Have you activated hot water bottles, electric blankets, log burners etc. yet ?

[TheTecknician]

I keep thinking of filling the HWB for daytime use. I don't need it at night. I don't have any sort of fire so have to pretend with candles in coloured glass holders. Fortunately my home faces southwest so I get plenty of sunshine coming in on days like these. It's surprisingly warm sitting in its direct path, even at this time of the year.

I’ve got the electric blanket on the bed. My bedroom drops to about 13 degrees, so I need to get the chill off the bed before I get in!

Bedroom 8-10° ... You better believe I've broken out the hot water bottles, actually, that's my favorite time of year.
I absolutely adore the ritual of boiling a hot water bottle and pouring it carefully and popping it in the bed and knowing when I go to bed, I've got a nice warm spot waiting for me.

I used to use an electric blanket, and I used to have that on a timer so that would turn on before my expected bedtime, but there was too much concern about the electromagnetic fields that emanate from electric blankets and the possibility of cancer. I wasn't so much worried but my mom would constantly be asking me are you still using that electric blanket? You know those aren't good for you?
So you know what, I could very happily lose the electric blanket, keep the hot water bottle, and I threw a weighted blanket on top of the down duvet. I've much prefer the heaviness of the blankets to the warmness of the heated blanket anyway.

(Before anyone mentions that boiling water is dangerous for hot water bottles and can cause them to break down and possibly burst, yes I know. But between myself, my mom and my grandmother and my great grandmother who have all been using hot water bottles, this is never happened in more than a hundred years of use so I'm going to keep taking my chances)

Wait what? Electric blankets can cause cancer?

im worried now, I use mine a lot

We've still got single glazing and the bedroom is icey - so big duvet on this week and electric blankets been back on the bed for a month now. Woodburner been on for about 6 weeks not every night - as it's chilly without it. It was super cold yesterday and day before.

We got the hot water bottles out last night for the first time. They go into DDs beds an hour or so before they go to bed and then get put into our bed to warm it up a bit before DH and I get in. We don't sleep with hot water bottles in the beds but it's lovely to get into bed and it have been warmed up a bit.

Yep boiler did its annual breakdown this week so we've had wood burner + open fire on plus heated throw + thermal blankets. Overnight temps of -5 all this week so toughing it out wasn't an option.

Open fire? Not yet, and maybe not at all this year.
Hoy wàter bottle? Once, and it's n the kitchen ready for action.
Heated throw? Not yet, but maybe soon.

I also need to find my winter gloves. I have Reynauds, and my hands are starting to hurt if I have to rummage in the freezer. Although the oven gloves are making a good if clumsy substitute.

I'm lucky enough to have gas central heating but I am wary of energy prices these days so I have the heating on for just an hour in the morning then about four or five hours in the afternoon and evening, depending on whether I'm off to the pub for a few hours.

Aren't HWBs a terrific but humble invention? Appreciated by people, cats and dogs everywhere and good for defrosting car windscreens too!

I never use hot water bottles, electric blankets or a fire.
I have the central heating on, it warms up every corner of the house and we're nice and cosy 🤗

I've started to put my towel radiator on in the bathroom 30mins before the house wakes up and the shower conveyer belt starts, gets quite toasty.

I never stopped using my heated throw and electric blanket 🤣 I love to be nice and toasty at all times. Working from home when it's just me I'm fine not putting the heating as I sit on my settee with my dressing gown and furry heated blanket. Hands still get freezing though, was clutching a cup of tea for dear life yesterday!

I have hot water bottles, electric blanket, heating on for short periods (annoyingly I miss the winter fuel allowance by a couple of months despite becoming a pensioner in a months time) thermal undies (my upper legs get very cold for some reason) thick socks, thick jumpers, leg warmers, fingerless gloves etc (I am like Joey in friends when he wore all the clothes). And hot drinks. Oh and a dog on my lap in the evenings !

HWB occasionally in past few weeks (I only turned on 1 radiator this week, the rest are still off). Changed my duvet 3 weeks ago as was getting towards single digits, then had a couple of days around 20 so melted (the weekend of 2 weeks ago), but we had a scattering of snow yesterday and quite brisk still today so it’s now needed!

Yes, I've lit the log burner the last three evenings, and looked out my winter pjs, heavy coats, scarfs and gloves. 😊

That will see us through most of the winter. It will have to drop well below zero during the day for us to need anything else.

We only use the multifuel stove in the living room to heat the living room and then some heat drifts upstairs. We don't use the central heating. I use a hot water bottle at night for my feet.

Wood burner is on every night as it’s the only way to heat the house, haven’t needed to use my electric blanket yet but have put another blanket on my bed which is keeping me toasty. Bed is in the same room as wood burner which helps

Does anyone have pictures of cats and dogs hogging the fireplace? Always nice to see.

The research is negligible and we use things everyday what potentially be harmful. I don't think I will stop my heated blanket use anytime soon along with my HRT, mobile phone, microwave use etc.

Woolly hats and gloves are in use here, as is marvellous heated throw on sofa.

Log burner on and have put heating on first thing in morning as it is so cold. Also have a HWB tho DP acts as mine as he goes to bed before me and I snuggle uni to his warm body 😁

And I added the blanket on top of the duvet last night. The fear of the hot water bottle has struck and I use it less. I have a wheat bag though.
I have long fingerless gloves like socks- not at all glamorous- that really help keep me warm. And recommend having a heat pack of some kind on your lap/tummy inside your clothes. It magically helps keep your feet and hands warm, much more effective than socks etc.
if your core is really warm, your body doesn’t seem to deprive your extremities of blood the same way.

I wouldn't use a hot water bottle. If those things burst they can cause horrifying injuries.

We've had the log burner going for a couple of weeks now (we have a free wood supply so don't need to ration it.).

DS is currently poorly with a virus and snuggled up in front of it.

I got into the habit of using a hwb all year round a few years ago when I wasn’t well. I even took it on holiday to me to Lanzarote and I was wearing it while teaching. I ended up with a horrific zebra type pattern on my tummy. It scared me so I only use it now when I’m really cold.

We have oodies, thermals and thick duvets when it’s cold but I’m still walking the dog in my running shorts! It has to be properly minus weather for the leggings to come out 😀.

We’ve had the heated throw on the sofa for a month. It’s cuddly and there’s no radiator in that room.

DS has his electric blanket on 6 months of the year.

I recently bought a heated pad for my home office chair. It’s amazing.