Aibu to ask seriously… how to keep warm!

[Biscuits1011]

we all know the cost of living is hitting people hard. We’re on prepayment metres, landlord insists on them. Rent privately through an agent so can’t make any major improvements to the house. It’s badly insulated but landlord won’t do anything about it, it’s rated E so legal. Got 2 very young children. We can’t afford what it’s costing to heat our home. £60 a week on gas alone! Have heating on an hour morning; 2 in evening and an hour in the day. I’m on maternity, so home with the baby all day long. It’s so cold. I could go back to work early but Im off on full pay so wouldn’t make a financial difference! People suggest hot water bottles… blankets heated throws ect but that’s ok when I can just sit on the sofa… not when I have to run around after a toddler and have a baby to look after. We have layers on.. but it’s so cold unless the heating is actually on!

its all open plan downstairs also, so can’t contain heat in one room either. Honestly I’m so worried about the cost, but also it’s so so cold right now 😞

I know what you mean about trying to contain a toddler in a cafe but have you actually tried the library? The kids section of ours is pretty much just toddlers pulling books off shelves and pottering about - it's certainly not somewhere you're expected to be quiet. I also found ours quite good for places to breastfeed (esp in lockdown 2.0 when nothing else was open!)

There’s no way he would go for that, he has told the agents he doesn’t want to replace our back door because it’s expensive and it really does need doing.

Yeah our library is quiet, I’d be chasing her around the whole time I’m there. That may keep me warm but with a small baby too I just can’t be doing with chasing her about picking up after her somewhere other than home

Is gas your only source of heat or do you have a fireplace in your open plan area? We abandoned buying oil this year and are lighting the fire instead, the heat seems to last longer as I find with oil the heat goes quickly once its turned off.

Dressing gown and fluffy socks!

Cafe for a long cup of tea.

I'm having the same issue. We have a conservatory which evaporates our warmth immediately. Our house is freezing at the moment, with it without heating - can't afford it on all day.

I have a few extra layers on today. I actually find it warmer to go out and walk with coats, gloves, scarves etc

Yeah a long cup of tea in a cafe with a toddler… don’t think so lol

Yes just gas.central heating, and We have a gas fire but that’s it.

Can you afford merino wool thermals for all of you? Wear them at home and dressing gown over clothes. And make some mum friends with modern houses!

I WFH and don’t have the heating on during the day. I’m generally wearing a Woolley hat, thick thermal socks and an oodie. I couldn’t cope without my thick socks! Have just ordered the “heat holder” type ones for my children (although they don’t seem to feel the cold as much as me). And lots of tea/hot choc for the kids.

I had this problem in our old house open plan, we bought two corrugated doors (Constantine fold) doors to divide a room which kept rooms separate and warm!
In our current house we've bought a draft excluder (£6) for front door and changed the letterbox (8)s well as put weather strips (10)around the door frame as we are getting a breeze through the door - has stopped now .
Also the long water bottles that you can fix around your waist! Fluffy socks or bed socks. You can also get hand warmers and feet warmers too.
Warm drink in a flask is a must

Buy heated gilets. Work on the same premise of a heated blanket - but you charge it and then wear it

But ultimately, to be warm as a rule you need to heat the air around you. It's really not good to allow a house to get too cold and it's also not great for your health either

I'd be speaking to the energy company. You HAVE to keep your children (and yourself!) warm so you do need to heat your home. I'd worry about the debt later. You'll be one of millions - east are they going to do? Put everyone on debtors prison? Don't think so

Are you ventilating the house to get rid of any moisture before turning the heating on? It seems counterproductive to open windows and doors when it’s cold out but it definitely dose work.

could you get a calor gas fire to use downstairs rather than having the heating on during the day. If you have the fire you could also dry clothes on a maiden during the day in the same room rather than using the dryer.
Also any laundrette near you to dry clothes, they will also be warm to hang out in.
We don’t have a dryer just an electric maiden. I save bulky stuff likes towels up and do them in big batches & taking them to the laureate to dry.
Are there drafts coming under/around doors and windows?
Go to charity shops and get heavy curtains to cover doors
roll up towels for bottom of doors.
Tights on the toddler, also long sleeve thermal tops under everything.

