How best to keep warm without heating whole house?

[FairyLightFiend]

I am at home all day and have a health condition that means that I find it difficult sometimes to regulate my body temperature (once I get cold I find it almost impossible to get warm again without taking a hot shower). I also feel the cold much more than my DH and can often be found shivering under a blanket while he’s just in a shirt.

I don’t want to heat the whole house to what would be comfortable to me (prob around 23/24 degrees!) as that feels like burning money!

Can anyone recommend a good solution? Portable fan heater? Heated cushion? I do use hot water bottles, but then get super hot where they’re placed but still have freezing hands.

It would be great to hear what’s worked for you.

Are you in one place? I work at home 3 days, and have a little electric oil filled rad in my office so I don't have to heat the whole house all day. I then put the heating late afternoon ready for everyone to come home.

23 isn't that warm I heat mine a bit more. I get too cold otherwise.

Thermal underwear and good socks might help? Fingerless gloves, or some kind of hand cover. What do you tend to do at home - walk around or sit still e.g. at a desk?

Ooh you could get one of those boot warmer things?

It's like a huge boot, you put both feet in and it heats up 😂 tempted to get one myself 🤔

And a hat. I do find keeping my head and feet warm helps my hands which sounds weird but works.

If you are just in the one small room then you can make a space heater out of a Terracotta flowerpot and tealight candles.

I got a faux fur electric blanket from Argos, which I use to give myself a quick heat-through and then I stick a housecoat and fluffy socks on if I am moving around. Does the trick nicely!

heated throw. oil filled portable heater in one room/ wood burning stove? heavy curtain over door. lots of hot drinks.

Wrist warmers!
Sounds strange, but keeping your wrists warm will help keep the rest of you warm too.

Yes to electric throw if you need to sit! And making sure you are wearing enough layers to begin with, even though it may make you feel silly to dress for the Arctic when it's barely autumnal. It is far far easier to cool down than it is to heat up once cold, so you need to prevent yourself getting cold in the first place. So fleece-lined leggings/thermal underwear, thick, fluffy socks, slippers with a proper sole indoors (Ugg-type boots are perfect), hat if necessary, padded bodywarmer/gilet (saw some nice cheap ones in Primark yesterday for under £10)

And move around more than you think you need to.

Heated throw. Theyre amazing

Microwavable fluffy slippers have changed my life. www.amazon.co.uk/Soframar-Cozy-Slippers-Luxury-Heatable/dp/B005QNZDN0?tag=mumsnetforum-21

I'm now thinking of investing in a fluffy electric blanket for sofa use.

You mentioned fan heaters in your OP - they can use a lot of electricity and so wouldn't be my first choice.

Heated throw, space heater, I'm guessing you have double glazing? Thick tog duvet, a Snuggie, thick socks and slippers, hand warmers, one of those microwaveable heat packs, thermals, snuggly dressing gown, gloves, a beanie... it's your house so wear what you want!

There are some brilliant suggestions here - thank you all so much! I’m going to work through the suggestions and see what works for me.

BertieBotts Thank you SO much for saying that 23 isn’t that hot! It’s made me feel much better about being cold when the thermostat is set to 20!

I have some lovely cashmere fingerless gloves that I wear most of time time in the autumn/winter. It makes an enormous difference to how warm I feel.

Those microwaveable slippers! 😍

Fleece onsie, fleece dressing down on top, fluffy bedsocks and sheepskin boots. I wear all of those except the onsie when I'm wokring from home. If the doorbell goes, I just chuck off the dressing gown and it looks like I'm normally dressed with Uggs on.

Star jumps? Oh...and I find ironing really makes me boiling!

I have a halogen heater next to my desk for a quick warm up. Very efficient re energy use and not expensive to buy.

23 degrees really is very warm.
But anyhow, I would second warm layers, slipper boots and oil filled radiator.

I have a similar health condition and issue. Look up layering and staying warm for camping, lots of information sites around on it, (lots of threads on the camping board right here too) and until I went camping and read up on this stuff I never knew - I've found that info really useful to stay warm at home! No cotton, use synthetics and wool, have a thin base layer on. I've stopped using my cotton t shirts and jeans in the house if I'm sitting around as I just freeze. Last night I was in a synthetic long sleeved t shirt, thin fleece jumper over that, and a fleece jacket over that, fleece sweat pants and wool socks, and I have the big cheap teddybear fleeces from Amazon or Dunelm and put one under you on the chair or sofa as well as one over you so you have the layering underneath. I often put one of the big ones on like a cloak. I was freezing when I put that lot on and like you, usually have to shower to get warm again. After about fifteen minutes I was stripping off layers and stayed warm all evening. Woolly hat also makes a huge difference quickly when I'm starting to freeze.

Personally I would whack the heating on and hang my washing up in the house to dry. But that's just me!

We have a gas fire in the front room which is good when it's just one person in.

Have you had your thyroid function checked, OP? It’s a classic symptom to be always feeling cold when your thyroid is underactive.

A heat pad that you stick to your back (used for backache).

Body warmer and hat.