Heating the home bit if a struggle

[Generalpost]

Gas seems to cost such a lot once I put the heating on I'm on a pre-payment meter. I normally don't put it on till late November /early December. But im freezing.

I'm actually wondering if it would be cheaper to use electric oil filled radiators ? Than to put the central heating on ?

Lots of small things you can do like putting up thermal liners in the curtains and you can put up this on any single glazed windows you don't need to open for the next few months which would help too.

www.amazon.co.uk/Insulation-Heating-Draught-Excluder-Shopmonk/dp/B00NVI3DV6/ref=asc_df_B00NVI3DV6/?hvlocphy=1006717&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=309775932390&hvpone&hvlocint&hvpos&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-697364247504&hvrand=4985642296945537699

Check with your council to see if there are any grants available to upgrade heating or insulation - some have funding for this. Often means-tested but will usually be available for rented properties too as long as the landlord agrees to any works.

@Bigeggsinapackoften

If upstairs is roasting can you swap a bedroom with the living room and have your living room upstairs?

No that would not work as my living room is also my bedroom

We have a ethanol fireplace. Not in the UK and our house is warm, were we to put this on it would easily heat up our quite big living room.

Have you blocked off any drafts with a draft excluder ? They really help.

I second the stuff about the curtains or even a blanket over the existing curtains to keep the heat in if you’re not double glazed.

Do you only load up the card once you put the heating on? My understanding is that, heating or not, there is a daily standing charge. When you load up the card October/November, it probably takes the summers worth of standing charges.

The small electric stove type fires that just plug in are very effective and quite cheap to buy/run. Heats up a room quickly and also looks warming with the flame effect. You can even just have the flames on and no heat if you just like the room to feel a bit cosier.

My oil filled radiator cost about £30 and it is cheap to run and heats the room quickly...really helped me working from home last winter.

Yep I would be sure to block all possible draughts, use towel/ newspaper etc for the gaps under doors, insulate best you can yourself. Cover non double glazed windows with bubble wrap or newspaper etc especially now dark in the evenings. Defo to onesie straight after school if they have one.

how much is your gas price per unit and how much is your electric per kw?

for example gas is much cheaper than electric - 4p a unit compared to 16p per unit here - approx

do you know how much you're using a week or a day for example?

@Fallagain

Can you change from a prepayment meter? They tend to me more expensive.

A few years ago when I was renting , I moved into a house with pre payment meters . I enquired about having them removed or paying any other way . I was informed by British Gas they could be removed but it would need to pay for that . The cost was £1300 for both metres 🙈

How many rooms do you have to heat OP?

You can get secondary glazing window film which is easy to put up and remove (you kinid of shrink it on with a hairdryer) and can give you some extra insulation. We've got it in our bathroom and it made a substantial difference last year.

I think it's potentially worth getting a single oil-filled radiator for whatever room you and your kids sit in during the evenings, and then electric blankets for the beds.

I hate having the heating on during the day when WFM. I bought a really cheap heated pad and se it to keep my feet on. It doesnt feel very warm to the hands but it keeps my feet toasty and therefore the rest of my very comfortable
I expect as it gets older i will need to add a warmer cardigan to help but at the moment Im just in a normal single layer top and leggings and the heating pad is doing the trick nicely.But im aware that they are single person use only and large blankets are ££S
I would go with a couple of these suggestions. A fake fire with lights that look like flames, a radiator that takes the chill off, plastic shrink sheet on the single glazed windows and tealights on the hearth to add to the general amount of heat.

My house had no heating until this year so I’ve got 20 years of tips!

Being “sealed in” to bed makes all the difference. So double duvets on single beds that can be tucked in. Sleeping bags are better still and great for kids watching tv. I also have a hot water bottle in bed.

Decent pyjamas, long dressing gown and (don’t know why) ankle height slippers are MUCH warmer than just shoe type slippers.

Close the curtains. For years, I lined my curtains with ikea cheap fleeces.

Candles in jars make you feel warmer.

I leave the oven door open after cooking.

We had an oil filled radiator in the living room but I’ve never slept in a heated bedroom in my life!