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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how I don’t freeze to death or bankrupt myself.

132 replies

Sexnotgender · 16/02/2022 21:13

My house has single glazing and high ceilings, rooms are consistently 12-14 degrees. We try and only heat the rooms we use but it’s bloody miserable 😞

Rising energy prices are putting the fear of god into me!

Any genius ideas to keep warm?

I wear layers, blankets on the sofa etc.

Also have a young baby so it needs to be a reasonable temperature.

OP posts:
JustWonderingIfYou · 17/02/2022 16:38

@Notanotherwindow

When our heating wasn't working we put an electric blanket under the baby's mattress.
That sounds ridiculously unsafe! From a fire/overheating/side perspective.
NotImpossible · 17/02/2022 16:45

This might sound really obvious to everyone but me - I recently started buying proper wool (as opposed to wool mix or synthetic) jumpers and have really noticed how much warmer they are. Blankets too. Expensive new but I'm a proper tightarse when it comes to clothing (and I have the time to browse Vinted/eBay/charity shops etc.) It's made a real difference.

Not helpful with warning the rest of the house for the baby though...

sleepismyhobby · 17/02/2022 16:52

I believe wetting the window and putting a layer of babble wrap is meant to do wonders. I live in a very cold house but the winter boiling in the summer due to velux windows . I light candles but only when kids at school as I don't like to have an open flame around kids. It does radiate some heat. Also I've wrapped tin foil around cardboard and stuck behind radiator to reflect heat back into the room

ChrimboGateauxCatto · 17/02/2022 16:53

Thermal line your curtains. I've done this several times and been able to use current hooks with zero sewing required. We have mock suede thermal lined curtains so they are heavy.

Another vote for door curtains. Get a thermometers and measure temp near doors /windows and outside walls and make a plan.

D0gg0R0cket · 17/02/2022 17:04

Suggest hanging a heavy curtain up on the inside of your front door, this really helps to stop the draughts.

If is really cold indoors, I wear a hat & gloves & lots of layers

Hot water bottle

You can get grants for loft insulation & if you have no central heating

mathanxiety · 17/02/2022 17:36

www.amazon.co.uk/window-insulation-film/s?k=window+insulation+film&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Insulation film options here.

You should also examine the trim around all of your windows (where the trim meets the walls) and look under window sills for cracks that let in draughts. You can seal them with caulk.

mathanxiety · 17/02/2022 17:38

She’s in layers and a 3.5 tog sleeping bag. I’ve just ordered her a sleeping bag with arms.

@Sexnotgender
This is not a great idea, tbf.

You should avoid overdressing the baby.

Buy a little radiator on wheels for her room. Crank it up to warm the air.

Otherpeoplesteens · 17/02/2022 18:20

@VaccineSticker

Btw just to add- Over 46% of our energy source at the mo is from wind power tonight because of the storm. Regardless of anyone being on agile taarif or not, people should be paying much less tonight for heating their homes. No one should sleep in a cold home tonight on a night like this.
This type of misinformed nonsense is really unhelpful.

85% of UK residences are heated by gas. The source of electricity generation makes absolutely no difference to the cost of heating them.

Otherpeoplesteens · 17/02/2022 18:23

About the baby - NHS guidance is 16-20 degrees but each baby will have its own comfort zone. Our first DC was constantly shivering at 21 and it was only when the Health Visitor suggested we ignore the guidance that we felt comfortable.

However, the guidance is there for a reason. A baby who is too cold will let you know. One too warm will not.

Original poster
Sexnotgender · 17/02/2022 18:24

@mathanxiety

She’s in layers and a 3.5 tog sleeping bag. I’ve just ordered her a sleeping bag with arms.

@Sexnotgender
This is not a great idea, tbf.

You should avoid overdressing the baby.

Buy a little radiator on wheels for her room. Crank it up to warm the air.

She’s in a vest, sleepsuit and sleeping bag. That’s exactly what is recommending.
OP posts:
Caspianberg · 17/02/2022 18:34

I think 16 is fairly cold tbh.

Guidance where we live is 18-21 in bedroom for baby. Ds bedroom is usually 20-21, occasionally dropping to 19. He sleeps now in long vest, pjs, thick socks, duvet and blanket ( had sleeping bath when younger). He’s frozen if it drops to 19

We don’t actually have any heating on overnight, but if it’s 21 at 8pm when it goes off, it only drops 1-2 degrees before morning

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 17/02/2022 18:37

Do not let the diocese blame the listed status for leaving you with drafty old single glazed windows. You can get heritage standard double glazed sash windows.

