Preparing for winter 2022/23

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How is best to prepare for the next winter? I imagine energy prices will be huge, I can afford a bit of an increase but I'm worried it will reach my limit.

I'm trying to forward think and plan ahead. I've bought some hot water bottles (in the sales) to put away and I will try and get a good stock of cupboard type foods to ease the food shopping bills over the winter when the energy will be used more. Ideally I want to try and have less other outgoings in November, December and January to cover the increase in my energy bills for that time.

I may also start overpaying a little each month on my energy account, or into a savings account so I have a bit of a buffer.

Any other ideas please?

Pay into a savings account.

Curtains. From charity shop.(much warmer than blinds)

Boiler serviced

Power banks.

Insulate

Watch out for end of season reduced winter clothes.

I’m thinking out loud about this: Hot water bottles are excellent if they’re not being cuddled and pummelled. And water is expensive to heat. It might be more efficient to use something like gel packs that you microwave for a minute. I wouldn’t use rice packs or similar as they are a fire risk.

As well as food you could think about non food items you use regularly (shampoo, laundry detergent, toothpaste…). They don’t go out of date and family don’t get bored with them suddenly so they can be a good option for stocking up in advance. If you take the time to work out how much you use, and make a list you can take advantage of special offers as they come up.

It might be an idea to think about Christmas too. March is a good month for bargains as the new stock starts to arrive.

Charity shops and clearance sales are definitely your friends. I’ve already bought winter coats for 2 of my DDs at £5 each. Look for warm winter jumpers, thermal socks, I have raynauds, thermal socks are a must for winter months. Anything that can basically keep you warm in winter without turning the heating on. I’m definitely looking out for oodies/hooded blankets in this years sales as my DDs have lived out of them this winter, they have been amazing, they no longer whine they are cold as soon as they fall out of bed as they just put their oodies straight on and wouldn’t have a clue whether the heating was on or not.

Definitely pick up bits throughout the year like toiletries so your not paying for these in winter. I tend to stock up when I go to places like home bargains. Think about things you know you will need at some point but can add a lot to your general shop that you can have in for winter. Come September ive usually got a good supply of basic toiletries, medications, cough syrups, cold and flu meds, razors, shampoos, washing powder, softener etc… ive not bought any toiletries all winter and probably have another 4-6 weeks before I need to think about buying more. It makes a big difference to the weekly shopping bill when you don’t have to buy these things. I absolutely begrudge being forced to pay for branded products when I don’t have to, or worse chemist prices which is why I always make sure I have a decent supply of basic medications at all times.

Speak to your energy supplier, we pay a set amount each month, it dosnt change from month to month, in winter we will be in debt but in summer it will balance out. It definitely takes the pressure off knowing even if we are having a really tight couple of months I don’t need to worry about turning the heating on.

If you can afford it, an wool duvet such as Baavet. Normal cotton outer but filled with wool. Cannot stress enough how warm it keep us this winter. They also sell seconds. www.baavet.co.uk/baavet-wool-bargains

@bellinisurge i had considered a wool duvet but from thewoolroom.

Try to get interlined curtains, if you have a log fire after the storms we have had, it's a good time to stock up.

Nuclear winter gardening.
Jerusalem artichokes, pink fir potatoes, collards; low effort survive most things.

@PestorPeston how do you plant potatoes - in pots, or in the ground, and facing which direction? Do you knees frost protection for potatoes? Asking as I planted some last year, and they got hit by the weather, i think by very dry and hot weather, rather than very cold frosts (i forget). I put them in the greenhouse over winter but no recovery yet. Quite like the isea of emergency potatoes tucked away amongst the flowers - the shops where I am are going mad - sunflower and vegetable oils gone, flour gone in the shops and pasta getting scarcer online. It feels like things are starting again.

An electric throw if you can get one in summer sales is a really cheap way to stay very cosy without putting the heating on. Specially good if you’re in during the day and feeling cold to the bones.

I'm going for thermal vests.
And I'm going to try to persuade family to put clothes in the wash less often, and potentially cut down on baths/ showers.
No one else knows how to operate the thermostat, other than me, so I intend to keep it that way, so no-one can turn the heating up.
And I will be working on a decent log pile through the summer.