How about heating a room upstairs? Put a baby gate round an oil filled radiator and stay up there.

Will the toddler wear other footwear? Eg Peppa pig wellies?(get an indoor and an outdoor pair) one of mine wore new wellies to bed for quite a while.

All of you should wear tights under your layers, they are a very effective extra layer without much bulk.

Get that “instant double glazing” plastic sheeting you shrink to fit with a hairdryer - it is pretty cheap and massively cuts down on heat loss through windows. We used it every winter until we could afford to replace the single glazing.

You could put tights on under leggings.

Are you ventilating the house to get rid of any moisture before turning the heating on? It seems counterproductive to open windows and doors when it’s cold out but it definitely dose work.

It really does work - and I know from bitter experience that a damp cold house feels much colder than just a cold house.

I would recommend a de-humidifier but they are really pricy and then take electricity to run - there are smaller chemical ones but they aren't for larger spaces really.

we are on pay as you go metres so can’t even do that 😩. If we don’t put money on they switch the gas and gas and electric off…

I dont know if this has been suggested....can you move?

Off cuts of carpet might be cheaper if a big space to cover.

Yes it has. We have been trying to move for nearly a year.. renting around here is hard as so many apply for the same property and the prices are so high. We are looking but it’s not happened yet

Or you could say sod you landlord and change the meter. We did this, we hadn’t realised at the time the meter we had had a debt on it which we were paying off, given the landlords family lived in the house before us we guess it was their debt which is why we weren’t allowed to change the meter. We put loads on it to try and clear it as the supplier wouldn’t let the new company change it over, in the end we let them cut us off and the new supplier came out and changed the meter. I had a toddler at the time, middle of winter, but it was worth it to go on a regular tariff. Due to were we lived at the time we were able to get a really cheap flat rate. It would be more expensive now but still better than prepay. The meter they put in could easily be changed to prepay if the next tenants wanted.

We never said anything, I got a text after we left and told the landlord where to go, we weren’t paying for their debt. If they had an issue then they could take us to court. They never said anything else.

It would be more expensive now but still better than prepay

Actually no. I checked

You've got to chose the least worse option. Being upstairs with no tv or being colder. Paying for this or that.

Ideas from the thread:

An end of roll carpet from the shop can be taken away when you move. Rugs.

Window film.

Extra thick curtains from the charity shop. Can take with

Draught excluder tape round windows.

Window film.

Door curtains.

Old tights draught excluders.

Moving upstairs in the day.

More clothes on the toddler. Think creatively.

Old sheets or blankets hung up at the windows. (On a pressure pole)

Electric heaters.

Dry the washing downstairs and play upstairs.

Camp downstairs. Literally a tent to play in.

Insulate the loft hatch. (Quite cheap and easy to detach and take away. )

Close the curtains once the sun has gone round.

Home exercise routines for yourself and the toddler while the baby sleeps?

I sometimes WFH when its very cold (we're in Germany, so sometimes -5 in the daytime). We have quite a well-insulated flat, although even then it can be cold.

As well as many of the above suggestions, I find a good plank every so often really spreads out my core body warmth to the extremities. This has the added advantage of improving back issues from sitting down a lot for work. I started on a 1-minute plank, which was justabout manageable then and have since built up to 1min 30 in about a month. I do this under 4 layers of clothing, so that the warmth stays in....the key is to raise the heart rate (and hence improve circulation to the hands, feet etc) but not break into a sweat as this will mean losing heat as the sweat evaporates

Obviously, do other exercises if you have a history of back problems etc. I guess you'd need to adapt this somewhat anyway if the toddler will also participate.

Is there any chance you can afford one of these?

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08QJDQMVH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&th=1

The fuel is around £3.50 per bottle - half a bottle will burn for approx. 2 hours. I have two in my living room, and it heats the room up brilliantly - obviously, it's not the perfect solution, especially as you're in an open plan environment, but it will take the chill out of the room.