how are you preparing for October?

[nickthefox]

When prices are set to rise again and temperatures are going to plummet. We are buying curtains and have got some fleece throws second hand. Got in lots of easy and quick to heat 'meals' read tinned soup and noodles but I'm afraid it won't be enough.
We have recently moved and in our old flat ot was cold but at least we had people above and below us and to the side, we were insulated by other peoples flats. Now we are in a house ans last winter was freezing and we have lots of drafts in the windows, single glazing and no carpet!

I have been stocking up on tinned food and long shelf life products over the summer where costs are lower to try to keep the shopping costs down in the winter when the electricity will be shooting up again.

I have hot water bottles and a few thermoses (is? 's?) too.
What else can we do?
We are a family of six by the way so, food is quite a big cost anyway.

god, this is depressing.

Plus it's still cheaper than renting!

How exactly do you cling film the window?
do you mean just the gaps around the edge? or do you mean the whole glass?

agreed

Trying to get the teens to have shorter showers in preparation. Proving difficult. May have to get an alarm.

Whole window

Newspaper also works well but obviously blocks out the light

Can either of you get weekend/evening work? Or have a teen who could contribute? The house can't be left to get too cold or you'll risk all sorts of problems with damp that will cost more money to remedy in the long run.

Think about managing expectations for Xmas as well. Agree no adult gifts or low cost gifts with family and stick to a budget for dc and start picking up a few items from now.

I've just purchased wallrock thermal paper for a small room with no insulation in it (and can't be put in). It was quite expensive, but spent a long time looking at options. It's not up yet, but reviews claim it increases the room heat by 2 degrees.
I worked 6 days a week for a month to pay for it.

We already have the foil things behind each radiator, and will see if I can get the film for the windows thanks to this thread

Oh I also have a dry soon from lakeland, around 6p an hour. Trick is to use the cover and then place a heavy blanket on top. Speeds up the dry time.

Also have a dehumidifier, costs 8p an hour, with a laundry setting.

Mostly, I'll put the washing out all winter as long as it's dry, and air dry in the house overnight. If it still needs drying, an hour with either of the above sorts it

You can get window insulation kits and use cheap fleece to line your curtains. MSE has forums with lots of tips.

Get that plastic stuff for your single glazed with does that you stick in and warm up with a hairdryer. It does make a difference.

Check out charity shops. I bought an Oodie for £1 last week, it was on their sale rail with a load of other winter clothes.

Bought Oodies for all the family

Not the point, but winters aren’t that cold any more and don’t usually kick in till December I’ve found lately?

Well it’s grim up north. We have cold winters.

I think WFH is going to be less popular. I can work from home when I don’t have meetings but will lost certainly just base myself in the office to avoid heating the house.

We "cling filmed" the windows. You can get the kits cheaply from home bargains in the autumn or buy thin double sided sticky tape and clear builders' plastic off eBay
Cut to fit. Stick on and shrink taut with a hair dryer. Makes a huge difference.

Also re a temporary solution to carpets. We have a local marquee company near here. They sell the carpet they have put down for events/exhibitions. We went and filled up our car with as much as it could take. It just cost us £20 towards the company beer fund.
Once home we vacuumed off the numerous wedding confetti pieces and used it to carpet the house, sometimes in double layer thickness. OK it wasn't the most beautiful flooring but it really did stop the heat loss.

Do you drive a car? Do you make journeys that could be walked, or combined? Reduce your car use and fuel consumption, money that can be saved towards the winter.

I'm really not thinking about it to be honest. Haven't even give it a thought. The past few weeks have been a hazy blur of parties, barbecues, jubilee celebrations, and day trips to the beach. And the next two to three months we've got a couple of holidays coming up one in early July, one in early September.

And we've got a wedding to go to the last week in July, and a couple of rock concerts. So the summer right up to mid September really is quite full so I haven't even started to think about the autumn and winter.

I don't think there's any point in dwelling on what might be in four or five months time or so. Most people should have bumped up the direct debit for their energy bills by now, to cover any high bills in the winter. Most people whose bills have skyrocketed or tripled or whatever, must have had low bills for the last few years anyway - so they should have put some money away.

My energy bills were always about third higher than a couple of people I know, and they were quite smug about it because they'd switched energy providers, and they got a better deal. But all they were given was a better direct debit and were racking up all the same energy costs as me. Even moreso!

So whilst their joint energy bill has gone up from say 80 to 90 pound a month to 250 - mines gone up from 110 and to 165 so who's got the last laugh?

We've brought tape that goes around the windows to block drafts, also cellophane that goes on the windows to "double proof" them. Haven't put them on yet but will come September.

Also buying winter tog duvets and a rug for downstairs in the lounge as it's wooden flooring.

And I've been slowly putting on money on my pre paid meters to build up credit for winter.

The floors maybe beautiful but for warmth better to add insulation...bought nearly room sized remnants from a cheap carpet shop £20/30 and use like rugs in the winter... then lift them when weather is warmer.. or make a rag rug if youve got old tshirts/fabric

Slow cookers are often in charity shops...although mine cost £10 in tesco.. we lived on stew/curry/dal ..so easy and tasty and cheap to scale
Thermal door curtains/curtains much cheaper on ebay..
Im adding a door curtain this year did living room last year and massively improved my drafty windows as did the foam strips
Sewed a cheap fleece onto the curtains in dc room

Thermals including socks can be cheap this time of year...everyone got a pair for xmas!!

Back in the seventies, just one coal fire/ gas fire in the living room. Single glazed windows, carpets that did not go to the edge of the floor, trying to remember what we did:

Bath night on Saturday heated bathroom with electric heater on wall. Child bathed in front of fire midweek.

Lots of blankets (wool) and feather eiderdown on the bed. Bed not near windows.

Lined curtains.

Getting dressed in front of the fan heater downstairs. (Not cheap though to run)

Dad washed at the downstairs sink.

Ate tea by candlelight but that was power cuts...

Cling film: attach to frame so there is a gap between the window and cling film.

Dont waste your money on solar. Some new windows would be hugely more efficient and save you a fortune. Single glaze = may as well have all the windows open. Can you afford to get any new windows? There are grants and green schemes available, could you add it onto your mortgage? You get better rates for borrowing for that sort of purpose.