Preparing for winter 2022/23

[User8976543246790087654]

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?

I'm worried about this - the entire house is run on electricity. Going to start building up preps again but also batch cooking now so have a good stash of meals to use in the microwave. If there's no electricity at all (power cuts or the like) we're pretty fucked.

@SkirridHill , obviously it's not a long term solution and you must use it outside, but maybe consider a camping stove for power cuts. If you have a sheltered outside spot, or can create shelter.

If the entire house runs off electricity, could you consider getting solar panels? We live very rurally with no mains gas (oil heating) and the panels supply on average half our electricity (more in summer, less in winter). We’re hoping to add a battery into the setup when we can afford it.

Even with a battery you still can’t use solar panels in s power cut. The only way is to have a set up which will allow you to go off grid and the suppliers generally won’t do this.

@SkirridHill

Same here. Electric only. In a flat.

Keeping warm: click button reusable hand warmers.
Blankets, thermal base layers, hats, gloves, fingerless gloves, scarf/snood, draught excluder by the door, woolly socks(3layers) mats on floor, lined curtains, extra insulation layer of an old duvet cover hung on cable clips until I can afford blinds.

Heating and cooking would have to be outdoors. I have a windbreak to shelter behind or find somewhere sheltered. Flasks to keep hot water/food in so only need to go out once or twice per day.

Alternatively have a bag ready to go to a rest centre with.

I have storage heating and I'm only planning on having it on in December and January this coming winter.
Kids are getting oodies, sheepskin boots, hot water bottles and fleece bedding as Christmas presents. (Don't worry, They will actually love these as presents)

I would like an electric heater just to take the chill off/heat one room for when it is chilly/have visitors.
Any recommendations for electric heaters that don't cost an absolute fortune to run?

Oil filled radiator seems to heat the space quickly. Not sure of the running cost though.

I believe the oil filled radiators are cheaper to run than an electric heater.

@bellinisurge I think that's the best option under the circumstances. Had my eye on one for a while, just need to get the money together to get it! Thanks for the advice.

@LarissaFeodorovna I'd love to, but the landlord isn't interested. Definitely considering something to power devices though (computers, DDs tablet, etc).

@BlackeyedSusan Got the layers covered! Just need to prep an outdoor area for cooking I guess. Thanks for advice!

@SkirridHill , you can get a kind of windbreaker for them pretty cheaply too. My plan would be our big garden umbrella and a windbreaker (and a big coat for me). My in-laws have a cheapo gazebo they bought for our lockdown visits - longer term (if they were to come to us or vice versa), I'd use that. They are about 5 mins drive away.

@bellinisurge I've got a yard area with a fancy wooden gazebo type thing over it; which the landlord has offered to cover for me during the winter months, so that could work really well. I already have a small fire pit but don't fancy trying to get that lit in the winter!

Turtle Doves had a sale on recently and I went big on some cashmere fingerless gloves. Hope they'll make me feel fancy whilst I'm cooking over a bin in December.

Turtle Doves stuff is lovely. I get cold wrists and they are awesome

If you have a sun umbrella, that would probably keep the worst of the weather off for cooking purposes, even in winter.

I'm thermalled up to the limit - long-johns, tights, long-sleeved vests, socks.
I use wrist warmers & fingerless gloves inside however.... the tips of my fingers are always freezing!
Any advice of light thermal gloves to wear inside???

Recommend mittens to keep your hands warm rather than gloves. And then take them off as you need to use your hands. Shove em into your bra (if wearing one) to keep the mittens warm for when you put them on again- you're indoors. Who's looking?
Turtle Doves wrist warmers are great for that gap at the end of your sleeves. Or wear something with those thumb holes - sports wear usually have them

fingerless gloves are usually about a pound in cornershops round here. (good for typing)

warm hats and snoods/cowls work really well too.

Shove em into your bra (if wearing one) to keep the mittens warm

I tuck gloves into my waistband and they stay really toasty. A surprising amount of heat comes from my belly. If I'm in the car, I sit on them.

@User952539 so solarpanels not work in a power cut? I had no idea.

i live in DE and you can no longer buy solar panels/firewood/or many electric heaters/oil heaters/generators. They are mainly sold out or will be soon. The predictions for winter are utterly dire as we are expecting severe gas shortages which will also impact electricity supply. Since all of europe will have problems this winter we cannot expect to be supplied by our neighbours in an extreme cold spell.

the energy bill price hikes havent hit yet due to to legal restrictions protecting consumers. But they will very soon. And it will be dire. Many people are still on the old tariff and we dont have a Martin Lewis here.

social unrest also expected as the entire economy is built on cheap gas and electricity for manufacturing so mass unemployment looms if the supply problem, which is political, isnt fixed. So my prepping has to now focus on social unrest.

No the panels won’t work in a power cut unless you have an off grid set up which requires specialist installation (effectively you need a switch to be able to disconnect yourself from the grid) This is because if workers were trying to get the power turned back on and your panels were producing power but you weren’t using it all then it would feed back down the line and into the grid, electrocuting the workers. It’s also because the inverter needs power to work.

a few types of battery will still work to a limited extent if there is a power cut but they do have to be a particular type and installed in a particular way. Many won’t work in a power cut at all.

Tesla powerwall keeps running (and recharging itself) during a power cut but it’s obviously much more expensive

Thanks @User952539 I really didnt know that and I think most people dont.

@AppleButter , forgive my ignorance but is DE : Delaware or Denmark. Or neither

Maybe Germany?