Cold flat and guests coming round

[Rainbowhoney]

My flat is just so cold all the time, I'm spending £40 a week minimum on gas and I've only been putting the thermostat to 18 for an hour 3 times a day. I turn the thermostat down to 12 if we're going out and 14 outside the times where I have it at 18. Today I went out for the morning and come back to warm radiators so it must have dropped below 12! We can't afford to have it on any more than we are, we're struggling to scrape the pennies for Christmas at the moment and me and my partner have decided not to get anything for each other for Christmas, and we've only got a few bits for our 5 month old and 2 year old.

I've got a friend coming round for a cup of tea tomorow morning with her 2 month old and I'm embarrassed at how cold my home is but I can't afford to put my heating on for guests

Can you go to a cafe instead?

Don't be embarrassed I reckon most people will be in a similar situation and if not they will understand. I would make a breezy jokey comment as they came in referencing how cold it is outside plus COL is going to make for a chilly catch up

Don’t be embarrassed but as a pp said as she has a tiny baby I’d give her a heads up so she can really wrap the baby up. Alternatively a warm cafe and buy a cheap coffee could be good?

Please don't be embarrassed. Just forewarn her that, along with everyone else, you're having to be careful with the heating and she might want to bring extra layers.

It's totally understandable.

Honestly I'd try to meet her out somewhere. 2 months is tiny and she needs to keep her baby warm. If I was driving to someone's house I wouldn't necessarily have appropriate layers for my baby with me if I was expecting to go from warm car to warm house

Does your flat even get from 14° to 18° in the hour you raise the thermostat? It took me over three hours to manage that the other day...

Don't even worry about it. Some of my friends houses are cold, some are like ovens - I never mind the cold ones. They'll be coming in from outside so it will feel warm anyway, and the baby will be dressed for the weather.

Can't you change the time you set it to 18 to half an hour before she arrives? So on as often as normal, just a time change? Ours is at 13 in the evening for a couple of hours when we are home (gets to 15 or 16 in the sitting room) but I would put it up for very young or elderly guests.

Surely driving to a cafe and buying a drink will cost more than putting the heating on for the time she’s there?

Let her know so she can make sure baby has enough layers but dont feel embarrassed.

As other posters have already said, let her know that your place may not feel very warm. It is important that the baby is dressed appropriately. Lots of people are struggling right now to heat their homes. It is a national disgrace.

Can’t you say that the boiler has broken down unexpectedly this morning and any engineer will be coming later

Please don't feel pressured to spend money going out. Babies are perfectly fine outdoors in winter as long as they are well wrapped up, so as long as she knows to bring the appropriate clothing, you will be fine.