No Heating or Hot Water. Grim. How do you manage?

[BrrrrrrGrim]

Not so much AIBU. More for traffic whinge and advice please.
The boiler broke a week ago. No heating or hot water. It's grim.
I was made redundant a few months ago and no luck with finding a new job so have now started a claim for income support.
I have no money to pay for the boiler to be repaired, let alone a new boiler.
However, I have learnt of a government scheme which will repair or replace the boiler but it will be three weeks before the energy co. visit the house for help with the boiler. Which will be the week before Christmas and then there's the time for the boiler to be fixed or replaced so looking at the New Year.
I'm grateful for this scheme. But the last week of no heating or hot water for DC and myself has been vile. Bathing as little as possible using as little water as possible as the hot water comes from the kettle and using a portable electric heater (as little as possible too) due to cost to make it less freezing in the room we are in.
I know I'm fortunate to own the house (2 up, 2 down. Can't sell to downsize and release money). But it means no landlord or council help.
The thought of living like this over Christmas and into the New Year at least is beyond depressing.
You work, are fortunate enough to buy a house. Lose your job and then it's vile. The boiler has to break in winter, the year you have no job or money to replace it.
I have thought (and willing to do) any job but then minimum wage won't pay for full-time childcare as well as bills and food and someone to fix the boiler. I don't want to be on benefits (I hate that I'm now a single mother and will be on benefits and seen as a scum) but income support will hopefully be short-term until I get a new job.
If you've got this far, any advice welcome please.

You could spend quite a long time at your leisure centre in the warm and have a shower there. Have a look to see if you get reduced entry or if they do any special deals.

Get down to primark and stock up on their fleece throws, hot water bottles, hats gloves etc, hand warmers and onesies/thermals for you all. I know how hard it is having no money but these things are essential for you right now. How many of you are there? Can you all squeeze into one bed for warmth?
Hang blankets over any blinds you've got to keep cold out.
Get draught excluders, they make the world of difference. If you can't find any, stuff tights with plastic bags.
HTH

Are you eligible for a free boiler under any of the government backed schemes like http://www.boilergrants.info/?gclid=CLC4jrHphLsCFY_MtAodxR4AKA this one?

My DPs have just had a free one installed as they are on pension credits

Sorry link fail

www.boilergrants.info/?gclid=CLC4jrHphLsCFY_MtAodxR4AKA

• Tell your children you're having an adventure (this always puts mine in a better frame of mind when stuff goes wrong).

-Get out of the house as much as possible. Hang out in libraries, museums and other free warm places. Go for walks or to the park when the weather is nice.

-See if your council do cheap family swimming deals - gets you out and you can wash properly there.

-Try and keep 1 room warm for late afternoon/evening use.

-Remember too that this will pass and you never take heating for granted again.

Blimey, how utterly grim.

How well do you get on with neighbours, and parents of DCs friends at school?

Could you ask anyone if the children can shower at their place - make clear it's an emergency measure and there's a timetable for it to be over, and offer to pay for their hot water.

People like you are exactly who benefits should be for.
Do not feel guilty.
You worked before and paid your taxes and NI and you are entitled to these benefits so please make the most of them.
I've never claimed but after everything I've put in I would have no hesitation getting something back if needed.
I have no advice about how to get it sorted sooner.
I'd offer my OH services but don't know where you are.

Someone has mentioned using a gas heater before, with a refillable gas tank. Although as this is short term you may not want to spend the money on that. Can you borrow an electric oil filled radiator from a friend for a few weeks? They don't use much electricity, they won't 'warm' the room up, but will certainly take the chill off.

And extra duvets, I know I have spare stored in my loft for visitors, some of your friends may have too.

Work wise, would childcare be something you're interested in? If you work as a childminder you won't have to pay for childcare. (But you WILL have to get the heating sorted!!)

I hope somebody comes along with proper knowledge of what financial and practical support is available.

In the meantime, I also advocate using the swimming pool when you can - they're warm, provide hot showers and (for the adults) perhaps a sauna. In an evening try to make things as cosy as possible with blankets and quilts.
Stodgy, filling, hot food such as stews and creamy pasta dishes rather than pizza and chips.

Take a look at the Housekeeping board, there was a thread recently with great advice and tips on this topic.

I have no heating and no hot water either for the next two weeks and it is horrible. I'm going to the swimming baths for a shower later (or maybe tomorrow if I can stand to wait) I was going to suggest a plug in heater and living in one room but you are already doing that. I have been sat here in pj's, jumpers, hat and scarf with a hot water bottle.

