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Original poster

How are people who WFH managing their energy bills?

151 replies

confusedlots · 14/12/2022 21:39

A few years ago most of us would be out at work all day, no heating on in our homes, no energy being used to heat up lunch etc, sitting in nice warm offices and using their electricity to make cups of tea etc. It seems like madness that in the cost of living crisis, that lots of people are expected to WFH, heating all those individual houses every day in this awfully cold weather, or else just freezing if you can't afford it.

Are people trying to get back into their offices to try to save money on heating their homes during the day? Or to stop them freezing if they can't afford to heat their homes?

OP posts:
Bestcatmum · 14/12/2022 23:24

Are loads of people STILL working from home?

Darcy101 · 14/12/2022 23:28

Mykittensmittens · 14/12/2022 22:46

its better for family for me to WFH for the most part, so I do, but I am bloody frozen. It’s 12c in our hall, 14c in the room I work in.

we get up at 6.45 so for the sake of the DC and getting out of showers/wet hair I have heating on 6.30-7.15, then off, then on again 4-5pm. Wood burner in front room heats the room we sit in in the eve.

during the day I wear ski socks which go up
to my knees, fleece lined leggings, a long sleeved thermal top and a jumper and something round my neck (scarf or snood thing). When working sitting still I’ll add slipper boots, an oodie and fingerless gloves. Oodie hood up.

not denying it - I look like an absolute tit.

fuel bill (octopus) 12/11 to 12/12 was £380. So I really don’t have any options to increase the usage.

Wow that is super high considering how often you’re having the heating on.

ours is less than that and heating is on 7am to 10pm every day - also with Octopus.

Heavyraindropsarefallingonmyhead · 14/12/2022 23:29

Bestcatmum · 14/12/2022 23:24

Are loads of people STILL working from home?

Yep as I'm STILL disabled

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cost of living
UsingChangeofName · 14/12/2022 23:30

I've worked from home, for a lot of the week, for years.
I've always heated the person rather than the house.
Lots of layers, blanket on my knees. Keep the trunk and the pulse points warm.

NotToBeOrToBe · 14/12/2022 23:38

I can't tolerate the heat at work, so I've been WFH this last couple of weeks. No heating, just stay in bed with lots of blankets.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 14/12/2022 23:39

Covering my eyes and ears and chanting lalalalala very loudly.
Reminding myself that my season ticket used to cost £6500 out of taxed income and so did my husbands.
We weee managing ok before this recent snap but the heating has gone on all day and the kids will be home from school next week so unless we all sit in one room with the fire alight we are just going to have to suck it up financially.
The local library has never been so popular I'm told. Unfortunately I'm on video conf all day so would not make myself popular

Luana1 · 14/12/2022 23:43

Allmyfavouritepeople · 14/12/2022 21:43

It's cheaper to heat my home than it is to pay for travel costs, dog care and then convenience food in the evening because I've no energy to cook after being out all day.

I love wfh.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Both DH and I are lucky that we have jobs where we can mostly WFH these days. We have saved so much money on commuting and expensive lunches, so putting the heating on for a few extra hours per day is something we are fortunately able to do. Hopefully when this cold snap ends next week we can go back to putting extra jumpers on and mostly turning it back off though as we are really not made of money..

PauliesWalnuts · 14/12/2022 23:47

I WFH 3 days a week - shut myself away in the smallest room and turn the other radiators down a fair bit until the evening. I can’t work with it off as my fingers get too cold to type.

On my office days I’ve synched with my other half and we either cycle to work together or if it’s icy or torrential rain we car share. If we do that we set off at 7am in sweatpants etc and have a shower at work - commute is less and we use (marginally) less petrol than sat in traffic jams an hour later. Having said that, our office was freezing last week.

Pelo22 · 15/12/2022 02:15

Bestcatmum · 14/12/2022 23:24

Are loads of people STILL working from home?

Yep. Still immunocompromised

https://bloodcancer.org.uk/news/new-campaign-launches-for-the-forgotten-500000-families/

Oliol · 15/12/2022 02:40

chaddydays · 14/12/2022 21:44

I would love to know what jobs people do to work from home!

I'd love to but never found a company who would let me (I'm a PA)

You could go freelance? I'm an editor - I thrive being at home. Have a look at freelance PA work over Christmas?

Mondy · 15/12/2022 03:29

Even with increased energy bills it's still cheaper for us than running a second car which was only used for a 60 mile a day commute. Lots of time saved too.

Ablenicecat · 15/12/2022 04:31

TheHappyDaze · 14/12/2022 22:40

Don't know where you work but none of the offices I've ever worked in have been "nice and warm". 🤣 Always horribly cold and I'd be sitting there in my coat and fingerless gloves. Much prefer being at home where I can control the temperature. I take your point about costs though. I guess lots of people use hot water bottles and electric blankets and just keep the heating on in one room during the day if it's just them in the house working.

