How to keep warm without heating?

[nightinorout]

Heating not working (hot water fine, thankfully!!). Housing association have said up to 5 days to come and look at it, then it will depend on what the issue is.

It's an old system that is pointed out to me on every gas safety check so I'm expecting the parts will be difficult to get hold of or may need a new system altogether.

Just me, DP, DS(9) and the cat. DP works everyday but he works outside so he's freezing when he gets home, DS is in school for part of the day and I work PT Mon/Weds/Fri.

Temp looking to be between -3 and 2 for the coming days. I don't have heating on constant usually but would in this weather to warm it up a bit for an hour or so in the morning and evening.

Do you have friends or neighbours who can lend you electric heaters?

Go swimming today so you can shower and wash hair. Look out for local warm spaces eg library and local church.

Have you any plug in heaters. HA may be able to. Lend you some if not.. Or someone local to you.

Hot water bottle under blanket on sofa or just go to bed.

Is your oven working? I always leave door open after cooking to let the heat out.

Layer clothing. Add thin layers closer to skin. Primark used to do thermals.

Wear something on your feet and also head if very cold.

Move. It's very tempting to just sit under a blanket but getting moving warms you up.

Keeping hands warm has been demonstrated to keep fingers warm.

Relax your muscles. People who tense their muscles are colder.

Watch warm films or have a fire scene play on TV. Warm films are set in warm countries like Prince of Persia type stuff.

Hot water bottles are cheap great for an external source of heat. Do you have/can you afford to buy anything like thick duvets, woollen blankets, thick socks, merino thermals? Hot food, lots of hot drinks. If you use the oven to cook it will heat the kitchen up. Leave the oven door open after you've finished cooking to let the heat into the room. Hot showers. Plug-in heaters. And as PP said, spend as much time out of the house as possible.

Keep your curtains shut as much as possible to retain heat. And internal doors. But yes, you’ll need a heater. Those halogen ones are good. Can you borrow one or get one from Argos or Amazon? This sort of thing.

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Surely it's the HA'S responsibility to provide an alternative until they can fix it.

Ring them, they'll have some out of hours provision for emergencies and heating in winter is one, demand/ request a few electric heaters to be loaned until they can fix it.

They should've provided you with electric fans? but they do use a lot of electric. Might be worth looking on fb etc for Oil filled radiators if you can afford it. That's what we had to buy when ours was being repaired as they were cheaper to run imo and warmer

Thank you for all of the tips, they're really helpful, we do have hot water bottles and plenty of duvets/blankets but once you get up from under the blanket it feels icy cold even in thick pjs and dressing gown.

I have borrowed an electric heater from a neighbour last night but I don't think it works very well, or maybe it's just how they work? It doesn't heat a room, with all doors shut, it doesn't even heat the immediate area around it and doesn't feel warm until you're almost on top of it, I had £4 on the electric when I plugged it in and I had to top up, although I did have the TV on and have topped up all of the hot water bottles in the house too.

I just phoned and the HA said we can collect a heater from their office, the woman I spoke to said I should have been informed by the person I reported it to so that would make a huge difference! Thank you so much to whoever suggested this.

I don't drive and DP is at work, I'm hoping he finishes early enough to go and get one. It's a good 25 minute walk away. So I think he will collect after work around 4pm. Im hoping it doesn't take too much electric to run.

No issues with showering, it's an electric shower and the hot water that runs from the boiler is still working so we can have baths and wash up.

One positive, I have lots of Christmas blankets in the loft (along with the decorations) so I have convinced DP to go up and get them after work, and while he is there he may aswell get the decorations, I feel like the cold might be easier to bare with the Christmas tree up!

We haven’t had heating or hot water since spring(can’t afford a new boiler, but not eligible for a scheme for a cheaper/free one), and are surviving by using heated throws and lots of warm drinks to heat hands and warm up from the inside. Also, warm foot baths in a spare washing up bowl are great at warming up the extremities, and hats indoors too. Layer up with lots of thin layers. Two pairs of socks. Wrist warmers/fingerless gloves. Eat soup, stews and other warm hearty foods.

