Planning for a colder winter at home.

[Florencenotflo]

Like a lot of people, we're not going to be able to have the heating on as much this winter. What should I be buying now to make it as comfortable as possible? More for our 2 DD's (6 and 3). I don't have much extra money but I can buy things gradually over the next couple of months.

So far I have on my list:
Fleecy onesies to go over pyjamas
Warmer/thermal socks
Hot water bottle each

I'm thinking of killing 2 birds with one stone and putting a heated airer in their rooms. MIL has just given me her old one so I have 2 now, they might just take the chill off. I'm still going to need to dry clothes.

I wfh so I'm planning on asking a couple of family members to club together for my Christmas present and get me a heated throw. I already have fluffy slippers from last year.

Is there anything else I could do to make it easier/comfier?

Wear a fleece/wool hat all the time -- you lose so much heat from the top of your head.

A coral fleece baby blanket snuggled around the top of your head when you're in bed is blissful.

And yeah, putting your kids in the same room to sleep will keep them much warmer. (In the same bed even more so)

Why would there be power cuts?

It would be a last resort but I believe the government has considered the possibility of rolling blackouts or other forms of energy rationing as part of emergency planning for the winter.

I don't understand all this angst about drying washing indoors. We don't have a tumble dryer. All washing goes on airers in the utility room now we've got one and in our old house it went on airers in the kitchen. Never had any issues with damp. We're in a new build, does that make a difference? We have now put in an overhead pulley airer and it dries clothes overnight. No electricity used at all.

It was on the news that we could have them if the government deem it necessary. It sounds a bit insane, but then again, lockdown sounded insane before it happened. I’m now prepared for anything up to and including a zombie apocalypse (on the basis that they are slow moving, Shaun of the Dead type zombies and not the fast moving kind).

I've got all MIL's old Indian wedding blankets out of the loft. (A common wedding gift in days of old, she has loads) They are super toasty and fleecy. Huge enough to use as a bottom layer or on top of duvet or to hang over a door or curtain pole to keep heat in.

I’m now prepared for anything up to and including a zombie apocalypse (on the basis that they are slow moving, Shaun of the Dead type zombies and not the fast moving kind).

If they are the fast moving kind, I think I shall not make it.

The slow moving? Maybe I have a shot - if I can get to the shed for a shovel

Look at skins rather than thermals - better insulation and more elasticated so don’t go baggy

I'm a heated throw devotee, as well as another who'd extol the virtues of real wool. So all my tips have been mentioned.

I will just link to a very warm dressing gown that I dig out when it gets really cold, as it's on quite a nice reduction. It has sherpa fleece throughout so slimline and flattering it is not, but it's the bees' knees on a freezing morning.

In fact, Lands End always seem to have good reductions and offers on, so it's one mailing list I don't mind being on.

www.landsend.co.uk/Womens_Plus_Flannel_Robe_with_Sherpa_Fleece_Lining/pp/5675854.html?cgid=11335&dwvar_5675854_color=N8H

I always thought dehumidifiers were expensive to run. We had some last year because we had really bad condensation and had to keep an eye on them at that point re electricity - way before any price increases.

Everyone ALWAYS ignores my comment on this but the Dri Buddy is FAR superior to the heated airer. Just putting it out there, in case anyone cares 😂

Actually just coming back to this @ShesNotTheMessiah

*An e.g. Lakeland's 3 tier heated airer uses 300w so if it takes 8 hours to dry anything, it would cost me £1.18 per use, at today's costs.

My dryer uses 1.49kwh for the average gentle dry cycle. 73p.

If I choose the intensive dry option it's 2.82kwh or £1.38.*

Your dryer is very energy efficient, which model is it?

Also I think you've not factored in the fact that most tumble dryers take much longer than an hour to dry a 9kg load.

Going by the manual for my Bosch Serie 8 and on the most efficient cotton drying cycle:

Bosch Serie 8 - 157 mins at 2.13kw/hour ie 35.5w/min = 5.58kw per load
Lakeland heated airer - 480 mins at 0.3kw/hour ie 5w/min = 2.4kw per load

That makes the tumble dryer more than twice as expensive as the Lakeland airer (as long as you remember to turn the airer off - we're getting a timer plug!)

This is very strange as I have a Bosch Serie 6 - which surely cannot be nore efficient than a later model? And yet, the manual shows energy per load (not per hour) as attached.

I shall be rather happy if the airer really IS worth it! It can go in my office, keep me warm(er) and I'll just switch it off when all is crispy dry.

Am I being really thick - why is water consumption being shown for drying?

For some mad reason I cannot fully explain, washer dryer USE water to dry clothes. I know, right?

I think it uses the water to cool the steam taken from the clothes so the water can be flushed down the drain. Or something like that!

See here...

www.trustedreviews.com/how-to/how-do-washer-dryers-work-4170231

"This steam gets taken into a condenser tank (usually a plastic tub at the rear of the machine), which cools steam turning it back into water. With a regular tumble dryer, cold air is used in the chamber, but with a washer-dryer cold water is used instead, taken from the standard water inlet."

Pp mentioned attaching fleece blankets to curtains - I used to do that until I read on here that it’s a fire hazard...

I have a little halogen heater that’s great in my (smallish) bedroom - at the time of buying (3-ish yrs ago) it was supposed to be one of the most energy efficient heaters. Also one of those blankets with sleeves, so when I’m reading my it covers most of me.

We have these heated mats as we have laminate floors throughout downstairs, which can get very chilly in the winter. I use mine when I’m wfh as keeping my feet warm helps the rest of me to feel warm. I often end up sharing it with the cat 😀

Heated Mat

I remember now - my daughter has a washer dryer and hers doesn't have a lint filter - didn't realise it used so much water though, and I wonder if she does.

I grew up in a council house with a bar fire in the front room and single glazing (ice on the inside windowsills in winter). It was not fine by any means. Being cold is so so tiring. It is really difficult to.concentrate when you are cold, it's hard to get proper sleep too. I remember my hands and feet stinging. I used to sit so near the bar fire I would have a red neck one side that was cold and sore on the other. I don't want to go back to that it anyone else to either.
I recommend anyone who is worried about bills now to talk to Step Change, they should be able to negotiate with your gas and electric supplier regarding problems paying your bill. I know this doesn't apply to everyone because people heat their homes in so many ways - but if it helps anyone I'm glad of it.

I'm on the east coast of Scotland here. The weather's grey, damp and much cooler today. I've got my dressing gown on over my clothes already and it's only August!

Could you get the kids camping sleeping bags then you can add duvets and blankets on top, lots get passed around for free on local facebook groups, so worth asking around for them.

I have:

Heated airer;
Hot air fryer;
Thermal underwear;
Thermal slippers;
Thermal PJs;
Thermal socks
Blankets for living room;
Double thickness duvets;
Hot water bottles;
Fingerless gloves;
Thick fleeces;
Candles.

Also

Heating set to 18 last winter but will lower it to 16 this winter;
Keep room doors shut;
During the day will will walk or cycle;
Use the gym/pool more often so that we can use their showers.
Use dishwasher every other day;
No tumble drier;
Scour threads like these for more tips.

We are with Octopus and they had a lot of energy saving tips on their website last winter.

Where did you get these from please? My old doors are so wonky and have big gaps.

Someone on here wrote about putting a dry towel in the tumble dryer, with wet clothes, to dry them quicker. Interested to know if it actually works because I won’t be completely giving mine up.