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Coping without heating

246 replies

Frio · 28/09/2024 17:20

I’m seriously impressed by the people on the central heating thread who are surviving indoor temperatures of 14-16 Celsius. I really struggle physically and mentally with the cold.

My boiler has fritzed its circuit board and is utterly dead, any tips for managing until I can get it repaired? I have a couple of plug in oil filled radiators, plenty of sweaters and blankets but it’s the psychological impact that is the worst. How do I toughen up?

OP posts:
Freshersfluforyou · 28/09/2024 18:10

Tulipvase · 28/09/2024 17:35

I completely agree. I don’t think I’m a particularly cold person but just sitting around when it’s 17 degrees isn’t very comfortable.

Having said that we haven’t had the heating on and do have upstairs windows open but I have lit the fire a couple of times, but mainly because it makes me happy.

My house is just 18 at the moment. It’s a draughty Victorian terrace. I’m not sure anyone’s house would be 14 degrees at the moment.

Id also agree - there are people on another thread claiming their house is 13 degrees and they are managing... This is well below recommended heating levels for health and its extremely unlikely they are comfortable at that temperature while dressed in normal indoor clothing. If you are sat with your coat on and under a heated blanket determinedly avoiding the heating.... Well, why?!

I can understand if its a financial thing but for a lot of posters it seems to be more about appearing 'stoic' and 'hardy' while smugly announcing no of course they don't have the heating on yet....
Um ok, more fool you for sitting in the ruddy cold 😂

Anewuser · 28/09/2024 18:11

It’s what you’re used to. I grew up in a home with just a coal fire in the living room and no other heating. Our bedrooms and bathroom were freezing.

My first own home had economy 7 heating so I thought I was grand, except it came on overnight and slowly let heat out during the day (when I was as work) so came home to a cold house in the evening.

I don’t feel the cold as much, as I like to keep moving as well. But having a family member with medical issues mean we now keep our home very warm, so I’ve got used to walking around in flip flops and short sleeves.

Wear plenty of layers and make sure your feet are warm.

TickingAlongNicely · 28/09/2024 18:13

People feel cold differently. DH wears shorts in winter while I'm snuggled up in my Oodie!

Warm socks, layers, hood or hat. Apparently dehumidifiers help too.

Reallybadidea · 28/09/2024 18:14

My mother in law has no central heating, just a gas fire in one room, an electric bar heater in the bathroom and an oil heater (not an oil filled radiator mind, an ancient oil heater like a gas fire but portable) on the landing. I have stayed there in winter but she leaves the back door open half the time so she can stand on the doorstep to smoke and I just refuse to stay there now.

Hairyfairy01 · 28/09/2024 18:16

Oddies, double socks, duvets downstairs on the sofa to go under, warm bedding, keep all doors closed. Our hearing will only go on between 7-9pm of the temp goes below 14 degrees in the house.

mewkins · 28/09/2024 18:17

I get cold easily and wfh. Don't let yourself get cold - keep your feet warm (I wear sheepskin boots throughout winter) but if needed I'd wrap a duvet or sleeping bag round them! It will be much easier to keep one room warm. Also go for a walk! I try to do this at lunchtime to keep my feet warm.

StMarieforme · 28/09/2024 18:19

I don't work hard to be cold, and I don't want my disabled DD27 to be cold either. We like it to sit around 20/21 for sitting in, and atm is only taking a bout an hour to get it to that from 17 when we put it on.

Everyone is different.

ByMerryKoala · 28/09/2024 18:20

The advice seems to oscillate between perpetual motion and being pinned motionless under a mountain of blankets and, while both strategies would undoubtedly have the effect of making you warmer, I'm not convinced that living like this over the entirety of wonter wouldn't have a deleterious effect on a person's quality of life.

Laszlomydarling · 28/09/2024 18:21

Hat and scarf will help. Plenty of layers. Fingerless gloves/wrist warmers are brilliant as you can use your fingers and your hands stay warm.
Hot water bottles or heat bags. Shoes or slippers on inside. Keep a warm drink on the go as much as possible.
Dinners such as casseroles/stews. Things that need the oven on for a while. Leave the oven door open after it's turned off so the heat comes into the room (assuming no crawling babies/toddlers)
Getting in bed early if you have a tv in there or book to read. Saves getting cold downstairs and having to get colder getting into bed.
Electric blanket to preheat the bed.
I hope you can get it fixed quickly.

spanieleyes · 28/09/2024 18:21

My house thermostat is set for 16 degrees, ( it's actually 16.9 now) if it's chilly I wear a full length hoodie, it's amazingly warm, sometimes too warm! I quite often wear my hoodie all day if not going out or as soon as I get home from work otherwise. For sleeping, I have " teddy bear" bedding and the thermostat is set for 9 degrees.
Perhaps I don't feel the cold very much!

Snippit · 28/09/2024 18:22

RareMaker · 28/09/2024 17:35

We don't have central heating. I have 4 kids. We have plug in heaters in bedrooms but don't leave on at night. Then we have a heater in lounge but nothing in hallways or bathroom. We just wear fleece pj's, slippers etc

This sounds like my childhood, we managed, just had to wrap up🤗

SmudgeButt · 28/09/2024 18:24

get an electric blanket or two. one for when sitting watching tv and another for the bed?

seriously - the food bank I work at gives these out to people who can't afford heating.

Izzy24 · 28/09/2024 18:25

Two years ago we tried not to put the heating on and manage with just the log burners. Got mould on all the upstairs ceilings. Never again.

user1471538283 · 28/09/2024 18:27

I get it OP. One winter years ago our boiler broke and we had a week of no heating or not water and it broke me. I'm not an envious person but I was jealous of those with warmth. We had an electric heater in the lounge, layers of clothing and blankets. I was utterly miserable. I just cannot do cold. I need the air to be warm.