It is miserable, but hopefully yours will be sorted asap! Xx

You haven't had heating or hot water since spring ?? Do you have any kids ? This sounds so miserable ! Feel for you

'I just phoned and the HA said we can collect a heater from their office, the woman I spoke to said I should have been informed by the person I reported it to so that would make a huge difference! Thank you so much to whoever suggested this.I don't drive and DP is at work, I'm hoping he finishes early enough to go and get one. It's a good 25 minute walk away. So I think he will collect after work around 4pm. Im hoping it doesn't take too much electric to run.'

Ring them back get them to get their on call workman to drop it off or taxi it over. Overegg it say you've got a young child and no transport, which is actually true anyway. Be assertive op! Good luck

They are grown up, thankfully

Do you have the fan heater on the right setting? They do blow cool air too. In my experience they will heat a room pretty quickly if the doors are shut so it sounds like yours are either faulty or not being used correctly.

I would echo that the HA should provide you with something until this is sorted, especially in this weather with a child in the house.

If your hot water is working but not your heating it could be the diverter valve - google to see what it looks like, then wiggle the switch on the top, it's supposed to slide from side to side but sometimes gets stuck. You might end up with having to have heating and hot water on at the same time, but better than nothing....

A proper heater will adequately heat a room quite quickly so that’s your answer

Hot bath, hot water bottles, layer clothing, orrudhe, soup, stews etc don't get cold! Always wear socks and Slippers.

Op I'm not sure a five day call out is adequate when you have a young child in the house. I would push for earlier.

I'd also ask your landlord for a rent reduction/reimbursement for the additional cost of running an electric heater vs your boiler.

Shelter can give advice- https://england.shelter.org.uk/professionalresources/legal/housinggconditions/responsibilityforrrepairs/heatinghottwateranddpower_problems

I have heated throws that work quite well.

Believe it or not candles can take the edge off the cold.

Wear layers, so pyjamas with joggers over, gloves and hat.

Spend the evening in bed? Set the TV up if you don't have one in the bedroom, add extra covers, hot water bottles and either a kettle in the bedroom or flasks of hot drinks.

Put your clothes for the following day in the bed so they are warm. Obviously not a suit or boots but underwear and a jumper can be rolled up and put at the bottom of the bed.

I have found my heated throw invaluable. It has sometimes allowed me to delay putting on the heating, thereby saving some money.

I wanted also to discuss the HA's obligations re this.
A reduction in rent and extra fuel costs, certainly.
But I would also let the management know in no uncertain terms, that repairs and maintenance of the boiler system is their problem, not yours, no matter how old it is. If it is that difficult to source parts, then they should be updating it.

And complain that they didn't tell you about the available heater and point out that it is worse than useless if you can't pick it up and what are they going to do about that. (Hint: drop it off)

Go buy a little plug in heater from Argos or equivalent. They won’t be super energy efficient but if you have one from housing association Downstairs you can move this light one around bedrooms for quick 20 min boosts before bed

Obviously this is too late now, but we have an air conditioning unit installed in the house, it also heats, and works very well for heating the whole of downstairs (open plan)
I recommend them to everyone that see's it, worth the money and more energy efficient than the central heating, sometimes you just need to take the chill off and it works great, and fast!
Works out around 2p a minute something like that

This reminds me of January / February when we had 3 weeks of no hot water / heating. It was truly miserable. We were able to go to my sister's house every few days for a hot shower / hair wash. We did get a little heater. We had electric blankets and lots of layers.

Hope you are feeling much warmer soon!

Like others have said the engineer from the HA should have left heaters and if they didn't have some they should have arranged for some to be delivered. The HA is being cheeky asking you to pick the heaters up.

Keep a record of the additional costs to run the electric heaters and you can complain to request compensation to cover the additional costs while waiting for the repair. If there a reason it's a five day call out? Are you getting a new boiler?

What type do you suggest? I have. Small one commonly seen in many shops at this time of year, sits on the floor, it is ok but because of the size could be better. Plus since everything went up, i got a shock when I realised how much money it took to run it!

So I am just wondering if there are any newer more modern/energy efficient heaters on the market now.
I can't say I've seen anything, but I thought many companies would be trying to create this type of thing, with everyone needing this now.

I’d go out to somewhere warm as much as possible. Cinema, shops, library and so on.