I don't have any suggestions about the boiler I'm afraid but I have complete sympathy. It is so cold.

I know the hairdryer costs money but I have blasted inside the bed for 5-10 seconds before I jump in so the bed is warm which is quite nice.

Have PM'd you on the off-chance you're near me and I can help.

Have you got a fireplace? If so, you can go out on a wood collecting expedition with the kids.

Sorry - just seen you have got a boiler sorted on the scheme but have a two week wait

Is there anyone you can stay with for a while?

Fractured, we had no heating or hot water for about 3 weeks last year, but we did have the cooker and open fire in the living room. Lots of hats, scarves and gloves, multiple pairs of socks. Blankets and quilts on the sofa (which quickly became grubby). Candles seemed to take the chill out of a room, even if they didn't warm them.

for bathing, do a strip wash with a bowl of water and flannel.
stay dressed while you wash hair and face. dry/wrap in towel
wrap clean clothes around a hot water bottle. tke off clothes fo top half, ash, dry and redress in warm clean clothes. repeat for lower half, standing in bowl.

can you use the oven to heat the kitchen to wash, cook, eat at a similar time?

there is aa thread in classics about no more cold mners

Oh and tea/coffee. Lots of it!

Agree with all these: go out as much as possible, drink a lot of tea and hot squash for the children, borrow a calor gas fire.

If you start to feel cold in the late afternoon get bundled up and go out for a 15 minute adventure star spotting then when you get back it will feel warmer inside.

Check out what's going on for free in your local area - library evening events? If you're near an indoor shopping centre go to look at the Christmas lights.

Tell someone - people will want to help

Ask around for help! I have two oil-filled radiators which I bought when our heating packed up - they have been on loan to a number of people since then in similar situations! I'd also happily let friends' children have a bath at mine if their hot water's broken - my CM bathed my children when we were hot-water-less.

Ask around friends. We have lent our plough filled electric radiator out twice now in similar situations. It really makes a big difference as it has a thermostat and can easily generate enough heat for the lounge. Being able to wake up to a warm room makes it all more bearable.

Swiming pool public showers, and a burco for additional water if it's longer term. Make an insulated jacket for it.

Layers of lycra tights and leggings work well. Lycra T.shirts under normal ones. Thermal socks are a godsend if you can afford them. Don't forget cold air gets trapped in layers too, so it can be worth changing if you've come in from colder.

Hot waterbottles make life much better.

Polythene and fleeces on the windows make a lot of difference and an electric blanket makes not having heating bearable.

Make sure you air beds if you're living without heating, and keep mould down with bleach.

Check the local laws before wood burning, fines can outweigh savings.

Posted on a dongle from nice warm Ikea with free refill coffee.

Thank you for all your quick replies. It's made me cry. (I was expecting to be told to get over it as other people have things worse or to just get a job).
Thank you for the practical advice. I have thought about the leisure centre (as a shower now seems like such a luxury) but it's a bus ride and then the cost for swimming. Which will be a tenner in total, I know it's not a lot but too much at the moment, even as a weekly treat.
DC (3yrs, just the one DC) is coping better than myself and doesn't seem to even notice. (Although I feel rubbish that I can't provide basics such as heat and hot water).
DC and I already share a bed as even before the boiler broke it was too expensive to heat 2 bedrooms. (This isn't a chore though, I like that we still co-sleep).
I'm going to put a blanket over the blind in the front room (-I hadn't thought about that thank you, just the front door).
I don't know anyone locally well enough to use their hot water (and I'd be too embarrassed even if I did). I don't have 'Mum' friends as I've worked since DC was 3mths old (-regrettably, not through choice) just former colleagues. We don't have any family either to stay with.
We're central England, no museums locally but have already spent a lot of time in the library.
I have thought about child minding but after looking it up, we just don't have the room required (literally walk in straight through the front door, into front room. Then kitchen, which has the stairs in and then 2 rooms upstairs. All very small. -It's good for the portable heater though).
Fractured - Sorry you're in the same situation. I didn't realise how grim it is until it happened. Thank you for the hairdryer tip - I've been rubbing the bed with my hand before putting DC in, your tip makes more sense.
Hope this isn't too rambly.

Do you have microwave wheat bags? These are great, both for heating up beds and for sitting on the sofa with! You can make them from old t-shirt material or anything like that - google for instructions.

I second advice about leisure centres. Try the local council one; ours has free swimming (and therefore hot water) two afternoons a week if you're a member of the local children's centre. Even if it's not free they might do reduced prices for people on benefits. Also, the local library and free museums are great for keeping warm during the day.