I won't be able to heat my home..

[Ihateboris]

Due to the war in Iran, I simply cannot afford to heat my home.

I'm on heating oil, and since day 1 of the war, oil prices have risen sharply. I've just done a quick calculation, and to fill my tank today it will cost £550, the day before it all kicked off it would have cost £260. I'm just hoping and praying we have a mild winter. 🙏 Just venting.

It’s going to be a difficult winter for a lot of people with not just oil prices but the incoming rise in electricity and gas prices. Invest in a heated blanket if you don’t have one already, they are really good.

Yes, that's a good idea..

I used to live in a bloody freezing house.

recommendations:
electric blanket for bed. Turn it on about half dn hour before you go up.
blankets/duvets for watching tv under. I still have a pile in my new house. Slankets are my favourite.
decent socks. I use ski socks but m and s do thermal socks that are bloody good.
layers.

Heated blanket, heated gilet, small electric heaters?

Yes, I'm considered buying some electric heaters as electric is probably cheaper now than heating oil.

In the short term invest in heated blankets and maybe consider monthly payments to someone like boiler juice to avoid the high one off payment. However, you should also write to your MP. High oil prices contribute to rural poverty - there are 1.5 million homes with no access to mains gas. That needs to be considered if and when the government implement energy support plans, particularly as heating oil has to be bought in volume

If you're not already get fat. Ever since I got fat im boiling all the time when I was skinny I was freezing

In my old house we had the heating on 24/7 but the walls were always so damp (we did have double glazing) we just could never get the old house warm. We used curtains at doors which helped. We also had a old portable gas heater that was so ugly but worked brilliantly. In the end we moved. So although you need to keep warm you also need your home to be warm if it gets really cold

Ha ha ha 😂. I can barely afford to eat. I also have a physical job (I'm a cleaner) and dog walker so 🤷

I strongly recommend getting at least one good dehumidifier as well. They don't work in the cold, so put a heater near it in the winter.

Cold houses get damp from condensation, and that makes them feel even colder.

However - all this supplementary equipment will cost as much as your additional oil cost!

There were government grants for heating oil earlier in the year for people on low incomes, check your local council website to see if they are still available.

Is where you are living efficient to heat or a nightmare for heating?

I think the advice is to heat yourself, not the house - or at least to focus on one room.

but some small electric heaters, they cost about 50p an hour to run, if you buy a 2kw one, heat thr room, but do try to heat other rooms, as condensation dampness will cause respiratory illness.

Buy a plug in solar panel, they will be on sale soon, and then heat your home with an electric oil filled radiator. Toasty winter for just the outlay on the solar panel.

I sympathise. Those of us who rely on oil are so much more at the mercy of huge fluctuations, combined with little of the government help and any of regulations that accompany gas and electricity prices.
The current price is around 87p per litre. Before the conflict it was closer to 60p. At one stage they reached something like 148p.
They are still fluctuating, but it does pay to keep your eye on them. I managed to get some at 66p in July when there was a temporary dip in price.
Whilst I echo the use of electric heaters, etc unless you have a smart meter the potential cost is a worry. The only real plus of oil is that once you have it in your tank you are ‘sorted’ and know you can use it when you need to.

Things won't get better and prices definitely won't go down anytime soon.

I would seriously look into solar panels & get a good tariff for electric. We've done this, together with electric underfloor heating. Our day to day gas & electric bill has halved... it would be even less if it wasn't for the ridiculous standing charge.

My heated blanket is a god send. I have always used blankets cos to save money my husband has set the heating so it doesn't come on until the inside temperature falls to 18° but I really feel the cold so for Christmas two years ago he bought me a heated blanket that i keep on my arm chair and snuggle under when it's cold. I do hope this winter is like last winter, it was so mild that I only really needed a jumper if I wasn't going to be outside much. I only wore my coat a few times out shopping. I know a PP already mentioned thermal socks; i swear by peacocks, have worn theirs for years, so cosy.

The heated gilets are amazing!!!

Any links for where to buy them, thanks.

I appreciate the advice and suggestions but I don't have any money to pay for underfloor heating or solar panels.

This was only for people on benefits in my area

My sister is thin, I'm traditionally built with some insulation. She’s always cold. I'm going to have the heating on low and snuggle into my Oodie, with a wheatbag underneath.

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. Off to Home Bargains to buy an electric blanket.

I feel for you OP. My DPs are on heating oil too and their usual fill up of £600 now costs over £1000. There are going to be lots of cold people this winter if we have a bad one. I've heard that it's predicted to be stormy and wet, so hopefully not too cold.

Have you got a log burner? Ours is fantastic hardly use real central heating at all now and best of all always people in our area wanting to get rid of trees they’ve cut down so it’s free fuel!