneySavingExpert's article just repeats the usual nonsense that simply doesn't work. Why doesn't it just say "You no doubt have at least four or five jumpers - wear them ALL and you will feel lovely and warm, even in a cold house."

"If your feet start to feel cold later in the day (even though you've kept them dry with slippers), it could be because your socks have been absorbing sweat."

Why would your feet be sweating if you're feeling cold, in a cold house? I so often see the ludicrous advice that you must wear certain types of material in your inner layer in order to "wick" away sweat. I've been wearing five or six layers in the winter for decades and never had a problem with sweat. Chance would be a fine thing.

So having read the article now, I see that it still doesn't suggest the most sensible option - which is what I have suggested in my original post - wear five or six layers on top, three layers of trousers, and a really warm hat as well (you can get thermal hats from B&M for £5) and you will be fine, even in a house with no heating on.

I totally agree about how turning off central heating can lead to damp problems and other problems in the house. It depends on how old and well insulated your house is, I suppose.

givememoney

It isn't quite as simple as layering up. Admittedly I'm 74 so the cold affects me more, but this is an example of what I mean.
We have a caravan and have been away in it where there is no electricity, so cannot have a fire on at night. One instance last year when it was quite cold, I went to bed in pants, thermal vest, fleece pyjamas a cardigan over the top, socks, hat and gloves along with my down sleeping bag and blanket but still felt cold on my face especially my nose, so couldn't sleep.
The actual air felt icy against my face.

grumbler

givememoney said:

The actual air felt icy against my face.

Balaclava it is then

givememoney

grumbler said:

givememoney said:

The actual air felt icy against my face.

Balaclava it is then

Well actually I did try wearing a face mask but felt like I was suffocating.

elsien

Already had this discussion with @HertsLad who is similarly minded. Most people feel that it is too extreme unless there really is no option. I do have options so although I do put another layer on, I’d rather have the heating than walk around like the Michelin woman. 

Although 15 degrees is his idea of tropical - you need to let the temperature drop to 2 degrees to do it properly. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6334019/how-to-live-without-heating-save-000s/p1

BUFF

theoldmiser said:

  Of course you aren't going to be warm enough just wearing TWO LAYERS. 

I do, base layer+fleece in winter. Room thermostat set at 14.5C.
Admittedly, I am a fat git so well insulated to start with. 

TELLIT01

I'm of an age where, as a child, the only heating in the house was the open fire in the living room.  At night, an extra blanket was put on the bed when it got cold.  I'm not suggesting they were good old days, but they were days when people adapted rather than expecting the world to adapt to them.  theoldmiser is taking things to extremes in their examples, but wearing an extra layer in the house is not an unrealistic suggestion.

Sicard

I grew up in a house with no central heating. On cold evenings we'd have a coke fire, sometimes toasting crumpets. When we went to bed there was a parafin heater on the landing. None of the six of us perished. I think people were built a lot hardier then.

stuart45

My wife's mum had a special thermometer put in by Age Concern that told her when to switch the heating on. They told us that many old people think that they are tougher than the youngsters as they grew up without central heating and went through the war. Although there is some truth in this, the problem is that as we get older our senses start to fade, and whereas children start to shiver when cold to save them and feel thirsty before they start to dehydrate old people's bodies can't recognize the.problems so well.
They told us they a lot of.old people actually feel warm when they are really dying from hypothermia.