I've noticed that here the temperature drops significantly at night. I don't think it's that others are made of stronger mental stuff they just don't appear to feel it as much. Being cold makes me feel unwell.

Simonjt · 28/09/2024 18:27

We’ve got the lounge windows open, I’m in a pair of pants (apologies if you vom), my husbands in jeans, long t-shirt, jumper over the top. We all have a different cold tolerance.

As others have said, heat one room, you can do that with an electric heater, get at least two hot water bottles so you can warm your bed before you get in, put your pjs in there too so they’re not cold when you put them on.

rainbowunicorn · 28/09/2024 18:27

unlikelychump · 28/09/2024 17:30

We haven't shut the summer windows yet. It isn't quite heating weather is it?

Depends where you are really. We had a ground frost a couple of nights ago.

CraftyNavySeal · 28/09/2024 18:28

tryingagaintoday · 28/09/2024 17:47

I think you just get used to it. Humans are very adaptable and just get used to stuff. You can get used to a colder house or a warmer one.

In Siberia in winter their homes are 25c. They would think you are completely daft for sitting in a cold house.

Only in the U.K. do people enjoy being martyrs to being cold. Houses used to be colder but pneumonia and TB were rife.

WiserOlderElf · 28/09/2024 18:28

unlikelychump · 28/09/2024 17:30

We haven't shut the summer windows yet. It isn't quite heating weather is it?

Depends where you are, doesn’t it? It was 2 degrees when I took my dog out at 6am this morning. I’d call that heating weather.

EuclidianGeometryFan · 28/09/2024 18:29

As some other posters have mentioned:

Warm clothing: minimum three layers (vest or tee-shirt, thin sweatshirt, thicker top) especially woollen jumpers, leggings under jeans, sweatpants or long skirt, throws, etc. Consider a hat indoors, and fingerless gloves. Make sure your ankles are warm, e.g. with slippers like ugg boots that come over the ankles.

Move around frequently. Do a bit of vigorous vacuuming or cleaning.

Warm drinks and hot food, even if it is only soup.

Prevent draughts, e.g. towel along the bottom of the door, curtains shut in all rooms except the room you are using during the day.

Get a de-humidifier. Damp cold air is vastly worse than dry cold air. Damp will ruin your clothes and soft furnishings and make the house smell. Keep steam out of your house, e.g. open window and shut door in the bathroom and kitchen when steamy. Dry clothes outdoors. Ensure clothes are bone-dry before putting away (an old-fashioned airing cupboard above a hot water tank is brilliant, or find another solution to get clothes bone-dry).

Get a small heater that gives instant heat, e.g. blows hot air. Use it when you get out of bed whilst getting dressed. Don't have it on for hours as that will cost a lot.

Nanny0gg · 28/09/2024 18:30

RareMaker · 28/09/2024 17:35

We don't have central heating. I have 4 kids. We have plug in heaters in bedrooms but don't leave on at night. Then we have a heater in lounge but nothing in hallways or bathroom. We just wear fleece pj's, slippers etc

I cannot cope in a cold bathroom

That's just miserable

harrumphh · 28/09/2024 18:32

CraftyNavySeal · 28/09/2024 18:28

In Siberia in winter their homes are 25c. They would think you are completely daft for sitting in a cold house.

Only in the U.K. do people enjoy being martyrs to being cold. Houses used to be colder but pneumonia and TB were rife.

Totally agree, and it's the same in literally every country except the UK. God knows why.

We hosted a refugee and 24 degrees 24/7 seemed crazy at first, but the absolute wonders it did for getting out of the shower or waking up in the morning and actually wanting to get up and out of bed to start the day was insane. I'd never go back to anything less than 22.

My therapist recommended I go to the gym, but for the sauna rather than to exercise, because apparently being too cold is why a lot of people's mental health is bad in the UK, in winter a lot of people think it's SAD when it's actually not for many.

Keeping physically active if you can OP.
Also spending time in places/with people who have better heating where possible.

Isometimeswonder · 28/09/2024 18:32

16⁰ upstairs so popped the heating on for a bit.
But I don't like it too hot, cos it feels stuffy.

Mountainhowl · 28/09/2024 18:36

We've done this for short stints (2-3 weeks) when we've ran out of heating oil

Oodie type hoodie things are amazing, ski socks/Heat holders socks, blankets on the sofa all help, and I find hot water bottles make a huge difference.

We have a little oil filled radiator and I'll put clothes on that to warm them up before getting dressed.

Getting out of the shower is the worst when there's no heating, sometimes we will throw a towel in the tumble drier and then bring it in for the person showering as they get out, doesn't stop the air chill but at least you can wrap up in something warm straight away

TotalAbsenceOfImperialRaiment · 28/09/2024 18:39

Thermal tops and long johns, thermal socks, woolly hat. And a heated duvet (set it to maximum for the warm-up period; by the time it switches off, you'll be asleep).

WorriedRelative · 28/09/2024 18:40

It's not heating weather yet!

I've not turned our on yet or even used the fire in the evening. Nevermind used the fan heater or hot water bottle. A few evenings I have used a fleece blanket or my oodie though.

At this time of year you should be able to manage fine.

Just wrap up. For WFH at the moment I wear socks, slippers, long sleeve thermal vest under a fleece jumper, warm joggers or leggings. When it gets colder I will wear heat holder socks, and will put a t-shirt on over the thermal vest and wear a thicker fleece. I might add a neck warmer and a blanket when it gets properly cold.

I put extra blankets on the bed. When it is really cold an extra duvet on top and one under my bottom sheet makes for a super cosy bed.

Close your curtains before sunset.

Leave the oven door open when you have finished cooking to let the heat out.