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Original poster

My house is 8 degrees. 8 degrees

455 replies

Bonecold · 01/04/2022 15:43

Heating oil ran out yesterday. I have £200 in the savings pot with boiler juice. For a minimum order I need 500 litres which is £468.

So I’ve left the heating off until either the price per litre drops, the weather gets better, or my savings pot reaches the amount needed to do an order (£65 DD a month).

In the meantime I have a fire place so I can heat one room (but no wood so have to outlay for that).

I can’t work out if I should:

a) remove the £200 from the savings account and spend it on wood/coal to get through to warmer weather. Pro - would be warm now, Con - even further away from filling the tank

b) heat one room with wood, live near a wood so could scavenge enough wood weekly to do this?

c) plug in electric radiator. Pro: heat, con: eats electricity

D) small loan for £300/400 and top up oil. Pro: heat, con: small loans have huge interest and would be another bill each month

I’m at work all day and kids at school usually so it’s not like we would be freezing all day and can boil water for cooking and have electric shower for washing. But it’s Easter holidays here so they’ll be home for the next two weeks now

What would you do?

OP posts:
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7
crumpet · 01/04/2022 18:39

Sorry - missed that you had a radiator. I would use it. It is short term as the weather will warm up again soon

Youcansaythatagainandagain · 01/04/2022 18:44

This reminds me of living in a very old and very cold house growing up.
Light a fire and wear wool if you have woollen clothes. Keep the doors closed and throw blankets over you when watching tv.
Early nights reading in bed with hot water bottles and extra blankets.

For the Easter holidays lots of outdoor walks and exercise I guess if thats possible to keep the children active and warm?

Can you look into renting elsewhere? A middle floor apartment might be a better option? They are always warmer than houses as heat rises?

Firstruleofsoupover · 01/04/2022 18:46

Only other thought, I once approached my HR at work to ask for an emergency loan against next month's paycheck. We had been flooded and I wanted to pay my half of living in the YHA. Got refused, but they were a funny lot, HR there.

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Puffalicious · 01/04/2022 18:47

I see you've got the electric blankets down- great idea. If you want to spend a little from your savings I have a heated, fleece blanket. It's amazing. It's buttons to run and so, so, so warm as you wrap it round you.It was £35 from Aldi. I used it constantly when wfh during lockdown.

Andante57 · 01/04/2022 18:48

Febrier
I wonder what's worse for you? Inhaling from a real fire in the living room or your house being so cold

When the OP and her children are in danger of hypothermia from fuel poverty I really think it's both unfeeling and inappropriate of you to post this

I agree. Febrier, the op wanted some helpful advice, and your comment was anything but.

Gowithme · 01/04/2022 18:48

I would buy 3 bags of (locally delivered) coal for the fire - scavenged wood would be horrible smoky - and save the rest of the money towards oil and hope the price comes down in the meantime.

bellac11 · 01/04/2022 18:50

Cold like that can kill a person and personally we dont get overt fumes from our wood burner, neither of us have noticed increased problems with our breathing since we got it and we both have respiratory problems

Wood burner all the way for us although I am interested in this electric throw idea.

ChiaraRimini · 01/04/2022 18:51

You have 3 months of DD payments in your savings. Will you not be able to save any money in the next 3 months to put towards the future payments?

valbyruta · 01/04/2022 18:53

An acquaintance of mine grew up on a farm in northern Europe and in cold winters the whole family would sleep in one room (which had either a coal or wood fire, can't quite remember now)

Would something similar work for your family?

balalake · 01/04/2022 18:53

I'd look at the wood/coal option myself in your shoes.

MumOf21 · 01/04/2022 18:55

Undried green wood can explode a potentially set they house on fire, as happened to the family in The Hulland Ward tragic housefire a few years ago where five children lost their lives.
All children were sleeping at the time, and the mother managed to escape purely by Luck that she was downstairs and able to escape quickly before the fire took hold blocking the stairway.

Just not worth the risk, use a duvet or sleeping bags to snuggle up into at night, in addition to your usual bedding, often Charity shops sell sleeping bags at quite a reasonable price, often good quality ones too.