With inflation expected to hit 8%, buying any non perishables now will save in the long run

Will be putting my focus on saving energy: electric blanket for watching TV (so can have less heating) a door blanket & possibly a smaller electric blanket for WFH. Already wear thermals etc

My tip would be to have some ‘inside shoes’ (eg cheap trainers) which keep feet a lot warmer vs most slippers as thicker soles

Things have changed fast.
I would say if possible, try and diversify your heat sources, with a back-up option. The price hikes aren’t going anywhere unless there is state intervention.
There are already food price issues in MENA countries, even where there are bread subsidy programmes in place. Richer countries will still be able to import food but at a higher global price, which will pass down to us. Depending on the harvests this year, and what farmers choose to plant now, Winter could be tricky. (Depends on ceasefire and resumption of trade, but the slump will come anyway)

@DespairingHomeowner yes I have fake uggs which i use as indoor slippers. They keep me warm and I really like them. The heating will be kept to an absolute minimum next winter. And i hope to finally get thick curtains up over my front door, dream of welsh blankets as curtains but they are precious and expensive.

Blankets for each of our beds and hot water bottles for everyone. I’m worried about Winter and how things are going to look.

In older days, before hot water bottles, didn’t people have a brick or stone that they would warm in the fire and then take up to bed with them. I shudder to think of that in health and safety terms. Or warming water in a metal kettle on a fire or non-mains stovetop, and pouring into a hot water bottle. It can’t get so bad, surely??

I just posted on another thread about keeping warm but Matalan had fleece lined thermal tights & thermal t-shirts (long & short sleeved) in the sale. £1.50 for the tights & £1.50 for a 2 pack of t-shirts.

I've bought them for the kids for next winter.

Did you hear on Martin Lewis money programme last night that if you have a prepayment meter...the one with a key/stick that you top up..if u put in lots of credit before 31 march, you will pay today's rates until the credit runs out.
Just incase anyone didn't know and has one of those meters.

I live in a very cold country, and thermal heat holders socks are a life saver.

Although, I might add that I’ve never been cold indoors in my life. Everyone has heating on 24/7. Outdoors is a different matter.

Also very worried about food prices longterm, I think that after the panic buying that will come soon, there won’t be a glut as you would usually have after a shortage or bottleneck, because the production impediements have been there for a while now.

Does anyone know would it be a good ideas to remove the gas fire and install a Woodburner? I have no experience but I wonder if I had the right one I could perhaps boil water on too, jacket spuds inside or is this a romanticised, distorted view? ( I have two rooms downstairs but they’re large)

We have a wood burning stove and can boil a camping kettle on it no problem. I imagine you could put a pan on it too...same logic!
We have one and have just stocked up on lots of coal incase there's a cyber attack and electricity gets cut. At least we can heat one room.
Obviously it's all very expensive to get a stove and coal. A camping stove with lots of gas is a lot cheaper for boiling water and cooking. Doesn't heat a room though.

@Winnipeg23 Thank you. I would definitely need heat and worry about the gas supply being cut. I’m quite disabled so moving around to keep warm is not an option.

@gilead I've never cooked potatoes inside my woodburner, but when we have power cuts I do use it for boiling water for coffee, and have cooked full meals on it. You have to think fairly quick cook things - so I've done fried eggs/bacon. Or stir fried chicken and veg with one of those semi-cooked rice packets chucked in.
Takes a lot longer but straightforward if you have a flat topped burner that's big enough.

Brilliant, thank you!

I understand ur concern about being able to heat a room. It seems a good idea to get one if you can get afford it. I always like to think how would I cope if.... happens. And the woodburning stove solves the heat problem. If we didn't have one, i would have invested in one of those calor gas heaters... remember them from the 1980s and 90s. They didn't smell the best but they were a great source of cheap heat when we were students. I checked a while back and you can still get them😆 just thoughts! I think ur very wise to be prepared for these sorts of eventualies btw.
Oh one last thought, if you are thinking about a stove, make sure where u live isn't a smoke free zone. Hope all goes well👍