I wfh - How to cheaply stay warm this winter?

[User5512]

I work from home. With the energy price so high, and cost of living going up rapidly, how can I cheaply stay warm during the day? Ideally, I don’t want to use central heating until 4pm. It’s already costing a bomb to keep the house heated between 4pm and 8pm (when kids are at home).

Im wearing a jumper, but can’t layer up more as I have to attend meetings on zoom.

Multiple thin layers. Thermal vest top, lightwight roll neck, thermal leggings under thick fleecy joggers. Two pairs of heavy socks ( tuck leggings into socks) and fluffy slippers. If I have to have meetings I’ll wear a shirt, cardy or sweater combo with a dressy scarf. Otherwise a jumper and hoodie on top of the roll neck with a gilet. Fingerless gloves, a blanket wrapped around my lower half and a hot water bottle on my knee. I actually felt a bit faint earlier on and had to strip off a few layers. I have a big loose oodie type thing for really cold periods. I work in the coldest room in the house, it’s been 0’ here today and I was fine.

I sit on a heated blanket/throw during meetings - you can't see it on the back of my chair. Sheepskin slippers with wool socks. 2x heat tech tops from Uniqlo and then whatever work appropriate stop over that.

Start with insulating your home to keep every scrap of heat in.

1. Do you own or rent? Can you access a loft space and dump in an extra roll or two of insulation
2. Curtains closed, then drape a thick fleece blanket over as well.
3. Get a small oil rad for the room you work in.

Then keep yourself warm. Get merino wool thermals (these are not thick/bulky) to wear under your work clothes and warm slippers. Have lots of blankets to layer on between calls. Keep moving a bit if you can - move between standing and sitting.

Hot soup for lunch & warm drinks.

Boohoo's fleece lined leggings are surprisingly warm and comfortable at £6 a pair.

I see Primark has fleece lined leggings online for £3.50, not tried them though.

Oh and DH has a heated gilet. Those down ones are great.

Get a fleece hat to put on between calls.

Thick tights underneath trousers plus socks.

And tuck your top half into your bottom half. Draft excluders at your door also helps.
I much prefer this to freezing in an office because Mary had control of the thermostat and her hot flushes ruled 😉

This what i do, no radiator in room where i work. It really did work

Heated blanked. I also have a little halogen heater that's very effective at heating the room. Oodie until you have to have a meeting. Wrist warmers. I'm also thinking of buying one of those little heaters that plug straight into a socket. I'm told they are noisy but work quickly and are very cheap to run.

Had my heated throw on whilst on a Teams meeting today

Thin layers. Thermal underwear, tights underneath them. Everything tucked in to everything else - makes going to the loo a bit of a process but keeps you warmer. Keep your neck warm - scarves are good, esp silk I find. Look professional but are warm. Hot water bottle behind me, with a throw tucked over me. Heated throws are good (but be careful if you use a hot water bottle too).

Fair isle wool leg warmers.

Genuinely don't understand this competitive austerity. If you are working from home then you are presumably saving money on travel costs, lunches, pet/child associated costs etc etc and if you aren't then this should be factored into your salary/expenses.

Just put the fucking heating on - if you were working in an office would you play these ridiculous games of wearing three layers and using shivering as a competitive concept? No, you'd demand appropriate heating to enable you to do your job.

You should try multi layering-no shivering involved, competitive or otherwise 😉

I put heated throw over my chair so my back is kept warm and just wrap it round my lower half.

Oodie all the way here, I'm in an environment where pets and whatever are fine on calls, I get many compliments for my unicorns 🤣

But I agree with PP, if it's that cold the heating goes on (after the basics ie a couple of tops and socks or slippers).

If your home is so cold you have to sit in scarf and hat, its not suitable to be working in!

A thick wig to keep your head warm whilst being on zoom calls. Only half joking…

Invest in a heated throw from Vinted. I got one for £20. I also wear a dressing gown to work in and have a nearby jumper for when I have to pop onto meetings.

Not sure what your dress code needs to be but a wool tank top layered over a jumper or a fleece type gilet might help. Pop a hot water bottle under there for extra warmth.

Sit in a sleeping bag with a hot water bottle at your feet.

I'm in the USA and we can buy clothes with heaters in them for ice fishing etc. live a built in electric blanket.

We all have Oodies here

But I've decided this year that I don't want my 200 year old Victorian house to rot and go mouldy so I'm keeping the heating on more at 18 / 19 and turn it up when it feels chilly

Overnight it's at 7

I remember one very cold snowy winter I was working somewhere bloody freezing I wore my Uggs which were an absolute godsend and the silly little fan heater blowing hot air as close to me as possible

It was a huge room with high ceilings

I just had lots of layers on

Depends which room you work in. My oficw is in spareroom, small room. I put low vattage heater under the table and it's a bliss. Heats air around me and costs very little to run. Keeps my feet warm especially

Thermal layers, Primark do good ones that are cheap.

Hot water bottle and blanket which can't be seen on zoom.

In between meetings layer up with an oodie or dressing gown