I get that - we have no heating (boiler failed) at work and expected not to be fixed this year. No change to non WFH days expected to be in - it's freezing! Toilets are something else - let's just say no one is using the toilets for "quick get away from the desk moment".

Ivyonafence · 15/12/2022 05:03

chaddydays · 14/12/2022 21:44

I would love to know what jobs people do to work from home!

I'd love to but never found a company who would let me (I'm a PA)

The PAs at my company have taken up the option to WFH- however the bosses are now of the view that a lot of their jobs can be done from the Phillipines and is looking to make a lot of them redundant. I'd be careful before taking an entirely WFH PA job.

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 05:09

Probably the same as all the pensioners that people on here are always against the pension rise for each year

FivePotatoes · 15/12/2022 05:22

chaddydays · 14/12/2022 21:44

I would love to know what jobs people do to work from home!

I'd love to but never found a company who would let me (I'm a PA)

With your skills you could set up your own freelance business as a virtual assistant.

Hedonism · 15/12/2022 07:38

Bestcatmum · 14/12/2022 23:24

Are loads of people STILL working from home?

Yes. Obviously.

Hth.

Pasadenadreaming · 15/12/2022 07:42

latetothefisting · 14/12/2022 23:19

My old office was within walking distance and i used to bring my own lunch so I haven't saved anything on petrol/eating at work so every penny spent on heating the house is an additional cost compared to my overall living expenses 3 years ago.

I refuse to spend a fortune on heating so basically I've just got used to being cold!
I don't find it toooo bad, I use an electric throw, hot water bottle and layers, keeping a hat on makes a huge difference!

Yes I am in exactly the same situation - used to walk in and took a packed lunch too. Now I'm finding the electric throw a lifesaver. I'd still rather be wfh than in the toxic office environment I was in before.

Fuwari · 15/12/2022 07:45

When I worked in an office in winter I’d want the heating on around 21 for a couple of hours before work (hate getting ready in freezing cold) and for 2-3 hours in the evening when getting home, as I’d be freezing from commuting home.

That level of heating for me costs the same as having it on 18 all day long. I tried both and did the sums. So now I have it on 18 all day. It’s not super toasty but never freezing and doable with warm clothes. But without the need for ridiculous amounts of layers!

I’m also saving around £12 a day on commuting and the odd coffee or lunch. So that could go towards heating if needed.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 15/12/2022 07:50

I used to waste money when I worked in the office, it’s only now that I can really see it.

£14 train ticket (obv necessary!)
£5 on coffees
£6/7 on lunch at least
then the after work drinks once a week … £20/25

plus all the temptation of the lovely London shops I would walk past.

The only thing I miss is the exercise … 12K steps without even thinking about it.

The heating has been on all day for the past week or so but I’m usually ok with layers.

I would leave the heating on low in these extreme temps even if I wasn’t at home.

User175435643 · 15/12/2022 07:52

I also leave the heating on when we are out in these extreme temperatures

BlueWalnut · 15/12/2022 07:58

Loads of people I know work from home! Even pre pandemic, some people did.

I use my local coffee shop’s heating once a week when I haven’t got any calls booked. Sometimes I work at a colleague’s house or they work at mine (we are good friends and live in the same town). When it’s just me at home, I keep the heating on 15 and dress warmly. If I still feel cold I add a blanket and hot water bottle.

MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 15/12/2022 07:58

I wfh. We turn the heating off once dc have gone to school. I have a heated blanket, heated scarf and heated gilet so don't get too cold.

Forecast to get to a balmy 16 degrees next week down south so looking forward to that.

Plus I'm saving loads not going to the office. Fuel, parking etc.

SirMingeALot · 15/12/2022 08:04

Even pre pandemic, some people did.

Yeah, it existed pre covid and it isn't going anywhere now.

latetothefisting · 15/12/2022 08:06

Bestcatmum · 14/12/2022 23:24

Are loads of people STILL working from home?

Nahhh we all just jumped on a thread that didn't apply to us and made up scenarios about our lives.

But yes. The vast majority of people I know, actually. Although technically most of them "hybrid work" but in practice this means wfh most of the week. How have you missed all the news headlines about this?

emmathedilemma · 15/12/2022 08:07

Everyone I know who works from home does it through choice (myself included 2 days a week), not because they’re being made to. I walk to work and take a packed lunch so it definitely costs me more to be at home than in the office but it gains me time back to do household stuff. It’s cold though, there’s no way I could work in bed as I need a big screen so it’s lots of layers and the heating on in short bursts to try and keep the temperature up.

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