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.

I work whilst sitting in a sleeping bag - it is pulled up to my waist. Easy to hide it during calls and I am nice and snug.

These are the things I've done:

Wear a thermal base layer - they're thin and stretchy and you can layer them under anything; they don't add bulk. You can get leggings as well as tops, so you can wear them under jeans or trousers as well as under a jumper.

Make sure your feet and ankles are warm! Weirdly, it makes a massive difference regardless of what you're wearing on the rest of your body. Thick cosy socks and Ugg-boot style slippers are a good option.

Invest in an electric blanket or throw. They're very cheap to run. My mum bought me one for my birthday last year and honestly, it's a game-changer. Also nice for curling up under on a cold evening to watch TV or read.

A hot water bottle is also useful.

Hot drinks on the go pretty much all day.

Teddy Bear blanket throw from Dunelm.

Sitting in a sleeping bag is a good one, we are used to having meeting qith people who are shrouded in blankets and oodles! I also have a very small plug in heater from amazon if things get dire. V cheap to run

Hot water bottle for your feet, sit on an electric blanket, and possible heat up the room you are in with a small electric heater if it gets too cold…

Electric seat pad. Has been the absolute saving grace for me.

Pret membership. £30 a month for 5 hot drinks a day. Free WiFi, heating and electricity. Obviously you have to live near one but i can imagine it would be cheaper to go there if you do

Competitive austerity... well, that's nice. You know some people literally can't afford to "just put the fucking heating on", right? Which is why the thread title is how to cheaply stay warm.

Anyway, thanks everyone, some great tips on this thread. Especially the ones about sleeping bags, why didn't I think of that!

I bought fleece-lined leggings from Primark (in the tights section), thermal top, thick bathrobe over clothes (if not on zoom) and thick socks and slippers.

As mentioned before - sit in a sleeping bag, I got so warm yesterday I had to take a layer off!

Fleece blankets are great. On amazon you can get a oldie copy and then are very thick and warm. Fingers gloves. I saw a lady put her mousmat inside a beanie hat so when she used it her fingers where inside the hat.

Oh gosh what a depressing thing that in 2023 heating our homes is not possible with out going completely broke.

I am looking for a similar soliton. The whole house is heated when I have the heating on when it's only me in the house.

I asked my colleague who is in a similar situation and he has a small portable heater (cheap to run) next to him and doesn't heat the rest of the house. I am going to investigate.

Could something like that work?

@lemonsaretheonlyfruit can you not turn the radiators off in the rooms you don't want heated? I have been doing that too. Or does that not effect the cost?

By the time you've bought all the recommended paraphernalia you could have just run the heating.

That isn't the case for a lot of people. I have a four beds and three receptions. Running the heating all day would pay for this in a month.

This little radiator keeps my office warm all day.

I wear recycled cashmere fingerless gloves. Layer up so sports bra if i can be arsed, vest, tshirt cardigan. Blanket on lap, surpising how cold legs get. Today i had a hot water bottle under my slippered feet as feet were cold. But we have cold ceramic tile floor and made the mistake of walking around without slippers.

I have a small oil filled radiator i switch on for a few hrs in the morning and with door closed im warm enough most of the day.

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

Why?? Are people on your calls really doing to be studying your outline so carefully that they won’t take you seriously if they think you’ve got a couple of extra layers on?! Wear a thermal vest, thin heat tech top, top, jumper and then scarf. Put a big cardigan/shawl on over the top if you’re still cold.

Blanket over the legs, thick socks and slippers. Heated blanket if you have one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CURVED-STANDING-INFRARED-HEATING-PANEL/dp/B08LNRJBS4/ref=mpssa113?crid=16O0RY4KCD46N&keywords=curved+infrared+heater&qid=1701373700&sprefix=infrared+curve%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-3

I've bought this. Looked for ages before I bought it. I've calculated it costs 8 pence an hour to run but I haven't had my first electric bill since getting it so I hope I'm right!

It's been a game changer though. It sits under my desk and I'm completely warm. I used to get so cold I couldn't type even with the heating on and now I'm toasty and enjoying the day.

These are fine for typing and keep wrists warm.

Thin thermal layers (M&S do some good v lightweight low cut long sleeve tops), a fleecy blanket round/over your legs (out of view of meeting camera) and socks with slippers. A high neck top would also help, along with tights under your trouser/leggings

When I was writing up my PhD, in a freezing cold shared flat in Islington, I used to sit in a sleeping bag with a hot water bottle under my feet.

FaryNuff are they bulky?

I have a little oil radiator under my desk, does not cost much to run and heats me up super quick

2 life savers in my house are an electric blanket and an oodie

Depending on how old your children are, why not visit your library a few days a week for somewhere to keep warm that's free?