To be sick of not being able to afford the heating on

[KeepMeCalm13]

Thankfully no children involved.

We are yet to have any form of heating on this autumn/winter as we just cannot afford the bill. We only have central heating, no fire. I'm currently sat in a t-shirt, thick jumper, dressing gown, jeans, 2 pairs of socks, and slippers and I've got a hot water bottle and I'm frozen. The thought of another 4 months of this makes me want to cry.

Course not. Being cold is horrible.

But where are you? We are in Midlands and still not turned ours on. I don't think its cold enough yet. We have 2 small children.

And MP's claiming money to heat their stables, Agent, whilst the PM tells us to put on a jumper.

If you could afford a Calor gas fire, that might help. We don't have central heating, and believe me, I know the misery of being cold - but the beauty of this fire is that we buy the gas bottles in advance (obviously) and therefore don't have to worry about getting a bill at a later date. We just have it on it's minimum setting and one bottle lasts us about a week.

Also (and I'm really not being facetious about this, it's what I do to cope) try getting an oversized onesie - preferably with a hood - and putting it on over your clothes, with your hot water bottle tucked inside. I look like a total idiot for most of the winter, but at least I'm warm! I'm also a fan of microwaveable 'things' - teddys, slippers, neck wraps - anything that'll hold the heat a while - plus lots of warm drinks (when you boil a kettle, make a batch of coffee/tea and put it in a thermos, so you don't waste any electricity heating more water than you need). Wear thermal underwear rather than a t-shirt, if you have any, and always thermal socks - they make a huge difference.

YADNBU.

I read today that the backers want to pull out of the big firms if the gov caps their profits so that they don't squeeze customers even harder. I wish they'd just set up a nationalised opposition to the profiteers. It's shameful. It's hideous that people are making such excessive profits fromt eh desperate needs of their community. Immorality rules.

My sister bought my mum a fleece blanket for her birthday. Its electric and uses very little electricity. You could sit toasty warm underneath that in your living room, actually its big enough for 2 people to cuddle up under!

I can't believe that in 2013 people are freezing in there homes.

Would downsizing be an option

YY, we have a Calor thingy. It's fugly, but cheaper to run just put a CO detector by it.

So glad we stayed in our very 60's small mid terrace, the neighbours def help keep it warm.

The cats do act as good hot water bottles though, we keep them shut in overnight for their saftey which means that we benefit from their affection.

It's horrible though to have to struggle for heating.

Plenty of people are, Forty, because they are in rented accommodation that forbids them from changing the heating system or the LL doesn't qualify for grants to make changes or won't/isn't available. Those in some flats cannot use gas for safety reasons. I know several on basic pension only who are on pre-payment metres they cannot run the heating now the prices have been hiked.

I shit you not.

Cat-that is really reasonable, might suggest it to mum x

Hi all, I am also cold but we have a fire in the room, I did read this the other day as someone very thrifty on FB posted a link - I dont know if it will work but if it does it could be just the thing for you keepcalm

I have those crap storage heater in my HA house. They are useless!
The amount of condensation i wakeup to everyday it getting beyond a joke.
Any ideas? I have those condensation catchers and i don't really want to open the window and let what little heat i have out.

Luckily i work for a calor stockist so i will be able to buy the heater cheap but not the gas

A 15kg bottle of calor should last me awhile but it's getting the £31.99 together to buy the thing.

Newer houses are shit for heating imo. I'd rather be in a solid built 60's house too RandomMess.

I'm in a newish build, and I have to keep every sodding door closed to keep one room reasonably warm. The kitchen and bathroom are permanently freezing to the point where I am shivering in the shower, not to mention once I have got out, yet my friend lives in a much older house, and hers is toasty warm, all doors left open including bathroom door, and she has gas CH which is on for 2 hrs in the morning and 2 hrs in the evening.

I hate the way houses are thrown up now, as small as possible using the cheapest materials possible. Rahhhhh!!

I've got a feeling I might get flamed for this, but can you change jobs? Working thirty hours a week with no children really isn't much, unless there are other factors you haven't mentioned?

We don't use the central heating. We have a multifuel stove in the lounge then heat the kid's rooms and the bathroom with Tilley lamps. You can buy them for about £30 off ebay, but they use mantles and you need to learn how to light and maintain them. It's not difficult, just involves a bit of fiddling.

You need to have a bit of ventilation when they're being used, but they don't produce fumes the way wick lamps do as the mantle uses up any unburnt paraffin vapour.

Obviously, keep kids away from them and put them out at night. Source some cheap paraffin and that's all you need. They need a new mantle and generator tube every so often but you can buy spares over the internet. They're very popular amongst a lot of people and they pump out the heat.

Another one with storage heaters here in a HA house. I know now why some LL's choose storage heaters.

Apart from the cost of fitting them in the first place, they go on and on and on and on, and never appear to need replacing. I have had bits and pieces on mine replaced, all cheap bits and pieces, but over 20 years has gone by and I still have the original storage heaters in.

The pink-where was that from? Sounds perfect for my mum's xmas present!

Littlemiss mine break down every winter.
Our street have asked our landlord to replace them with central heating but they won't.

1 you need a base layer of some description under your jeans. jeans are not warm as they are made of cotton. it really helps to have a base layer stuck into your socks. warm ankles are a must! thick tights seem o cheaap leggins seem to be the cheapest.

2 more layers onyour top half too. trawl round charity shops looking for extra layers.

3 getting up and moving
4 draught proofing keep the dught sout of you living rroom will help you feet stay warm.
5 mat on the floor for you feet. i got really cheap one from asda/wilkos. they do not have to be large, just big enough to put your feet on where you sit or stand to cook or washup.

sorry about the numbers, ds wanted to help.
actually, I could make a fortune if I could bottle the antifreeze he seems to have in his blood.

Littlemisssarcastic - Really? Ours is 6 months old and built to the newest environmental standards to preserve heat. Insulated in walls and roof and really good double glazing. Even though its large and detached we have kept it warm enough just from having appliances running. No heating yet.

Our last house was ex council and was definitely less fuel efficient/well built.

Contact your utility supplier - or at least look on their webpage. Many have funds to help with low income households

Hope these help

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11742512

www.edfenergy.com/products-services/for-your-home/safe-warm-and-well/help-with-your-heating-costs.shtml

england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/help_with_housing_costs/paying_for_heating

My storage heaters get checked every few years but only to see if they are still attached to the wall using machine that beeps.

They did this once and said they wee fine. Then the living room one fell and squished my friends foot.

If I ever meet then inventor then I will beat them with a block

Can you change jobs? As someone else said 30 hrs isn't a huge amount. Are you living alone or with partner? In comparison we work over 100 hrs a week between us.

Could you also downsize? We live in a small flat and bills for electric and gas only around £80 quarterly (£25-30 a month)

Re candles, we have those glass hurricane vases/ lanterns. Great as can then light all different size candles in safely both inside and outside

My uncle cannot afford to run his Central Heating so he purchased an electric heater that's cheap to run. He spends his evenings in the living room and it heats the room up v well. Something you could think about xx

The heated throws are available n eBay and if you are lucky aldi might still,have some in .... They are fab, I've bought loads as Xmas pressies this year