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?

we are similar, 1930's semi and patio door doesn't shut properly and only one radiator in the lounge and no fire just a chimney which is not blocked up. I have put a thick blanket over the mantlepiece to block the chimney draught, hopefully next year we will have a fire there. We just use a lot of blankets and hot water bottles when it gets really cold. We have just had 2 upstairs widows replaced that didn't shut properly. Hopefully the front door can be renewed soon too. Can your landlord help with making it warmer?

Hot porridge for breakfast. Lots of hot drinks and soup. Make sure your baby has a sleeping bag to sleep in so they can't kick it off during the night. In the evenings snuggle under a fleecy blanky on the sofa. Then put it on top of duvet when you go to bed. Take hot water bottle up to bed with you. Put it into bed 40 mins before you go up to warm bed before you get in it. If you can afford to buy electric blanket do so, as so cheap to run. Buy plug in small oil filled radiator. Ash LL to pay for them so house does not get damp. They sell them at Argos. They are much cheaper to run than central heating. If it gets really freezing wrap baby up and take it into shops as these are kept warm. If doors ill fitting stuff newspaper under them to keep drafts out.

@singlenotsingle. And the horror of having to use the 'potty' in the middle of the night . Took ages to warm back up again.
We always kept the living room very warm and put a coat on to go into the rest of the house.
The only way to do it when it was very cold.
Hated it when the outdoor toilet froze. Had to get a kettle of boiling water to do a #2

You need a heated throw.

Stuff cling film into any draughty gaps in windows/frames, around d doors, in keyholes etc. Totally inelegant, but will keep draughty out until you can source window film, thermal blinds, etc.

Lots of great tips on the thread so all I can add is wear a hat. It really will make all the difference

We have the dyson air fan and heats the room really quickly. You can also set the temperature so baby doesn't overheat.

Fleecy blanket under the bottom sheet

Hot water bottle in babies bed before bed time so bed is warm to get into

Tuck everything in - pjs bottoms into socks, vest into pjs etc. It really helps

My emergency cold to the bone trick, passed down from my Nan. Stick your feet in a washing up bowl of fairly hot water with a bit of mustard powder. Drink a hot drink while your feet are soaking. I tried it and had to strip off and open all the windows

How old is your baby OP?

It’s not the same because I was single at the time, but I had to live in a static caravan for a few months over the winter. I was out most of the day but at night time I would wear a dressing gown over my clothes as soon as I got in - I found it easier to stay warm if I didn’t let myself get cold to begin with. For bed time, I had an electric blanket under the sheet, a duvet and then three fleecey blankets on top. There are loads of fleece blankets for sale in charity shops at the moment if you can get to them.

DS was 18+ months last winter and we live at the bottom of a mountain and had snow for ages. He had brushed cotton bedding, full length PJs and a vest, his duvet and two blankets as well.

New rules came into effect this year on LL requirements do you know what the EPC rating is?

All of the above and sorry if it’s been said but brushed cotten sheets are wonderful.

I have lived in a number of places without central heating and used to set my alarm 40 mins early and put on the gas fire/fan heater on before I had to get up.

If you can get a top like this. I have one in a big size. Once I have that on and fleece pj bottoms on and slipper boots, I am cooking!

I try to keep active and I try to hang off sitting down for the night, when I finally do I sit with a big fleece blanket with a hot water bottle underneath.

Layer the bed up with fleece blankets - lying on top of one is good. I’d think about an oil filled radiator in baby’s room on a timer maybe.

Definitely thermals, and wool sweaters. Look in charity shops for wooden sweaters. Thick socks, woolly hats and gloves.

Try again

Oops, posted too soon. I second the suggestion of going out rather than being in a cold home all day.

Obviously the LL should replace the windows but some seem to not give a flying fuck about their tenants.

Cotton! Brushed cotton.

Open windows on sunny mornings to dry up condensation - damp houses are colder. Also maybe worth asking your landlord for a basic dehumidifier - they're cheap to run and really make a difference.

Get some silicone sealant or decorators caulk. Run a line underneath the window sill and round the edges of the window frames where it meets the wall. There are plenty of cheap brands, No Nonsense from Screwfix is excellent. The difference is immediate and shouldn't piss the landlord off so long as you do it very neatly. Plenty of videos on YouTube on how to do it, is very simple even with little experience of DIY.

You would be surprised how much heat is leaked through tiny almost imperceptible gaps and how much moisture and draughts get in through them.

I too know the pain of using an electric fire on a prepayment meter.
I'm living it now myself.

This is an old thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1911061-NO-MORE-COLD-MUMSNETTERS but there are some good tips on there re. keeping yourself, your family and your house warm.

Morbidly mentioned the flowerpot and tealight thing - please please don't do it. I work for the fire service and it's one of our regular winter messages to not do these as they are incredibly dangerous.

Otherwise I'd agree with everyone else - thermals, blankets, hot water bottles, layers etc. It's miserable being cold, I have every sympathy

Get thermal clothes, thermal curtains and thermal everything you can think of for a start. Electric blankets are great too.
Ask your LL if replacing back windows is a possibility - don't ask, don't get.
Also, Google your gas company with 'warm home scheme' if they offer it and your eligible then you'll get £145 put on your gas meter. I'm on pre payment and have been awarded this for the last three years. It's first come, first served though and usually opens for applications in September so at the very least it's something to remember for next year if your unsuccessful this year (and if they don't offer it, maybe think about switching to a company who does if it's possible)

I remember ice on the windows, one coal fire, paraffin heater in the bathroom or to heat up bedrooms in really cold weather.

Hats on, also on baby at night. Electric blanket keeps the bed warm and dry, one of those sheepskin for baby under her cot sheet. Dunelm sell thermal linings for curtains as well as thermal blinds. If you've got condensation use a Karcher window cleaner to vac it up. (mum used to wipe windows every morning).

Instead of pyjamas bottoms wear thermals under joggers, one of those hoodies in bed. I put a second pair of thick socks on. Definitely a blanket in the sitting room.

A friend takes a flask with her hot chocolate up to bed at night.

We lived in an old house when dd was a baby.We used a plug in oil filled radiator and she had a sleep bag.Hers came with a room thermometer that told you the recommended clothes to wear with the sleeping bag depending on the room temp.
We had film like cling film over the windows,it acts a bit like double glazing and google putting foil behind the radiators so the heat the room not the wall behind.
If you use anything to block up draughts under doors and have gas heating make sure you have a CO2 monitor.

DP and I have hot water bottles all the time in winter. In the bottom of the bed and cuddling on on the sofa. We don't put the heating on by have triple glazing x