to think old houses are pretty and interesting, but not comfortable (energy bill up 4x)

[alittlethyme]

So I moved a few months ago from a modern terraced house to a detached cottage.

I thought the energy bills would go up a bit, but not x4! The last house often got too hot in the winter this house does warm up but overnight I get woken up with how cold it is. It never seems that confortable. I thought with double glazing, loft and wall insulation it would be fine but it isn't. I spend 150 on 3m of wood for the burner, this has almost been used up and this just heats the lounge!

Both properties are electric only and that has added to the cost I guess.

I hated how boring my last house was, but it was warm. Here is just so cold.

It's because all your external walls are exposed rather than the age, although older houses aren't generally as well insulated.

Worth an extra layer on for a beautiful old house though, surely?

I've not been cold in bed since buying a descent mattress - didn't realise how crap the old one was until I started looking at new ones. We've had our old sash windows properly draft proofed which made a lot of difference and thickly lined curtains. I think old houses are healthier modern ones are hermetically sealed and don't allow either the house or occupants to breathe

Cold in bed after heating is turned off means you're losing it quickly so have another look at insulation. The fibreglass stuff is useless if it gets damp, damp and cold go hand in hand.
Your best bet is to buy a very good dehumidifier, its made a massive difference to the comfort of my house, detached as well. Its a lot quicker to heat up and it slows the loss of heat down from about 45 mins without it on to 2 hours with dehumid running automatically as soon as house gets above 60% humidity. Mitsubishi are pricey but the best by a mile, I paid £320 for one and its almost paid for itself with the reduction in oil we used this year. Best investment ever!
I'm a veteran of cold houses and you do get used to it, flannelette sheets help as does a thick fleece dressing gown. I have raynauds and can't bear to spend the winter in gloves indoors so I camp out in my small office that i can heat cheaply.
If you own the house and have a bit of land attached start coppicing ash, in 8 years you'll have a decent supply of wood for your burner, I'm only half joking.

We have cats and so have to have doors slightly open. DH has just agreed to hang curtains over doorways!!!!!!! He's always refused before, but today he agreed. I am going to have a look about for some tomorrow. Thank you for the suggestion upthread. I had them over doors on my flat before we married but dh has always refused them. Hooray

Will also suggest dehumidifier.

I've researched dehumidifiers a bit and ended up buying this:

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00474K8SY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1421988441&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=41JUwyJYNEL&ref=plSrch

It is a modern one so works in cold temps unlike the old compressor ones. Fingers acrossed this makes a difference. Keeping my eye out for cheap thick curtains too :)

You say it is a rented house so no scope for alterations. If the loft is not properly insulated you can probably have it done free by British Gas with the owner's agreement.

It is electric heating so presumably an economy 7 type of tariff.

If all your night-time electricity is cheap rate (i.e. there is not a separate consumer unit for the storage heaters that gets turned on by a timer in the meter) then you could run an oil-filled radiator overnight in the bedroom at low cost. An electric blanket that you can leave on overnight will also help and uses very little electricity.

Just watch the leccy consumption with the eco air, it can be quite high especially as you will need it running all the time in winter, I'm on night rate too but went for this one instead:

www.dry-it-out.com/mitsubishi-MJ-E14CG-E1-dehumidifier

Twice the price but only takes 260watts per hour to run on max. It has an auto setting so you can forget about it and let it hum away. It took about a week to notice the difference. When I first plugged it in the humidity was a whopping 80% on a dry day. No damp in corners now and the house just feels warmer quicker and for longer.

Your houses sound lovely but I couldn't cope in the winter. My forty year old one is enough for me.

I like to keep the main room around 22 degrees any less and I really feel it and that's me wearing two jumpers. Well one is more like a fleece jacket.

I have insulation but I found swapping to a modern combi boiler to be more cost effective .

We have two quilts on the bed. A double and the other one is actually an electric blanket that I put in a cotton duvet cover. It's just a single so if I feel chilly I can switch it in. The bedroom is usually about 23-24 when we go to sleep

It's 18 now so we've lost about 6 degrees in .9 hours.

Our bills are about £1000 per year for gas and electric.

I think they will be moRe this year as the heating has been on much more.

I even put it on in summer for 10 minutes to dry the air ( or the washing) if it's been damp).

We only come this way once and I don't intend to freeze my bollox off for 8 months of the year.

I gre up in old lovely houses, now live in a 1960 s box and love how warm it is. It's not pretty though!

Rabbit thanks for that, but I've already ordered the ecoair. Could still send back though.

Surely it can't be twice as energy hungry as the mis? All that would mean is it works quicker right? All the same technology?

OP If you have a Ponden Home anywhere near you they often stock cheap ready-made door curtains.

Draughty, damp, cold old houses are just awful. Nothing, but nothing, can compensate for the horrors of cold damp winters.

I love living in a lovely warm apartment with central heating for the whole building and lots of hot water. It's also very well built and lovely and cool in summer (providing you keep the sun off by closing the shutters where appropriate).

not quite thyme, looking at this the ecoair can use up to 620 watts at full pelt, lowest is 390, at the lowest setting thats 1/3 more in running costs.
www.ecoair.org/DD122FW.html

It depends on whether you can stick another winter or two in an old, cold house. If you plan to move soon then I wouldn't bother with the Mitsu as you wont recoup but if you love the place and/or are tied into a longer lease it will probably be worth it. Mitsu are more reliable generally. I was tempted by the ecoair when I was looking last year but as we bought this place I went for the mitsu. I wish I'd known about dehumids when I lived in a 200 yr old converted grain store with storage heaters, north facing too. Raynauds was off the scale and I was googling nose warmers

16 deg C here, and that's with the halogen heater on. DH's studio on 1st floor is warmer by half a deg. I am going to wallow in a very very hot bath

Bonsoir, I don't suppose you'd consider a swap?

Can't wait to leave my damp mildewed old flat for a house that is actually warm, damp free and fit for the weather we live in. I am now dressed in a fleece dressing gown and furry slippers nursing a giant mug of tea (not attractive), and I want to be wafting around in stylish lounge wear and bare feet with a mimosa in my hand. Soon, soon......

And I agree: no point living in a old house if you're actually freezing your tits off most of the time. Modern houses are a joy to live in both summer AND winter.

Thanks I'll check out ponden.

Ah well my ecoair has arrived, might go home and plug it in at lunch, got my special plug to see how much energy it uses. I gather it will use more running, bit that surely means it will do its job quicker and use the same energy?

Like a kettle uses the same energy to boil a cup of water, regardless of if its a 1kw or 2kw kettle.

Just in case anyone had the same issues. The dehumidifier has virtually fixed the issue! Its costing about a pound a day and only makes the house 2-3 degrees warmer but it makes the world of difference! I kind of think a pound a day is a lot, but the damp house was making me unwell and this is totally worth it and I guess will only need it for 4-6 months a year :)

Detached 17C/19C cottage here. 17C at one end, 19C on the other.

It's freezing. Really, we've insulated everything we can but still cold.

So... lots of jumpers, thermal undies, hot water bottles and large investments in slippers. I'm in Celtic Sheepskin house boots (£115 but 2 years ago and still going strong) and boys in woollen Living Kitzbuhel boot slippers. And large dressing gowns. Again, dear, but worth it.