PrtScn · 01/04/2022 18:57

Just be careful with scavenging wood. Around here there are a few signs up near wooded areas saying wood thieves will be prosecuted.

Blondeshavemorefun · 01/04/2022 18:59

Can’t believe companies have such a high minimum of litres

How long would 500l /£468 last you @Bonecold

I would do a and b

Warmer weather soon hopefully and summer so will give you a chance to replenish oil pot

Spudlet · 01/04/2022 19:01

Are there any local (like super-local) charities that can help? Our village has a small fund which is for heating - I think someone a long time ago (like a century or so...!) left a bequest specifically to pay for fuel for people in the parish. You could ask the local church if anything along those lines exists in your area - it's surprising what random little things are out there.

I'm so sorry you're stuck like this, the cost of heating oil is truly shocking. We are trying to use our woodburner as much as possible as well, and also did some scavenging today. It's appalling.

RandomMess · 01/04/2022 19:02

When our heating broke down by day 3/4 it was 11 degrees and it was bloody grim.

Shows you how much difference a decently insulated house makes though. 8 degrees due to one day is hideous Sad

Manth0914 · 01/04/2022 19:02

Heat one room and layer up! Rubbish times ahead for us all.

Calmdown14 · 01/04/2022 19:04

Can't you just buy a few bags of coal? They are about £4 a bag.

I think you also need to see if there's any way to stop your home losing so much heat.

We are north Scotland and it's been snowing but house is fine. We had the wood burner on in one room for a couple of hours. It a 1940s build so not new build insulated but thick curtains, cutting out draughts etc makes a big difference

Bubbles1st · 01/04/2022 19:04

See if you can find someone who delivers smaller quantity or fuel station that has it on pump. We have a couple of each option near us for heating oil. I know it's still expensive but at least your money goes on what it is intended for and will last for now.

bozzabollix · 01/04/2022 19:04

I don’t know where you are but if you’re in Kent PM me, I can get you some wood.

8 degrees is bloody freezing. I really feel for you.

Doggirl · 01/04/2022 19:09

One year in around Feb my partner turned the heating off for a week while we were on holiday, we arrived back to a house which was 11 degrees it was freezing.. The cat was furious

When I was a student years back I spent a year in a flat on top of a warehouse. Single-glazed, everything built rattly. I came back from Xmas to find one window blown open and the thermometer reading 6C. I initially thought my olive oil had gone mouldy, then realised 'cloudy and solid' is just what oil does when it gets cold. And that winter was wet rather than cold.

LardyDee · 01/04/2022 19:10

Definitely use the open fire. Maybe invest in a chain saw Grin

(Seriously, we're in central London, but even here there are enough fallen trees around that could be cut up and used to heat the house all year.)

Snog · 01/04/2022 19:10

I'm used to living in houses without central heating. If you have one warm room (get some dry wood to burn) and electric blankets or hot water bottles in the bedrooms then you'll be fine. You have an electric shower so that's good.

PP had a good idea though as you are renting to consider a move to a house with lower energy costs.

a1poshpaws · 01/04/2022 19:11

My sympathies. Having lived through two freezing power cuts since December, one lasting 10 days and the other 4, I can appreciate how worried and miserable you must feel.

I'd definitely go with B) or as another post suggested, try to get a 0% credit card, and pay off as much as you can each month.

(Come to think of it, you could always try to find a charitable Grant: there are loads but many are really specific so I couldn't recommend one. Have a wee look here: www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Fuel-Poverty/Grants-and-Schemes )

JuteWeaver · 01/04/2022 19:11

Scavenge as much wood as you can and keep the one room comfortable. My husband has found us loads of wood from fallen trees and it's getting us through till the warmer weather.
Only use the plug in radiator if you really need it. I find them very expensive to run.
Could you make up hot water bottles and put them in to warm the beds ahead of bedtime.

Ladybyrd · 01/04/2022 19:18

*Depending on where the OP is, in my area, you need to be earning at least 3 times the yearly rental, you need to put down a deposit of anywhere between a month and two months, not to mention the costs of hiring a van as a bare minimum.

As she is having difficulty scraping together the money for her oil, do you think she has that amount in savings?*

Exactly what I was thinking.

I would go with B, although the electric blanket could be an idea.

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