If the diocese don't want to sell this property and buy a modern one instead they should bring the current one up to a reasonable standard.

Newnamefor2022 · 17/02/2022 20:01

@JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon

Do not let the diocese blame the listed status for leaving you with drafty old single glazed windows. You can get heritage standard double glazed sash windows.

If the diocese don't want to sell this property and buy a modern one instead they should bring the current one up to a reasonable standard.

This.

And they should pay to insulate the loft!

Father Ted held a raffle for parochial house repairs, could you try that? It seemed to go without a hitch... Grin

Svara · 17/02/2022 20:26

@NotImpossible

This might sound really obvious to everyone but me - I recently started buying proper wool (as opposed to wool mix or synthetic) jumpers and have really noticed how much warmer they are. Blankets too. Expensive new but I'm a proper tightarse when it comes to clothing (and I have the time to browse Vinted/eBay/charity shops etc.) It's made a real difference.

Not helpful with warning the rest of the house for the baby though...

You can buy ex army blankets for about £12
deste · 17/02/2022 21:47

I second the long line Oodie. I am cooking in mine and have to roll the sleeves up. You don't need heating if you wear it in the house.

VaccineSticker · 17/02/2022 22:18

@BreadInCaptivity
Here’s the source:
www.cs.ox.ac.uk/people/alex.rogers/gridcarbon/
Download the app.
At the moment, energy produced from wind in the uk is 24%. Check it out.
The biggest conspiracy out there is that many news outlets make out that renewable energy useless and a waste of resources. They are paid by big oil companies to discredit renewable energy to keep big oil rich. They don’t care about carbon emissions or the future of our children.

Otherpeoplesteens · 17/02/2022 22:45

[quote VaccineSticker]@BreadInCaptivity
Here’s the source:
www.cs.ox.ac.uk/people/alex.rogers/gridcarbon/
Download the app.
At the moment, energy produced from wind in the uk is 24%. Check it out.
The biggest conspiracy out there is that many news outlets make out that renewable energy useless and a waste of resources. They are paid by big oil companies to discredit renewable energy to keep big oil rich. They don’t care about carbon emissions or the future of our children.[/quote]
Do you actually understand any of this?

So at the time you posted this, 24% of the UK's electricity supply is produced from wind. It is utterly irrelevant to heating the 85% of homes which burn gas for their heating.

PigletJohn · 17/02/2022 22:48

I look at the energy sources fulfilling the National Grid on

www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

No app required.

BreadInCaptivity · 17/02/2022 22:57

So at the time you posted this, 24% of the UK's electricity supply is produced from wind. It is utterly irrelevant to heating the 85% of homes which burn gas for their heating.

Thank you - the very point I was about to make.

Just add it the point is still true that wind generation stops when wind speeds are too high in storm conditions.

VaccineSticker · 17/02/2022 23:24

@Otherpeoplesteens thank you for being very condescending. It’s still 24% of green energy being used that has replaced a dirty source of energy. So it’s not all meh. Whether it’s being used to hear someone’s house or elsewhere, it’s still better than 0%.

VaccineSticker · 17/02/2022 23:27
  • heat Not hear. Sorry for the typo!
StillMedusa · 17/02/2022 23:31

We have a calor gas/flo gas heater. Costs about £35 a bottle and lasts for ages..plus it's instant heat (and you can get a fire guard for the baby)
It saves us a LOT on heating for just blasting out heat in the living room .

And a Lakeland heated throw... honestly life transforming!

mathanxiety · 17/02/2022 23:47

She’s in a vest, sleepsuit and sleeping bag. That’s exactly what is recommending.

That's too much. The vest and sleepsuit should be fine. She should be able to move around.

Get a plug in radiator with the aim of bringing the room up to 16+ degrees.

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 18/02/2022 00:07

A raffle in the style of Father Ted would be the perfect threat to get the diocese to fund the repairs!

Original poster
Sexnotgender · 18/02/2022 06:52

@mathanxiety

She’s in a vest, sleepsuit and sleeping bag. That’s exactly what is recommending.

That's too much. The vest and sleepsuit should be fine. She should be able to move around.

Get a plug in radiator with the aim of bringing the room up to 16+ degrees.

We can agree to disagree on that one.
OP posts: