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 😞

Keep Googling Warm Spaces in your local area OP. Another couple have opened near us in the last week. See what's on at the local church or faith centre

Onesies, got an adult one from La redoute and kids from m&s. Genuinely so warm, our house is anywhere from 10-16c and I’m perfectly fine in my onesie sitting around in this.

I wear an oodie and DS wears a 2.5 tog sleepbag with legs so he can still walk about. Wear slipper boots. Electric blankets. We Cosleep.

Unfortunately can’t afford that.

This might sound a bit daft and obviously not a daily thing, but what about swimming? It is warm, mine loved it as babies and toddlers (I know not all do!) And afterwards you can have a shower and use the hairdryers etc before you go? Would save a bit of electric too :)

Thicker curtains, draught excluders, decamp to a bedroom so its now a play area and you all sleep in the other bedroom.
Its a bit shit really. Sorry you are so cold.

Lots of people I've talked to say they are wearing layers but when I push and ask if their layers include thermals they say no. Thermals is the only way I cope if I can't sit under a heated throw.
Long sleeve thermals, tops and bottoms.

Some days, like today, it is thermal bottoms, pj's and jeans on top. Then long sleeve thermal, long sleeve top and jumper. Quite toasty.

Oh and thermal socks and slippers! Some days I wear a hat indoors too.

Second the hot water bottle on lower back idea, keeps whole body warm and stops it stiffening up for me.

I often have one stuffed down the back of my stretchy jeans (at home). I've also had one of these wearable heat pad belts but I'm sure they were cheaper last year? I'm not saying it's beautiful..... Pretty sure you could knocks something like this up for pennies, fastens w strong velcro.

Heathholder socks on your christmas list, too. (I'm hoping for a Heatholder hat this year).

DH swears by his infrared heater, costs 5p pH to run, but more suited to working at desk as doesn't heat room, just person nearby, so may not suit you.

When it comes to laundry wear things as much as possible, as long as it’s not genuinely dirty wear it multiple times.

I think the person who suggested cardboard on the floor made a good suggestion . Also try and stay in a room upstairs. It’s miserable though and I do wonder if the fashion for open plan living is going to change now.

In the town I live in there is a rota of warm spaces Monday to Friday run by all the churches with free food. My friend is in charge of one of the projects and they had 30 people for free hot lunch last week.

I can’t take the toddler and baby on my own though and got no one to come with 😩

As your downstairs is open plan can you separate the areas with full length curtains? And if you need to cover more floor space end of roll pieces from small independent carpet shops normally work out cheaper than rugs.
Make sure your front and back doors also have curtains over then, you can even use blankets if new curtains are too expensive.

How would I do this though as it is completely open plan, like just one massive room.. no arch ways or anything, I don’t think we could even get curtains long enough. It’s hard to explain without taking a pic which would be a bit outing lol

We do also have curtains over the doors already. Like I said I’m not sure how we could put any curtains up to separate the rooms.. as it’s just one massive sort of square room with no arch way or anything. Ceilings are high as is an old house. If I could see how that would work I’d 100% do it

Yeah, sounds too difficult to section off downstairs....you can still do.the cardboard/carpet/rug options.

What can be moved from upstairs easily to make room to play?

I already have 75% of the floors covered, can’t really do much more else I’ll be putting rugs in the kitchen which isn’t practical.
going upstairs isn’t all easy, we don’t have a tv up there, also would still need to heat it up there somehow and safely with a toddler roaming about. I appreciate the suggestion, well all suggestions, but I do think it’s absolutely crazy I have to think about taking my kids upstairs into a bedroom for a whole day to keep a bit warm, and can’t use our living room. It’s sad. Makes me feel bloody sad.

Jfc.
I'm heating my flat 24/7 for about £8 a day; using that 'fireplace' instead, I'd be able to heat just my living room for about 9 hours for the same ££ of energy.

Oh I didn't see about the high ceilings sorry, yes it's be too difficult to even get poles up
Martin Lewis was raving about a halogen heater recently, it might be better to just warm the downstairs during the day with a plug in heater I suppose the main difficulty is keeping the kids warm especially the baby.

I thought about a halogen heater but again it’s not really safe with a toddler roaming about. I do have a room divider that stops the toddler going in the kitchen area, but the room is so big i wouldn’t feel the benefit of it being over there really

Yeah it's shit, but if you can't fix downstairs what are your other options?

Insulate the living room: too hard.
Insulate the people in the living room:
Pay more for heat and save money elsewhere: already made some cutbacks
Find a cheaper heating source:
Go upstairs and use a room upstairs:
Go out more: too hard with kids and no good options.
Move: no places available to move to.

It's really hard. You need to get your head round you are not going to get your ideal in your current house and work out what alternative is best for you.

Stair gate on the upstairs room.

Sorry random sentence at the end

Honestly, in your shoes id be upstairs and cope without tv! Its a bit of an adjustment but after a week or so you honestly get used to it. If you like a bit of noise radio is good!

Halogen heater and buy another room divider.

At this time of year, ask around and see if anyone's got a TV going spare soon because they're buying a new one as a gift/in the sales. If that's a big deterrent against using the upstairs space then it can probably be easily and cheaply sorted.

Where did you get this, would be great for dog walking in the cold, there are loads on Amazon but no reviews except 1 which has literally one 5 star review and no others so wary of getting one from there.