Escape to the country & living off savings

thriftylynny

It is freezing SYA & I've given up & reading in bed with water bottle I don't care today!!
Sausage & mash ..perfect ! 

Skint_yet_Again

I hope you are warm now thriftylynny 

It has taken 5 hours to get my house up from 10.5* up to 17* 😱 I have my thermals on and a fleece throw over my legs. I am going out to my friends house this afternoon for a cuppa and chat. I am in two minds whether to turn the heating off when I go out or leave it on to prevent the temperature dropping!!

SuzeQStan

Tbh SYA - we’ve found it a bit one half dozen of the other - we seem to spend the same on heating  whether we turn it off/only have it on whilst at home or if we turn it off then spend hours trying to get it back to temperature.

but MSE says most economical to leave it on only when at home so that must be right

[Deleted User]

SuzeQStan said:

Tbh SYA - we’ve found it a bit one half dozen of the other - we seem to spend the same on heating  whether we turn it off/only have it on whilst at home or if we turn it off then spend hours trying to get it back to temperature.

but MSE says most economical to leave it on only when at home so that must be right

I'm sorry but I don't agree at all with the MSE stance about heating at all.
Our heating is on all the time in the winter months, but is controlled by the thermostat so the radiators are off when the house is warm enough. During most of the day the thermostat is programmed to be 19 or 20 degrees with ability to change of things become too warm or chilly.
Between 2200 and 0700 the setting is 15 degrees and in reality the heating is always off during that time as the house stays quite warm and when I get up it has rarely fallen below 18 degrees.
I live in a 4/5 bedroomed house with 3 reception rooms and current monthly DD for both gas and electricity is about £150 a month having recently reduced from £170. I expect it will soon rise again after the winter bill, but we will build up credit again during the summer months.
I hate being cold and will not compromise on heating, or food for that matter lol. Budgeting is the key.
Nothing clever about being cold and ill to try and prove your how frugal you are! (Never understand why this is so important to some)

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks SQS and Baron_Dale. 

I don’t know which is more economical but after a weekend away my house was down to 10 degrees this morning. I can understand people being worried about the cost of heating as it took 5 hours of constant heating to get up to 17 degrees. 

I went out to see my friend and popped in to see DF, total 2 hours and the house temperature dropped to 13.5 while the heating was off. However it soon got back up to 17 when I flicked the heating back on and it has been on and off all evening with the thermostat keeping it at 17* It is now off during the night. 

I have £100 a month in my budget for gas & electric and £455 credit left from the amount saved in my pot. This is my first winter in this property so I don’t know how much my bill will be this month. I don’t intend to be cold or ill 

SuzeQStan

you have a healthy energy pot saved up SYA - and I agree with you that it is smart to be cautious and frugal - especially as energy costs double what it used to.  

I read an article about a family who were over £2k in energy debt at the end of summer.  Where will they be by the end of winter!  There will be many in such a position.  

Recently did an experiment with heating for 2 weeks over the holidays when my family was visiting and we had the heating on 6:45am-11:45pm and it came to about £8 on average daily for gas (not Inc vat or sc).  We were a bit shocked as was expecting it to be a lot more for 17hrs of heating per day - but then realised that it was due to one of the mildest Christmas seasons on record.

On cold days like what we have had recently it would be alot more. So for time being have gone back to heating 1hr in morning, 1hr at lunch and 1hr in evening supplemented with log burner in the evenings. 

Hope everyone is able to keep warm xx

Skint_yet_Again

Good morning all 😊

Another cold one today but I am warm in bed with fleecy pj’s, bed socks & 13.5 tog duvet. Temperature started at 12.5* so not as cold as yesterday & heating is on now. Will get up soon and make a cuppa. 

Interesting to hear about the cost of your heating SQS. 

I have been looking online at door curtains. The range have a chenille thermal lined one for £32.95 with free delivery. I just need to measure up. I have a curtain track in the shed and lots of spare curtain hooks. My loft insulation has been checked & I have cavity wall insulation. I have reflective thermal panels behind my radiators. I still need to buy thermal curtains for the dining room and I may look at replacing the living room laminate floor with carpet. Am also considering thermal paint for my kitchen extension which is the coldest room. In the summer we are  replacing the modern cold tiled floor and boarding with lino covering. 

No plans for today apart from some batch cooking. I will be roasting tandoori chicken thighs and Mediterranean veg & butternut squash soup in the slow cooker. 

SuzeQStan

Great idea on the door curtains!  Swear by ours

glad you are toasty xx

MovingForwards

See if normal lined curtains work out cheaper, that's what I've always used. There's one to hang up and the other is spare for when the first is in the wash.

Skint_yet_Again

Thanks MF I will have a look online. DF is coming round tomorrow to help me measure up and help me sort my oven light as the bulb seems to have blown. 

I’m not sure where the cooker electric isolation switch is. 

I’m trying different programmes on my dishwasher. Started with a 30 minute quick wash but it only washes and rinses and doesn’t dry so everything is very wet. There is a glass programme which uses about the same electric and water so I’ve put it on earlier this evening and will check it in the morning. DF only uses half a dishwasher tablet in his so I may try that once I have found the right programme for me.