If I was rich I'd have a warm home

[spanieleyes22]

I hate the cold! Currently wfh with about 5 layers on and a hot water bottle and a blanket. Have a little electric heater on in this room but rest of the house is v v cold. Going to put oven on in a minute with the door open so I can do the dishes. If I am ever rich I will have a warm home and not be worrying about the cost of heating it! Went to bed at 6 pm last night to save money: feels like being in prison with the long evenings and trying to keep warm!!!

A friend told me that an upside down clay plant pot, with 4 tea lights under it, provides enough heat for a typical room. I'm sceptical TBH, but might be worth a try

I've noticed this as well!! Was out for a drink the other night and had to keep my coat in the whole time it was freezing. Same at work! I used to go into work on the very cold days but it's freezing in there at the moment and I can't be having blankets and hot water bottles there.

Office is freezing at the moment. I couldn't get warm the last day I was in and started to feel ill. When I got home I got straight into bed to warm up!

All the rich people on Mumsnet set their thermostat at -5 and leave the windows open for the lovely fresh country air. Their visitors can always put an extra jumper on if they’re cold.

Not much help but I feel for you. We lived in a house with no central heating for 5 years when my kids were little. One (dodgy) gas fire in the living room! We basically spent a lot of time in that one room!

See OP's post at 11.56.

I'm sorry OP, that's so shit. It's really draining when you're cold all the time, I find my brain is foggy or something.

As for your workplace - is there a HR department? If so, you could send them a link to this, which advises on minimum temperatures for health and safety. Apparently an indoor workplace should be at least 16 degrees.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/employer/index.htm

Somehow quality of life seems to have dropped off a cliff. I suppose I'm all right Jack in that I save £12 in petrol every time I WFH, so I can direct that budget into my heating, but how grim that people are having to live like this 50 years after central heating installation became standard.

Work do have a duty of care to provide suitable working conditions. It might be worth taking a thermometer in and having a word if they are not heating it adequately. I find my work rate slows right down below about 17 so it's a false economy to let your staff freeze.

It shouldn't be cold by afternoon if you set it right. I had a house heated with (very old) storage heaters and I didn't have this problem.

I’m with you!
I told DH this year I don’t want to be cold because of energy prices so let’s have the heating on comfortably and we can save on other expenses. Only a few years back, being warm at home was a given on an average salary.

Well that's a choice too I suppose!!!

Yes I don’t feel I can justify turning on the (gas) CH for the whole house when I am home alone consequently pretty cold. Was fine at work yesterday but my colleague had his coat on so can’t have been that warm. Also feel cold everywhere just hope the weather warms up soon.

Electric Heated blanket would work great for you

I'd look into renting another house with central heating if possible, and not work location dependent (wfh).

Do you have a link please and would you mind also replying with a mini review. Thank you

It's purely a cultural thing, a weird quirk of the UK. No other country behaves like it's a crime to put the heating on and they'll have to declare bankruptcy if they do.

Once you snap out of the cultural prison, you'll discover that putting the heating on is a better way to spend your money than most other things because you're less depressed, you don't mind getting out of bed in the morning, and everyone in your household is happier.

I don’t think that being unable to pay your heating bill is a “weird quirk”. Energy costs far more in the UK than other countries. It’s no wonder we’re fearful of high bills when a third of the population are living in poverty. I’m sure if our bills were £100 a month we’d all be cranking the heating up.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235743939727?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=w-7uoGyaTim&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=MtrPUA8PQdC&var=&widgetver=artemis&media=COPY

It's this one, there are a few reviews on it. I think the fact I am buying one 24 hours later tells you my feelings.

This sounds amazing 🤩 you might be right, but my summer bill is £260 a month so anymore is a real concern

I think you need a heated blanket.

Skins are warmer than thermals.

If I was rich I’d move to a hot country and have done with it.

Summer bill? Like for the summer quarter? Or per month? Or is this the amount you pay every month by DD?
Mine is under £100 per month for both gas and electric (fairly small terraced house) DD. I am going to put the heating on more this year though and if I have to pay more then so be it.

It isn't. My husband lived in France in the 2000s and their fuel costs were much higher than now and people didn't have their heating on as much as us.

Ours are higher now because the French government has subsidised the energy market for the last few years. But France is even more bankrupt than we are,

I feel your pain. Also sat here WfH in lots of layers!
Do you wear a hat? I've started to wear one and am surprised at the difference it makes! Recommend it!

I used to think everyone had heating. We moved last year. House cost 270k and we don't have central heating. We have storage heaters, no gas line. Only one storage heater works, can't afford to fix them. We have a few plug in ones bit can't leave them on over night etc.

My husbands income isn't even low.

We are just stuck in that situation and even the windows have massive bloody holes. 2 of the windows dont even shut.

I really feel for all you chilly people as I live in a lovely warm house and have remarkably small bills . Re the pubs / cafes being chilly if anyone is near a John Lewis they are usually boiling hot and have a nice coffee shop usually .