To worry about keeping warm this winter

[flamingox]

We live in a 1930s terraced house. The front is double glazed- the back isn't ( privately rented house)

I feel like no matter what we do the house doesn't stay warm. We have central heating and an electric fire in the living room. We are on prepayment meters and can't afford to keep topping up so feel like i can't put the heating on all the time and the fire uses so much electric :(

I make sure all doors are closed, have put bubble wrap on windows as it's meant to be good insulation.

Tonight our house is soooo cold. I'm in bed in a jumper, leggings and dressing gown. I have our baby in bed with us, cuddling her to make sure she's warm.

I am on the verge of tears thinking of how we're going to get through the winter keeping the baby warm :( does any one have any tips?

I feel for you. Draught excluders at the bottom of every door and door curtains too. Get these from charity shop or eBay etc. If budget stretches then get fleece blankets from ikea and line the curtains with them. Keep curtains open in the day to let the sunlight in. Fix a cover on the letter box and go round all the window frames and block draughts. Put an under blanket under your bed sheet. Hot water bottles are handy. Rugs on the floor. Keep a heavy blanket on the sofa to snuggle under when watching tv.

Ask your landlord for new Windows!!!

Could you afford to buy a small, oil filled, electric radiator or two? They're much more energy efficient than electric fires and they'd help you keep a room or two warm (maybe the baby's room overnight) and a room downstairs to live in?) I think its quite common to just keep 1 room warm in winter.

Hot water bottles are good (for you not the baby).

When mine were younger and money was tight we'd go out to playgroups and the public library rather than heat the house during the day.

Reading with interest. my house is always freezing 😩

In the 70's/80's we used thermal curtains, across the doors as well.

As well as the above suggestions.

Lidl/Aldi get thermal base layers in. Primark's thermal stuff is as good as anyone's as well.

I switched to lower usage plug in heaters.

If you are on benefits you may be able to apply for the warm home discount scheme. Worth looking into, maybe?

Thermal curtains
Oil filled radiators. We have one in DSs room, and it keeps the room toasty warm
Hot water bottles
Lots of thin layers

Do you have an electric blanket? I recently got quite a basic one from Asda and it is lovely. A 1930s house without full double glazing will always be hard to keep warm, but it is very easy to ensure a warm bed. Cheap to run too.

Thermal blackout blinds & curtains in each window that you close before it gets dark. Draught excluders under the external doors. Close internal doors where possible. Reflective foil behind the radiators. Until your landlord can fit new windows you can get a film to put over the top of single glazed ones that mimic the insulating properties of double glazing. Letter box brushes to reduce any draught coming in through it.

I lived in a freezing house like that. Not only wete the windows a problem bit cold was also coming up through the floors.on the ground floor. Carpet was old and threadbare . Would it help to lay another carpet on top of what you have??

ugh tell me about it, I'm sitting with 4 layers of top on, 2 pairs of socks, slippers, trousers and a heated throw. I'm frozen and can't afford the heating on. Victorian house.

If you can afford an electric blanket they do make a massive difference between being able to sleep at night or not.

Buy some thermals - seriously. Normal clothers are pointless in a cold house unless you have thermals on. Buy baby some thermals and some good thick fleece PJs and high tog sleep bags. Double hang heavy curtains over the back windows to create insulation spaces. Close all doors when heating rooms.

I grew up in a 1930s semi without double glazing (leadlight windows) and only a gas fire, coal/wood fire and a leccy radiator in my bedroom. This was in the 90's.

We didn't have double glazing, central heating or even a shower (huge enamel bath!) until I was almost 18 - in 2004!

You need to get proper duvets and layer blankets. Warm socks. Warm slippers. Hot drinks. Bed socks. Go old school.

Nothing like waking up in the morning with the duvet wrapped around your head and an ice cold nose 😍

(My bedroom was so cold once OP my hamster went into hibernation! Not even a joke)

Electric blanket- fleece PJ's. Unless you get double glazed windows and good insulation the house will always be cold and heating bills high. These houses were built for cold fires to be burning all winter.

Get a convector heater or an oil filled radiator. Don't use the electric fire, they burn money!
An electric blanket is good as well.

When it's safe to do so, if you've used the oven, leave the door open to allow the heat to dissipate into the room.
Use a slow cooker for your meals - it's surprising how much they warm up your kitchen.
Plug-in oil heaters on a timer in the rooms you use most often. Keep the doors to those rooms closed and keep the heat in.

Uniqlo do cheap thermals and also padded/quilted sleep suits.

But then only a few decades ago it was normal to wake up with a layer of ice on the inside of the windows. Was always glad when my nan got up early to start up the coal fire (the only heating in the house).
I think we were all a bit more immune to cold back then.

Big, thick, warm onesie? Worn over thermals.

If your chimney hasn't been blocked off and you don't use your fire (either for solid fuel or for gas) I think there are special balloons that you can buy to block it and stop the warm air escaping out through it. Obviously make sure you remove it before using the fire again though.

Our house was like this. Lived here nearly 20 years and only replaced the windows earlier this year. The difference is amazing.

As suggested upthread thermal blackout roman blinds will really help keep out the draughts. Get them so that they are outside over the whole window, outside the window recess and are just slightly too long so that the final section tucks in behind the top of the radiator.

I have these on just about every window:

https://www.blinds-2go.co.uk/roman_blinds.htm

Dunelm...long hot water bottles. They look really good!
Lots of blankets.
Baby sleeping bag things with a winter tog
Ive often slept in dressing gowns on top of pjs and fluffy socks!
Not sure how old baby is but a nice warm supper before bed like porridge, keep them warm from the inside!
But im sure cuddles in bed from mum will work just as well! I feel for you, i remember very well the snowy winter my heating/hot water broke and my landlord took forever to sort it even when i had a baby :(

Hot water bottles are amazing. Add a second duvet onto the beds. Thicker curtains (second hand?) even across the back door.

You must be from the same era as me poisonous. I remember I certainly on the inside of the windows, no double glazing, and a little coal fire (if the df got up early enough to set and light it). This lot don't know they're born!

Ps,
Prepare in advance re power cuts. Have lots of candles (which may also warm your living room) and a camping stove you could use in emergencies. They cost about £15 and don't take much room in a cupboard..

Oh, and it's Thermals Week in the middle aisle of LIDL.