What's your plan?
Thinking in the down time before bed/in bed/morning
What slippers
What socks
What blankets
What hot water bottle/equivalent?
“Those aren’t pillows…”
Have a fleece lined insulated blanket from passenger clothing (recycled), and a battery heated gilet if needed.
Didn't really use that last winter for anything other than winter swimming.
Wore a fleece lined hoodie for the rest of the time
Good quality thermals
That was the point - what good quality stuff?
Maybe something merino based? Smartwool gets good reviews
+1 for merino; also look at sub-zero website clearance stock.
Thinsulate or similar under walking socks.
Good quality mid-weight duvet; hot water bottle not necessary.
Shearling lined slippers.
Layer up.
If wfh at a keyboard, silk glove liners.
If bald, some sort of head covering; if shaven head, grow hair.
Fuel appropriately - porridge for breakfast.
Action blankets in our house. The heavyweight one is great. That and a pair of ski socks is the first line of defence.
Unless you genuinely don't already own some slippers, warm socks and blankets/quilts, which I find hard to believe, just wear what you own.
My post wasn't a joke btw, my hoodie blanket thing is great! 🤓
Woolie boolie socks. I asked list year, these were the suggestion, they are good.
MrsRNP has one of these for camping in but isn't aware yet she's going to be wearing in the house all winter!
Selk original yellow
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That looks mint RNP.... body bag for the living
Home made / cheap slankets, knock off oodies (oversize hoodies with naff prints on them - try Amazon), slippers are much of a muchness but thick socks too, decathlon merino (Forclaz? their cheapest stuff is not that warm). Apart from that turning off all stuff that s normally on standby for days, maximising dishwasher usage.
We’ve each got one of those Nepali woolly fleece-lined jackets - super cosy.
As a fall-back I’ve got all my Arctic winter expedition gear including a sleeping bag rated to -30C
I am assuming this question is born out of the cost of living crisis. Has anyone done the maths to see what you can save by doing all the stuff like switching off standby, not putting the heating on etc? Is this going to knock 50% off the bill?
This isn't me being a d!ck I promise, I am just trying to work out the potential saving and if it is worth the pain of owning a slanket and a onesie. I could probably Google it but it is much more fun getting shouted at on here 🙂
My rate is fixed for another 12 months. One last hoorah of full wack heating and worry about it next year*
*Obviously not serious.
But seriously just wear clothes? We spent a couple of years with no heating and no underfloor insulation where you could feel the icy blasts from the basement. It's fine nothing special required.
Well in true singletrack tradition my log pile can be seen from space and i plan on running my living room as a kiln.
I am lucky i have endless free timber, i hope this *ing government sorts this energy problem out PDQ.
When i was a kid in the 60s, 70s, 80s i lived in a house with no central heating but a big coal fire in the main room, you basically boiled it that room and got hypothermia in the rest of the house. Early mornings were miserable, clothes so cold it took an act of sheer will to put them on and the duvet had yet to arrive in Northumberland ... i could not live in that way ever again it was shit and here we are millions of people being driven back half a century and a whole raft of gammon * wits saying it didn't do us any harm... well it did you just can't remember.
Has anyone done the maths to see what you can save by doing all the stuff like switching off standby, not putting the heating on etc? Is this going to knock 50% off the bill?
Yeah, nah. Thats not gonna knock 50 percent off, not even close. Maybe not on this forum, but there are millions of people who are already doing that just to help afford the current price cap. Predictions are that this might reach £6600 a year by April 2023.
Lidl lined work trousers socks slippers. T shirt, thick shirt, jumper. Beany.
I find weekdays the worst as I am wfh and not active. Weekends better as even when relaxing I have usually been outside and got my heart rate up and metablisum going.
“Those aren’t pillows…”
Did you see the game?, hell of a game...
not putting the heating on etc? Is this going to knock 50% off the bill?
Standing charge according to Google in 45p per day. Heating and then hot water will be by far most people's highest energy use. The water will still need heating but your heating in mid winter you most likely more energy than water heating.
That was the point – what good quality stuff?
If its just around the house - absolutely anything will do - you don't need fancy or performance fabrics - you're not going to be dealing with wind chill or rain or (I hope) excessive perspiration that needs to wick. Just put some clothes on and if thats not sufficient put some more on. Channel your inner Edith Bouvier Beale. And if thats not enough channel both of your inner Edith Bouvier Beales.
Yeah, nah. Thats not gonna knock 50 percent off, not even close. Maybe not on this forum, but there are millions of people who are already doing that just to help afford the current price cap. Predictions are that this might reach £6600 a year by April 2023.
So it sounds to me like the bigger win would be to cut costs elsewhere to fund the heating rise rather than making yourself uncomfortable? Not quite sure where you can find 3k of savings in an average household mind. Is it OK to sell children yet?
I find wool jumper better at keeping warm with base layer.
Beanie is a must for me otherwise I get headache.
oh ya wool socks too.
Spend the winter months somewhere warm.
Algarve, Sicily, Greece... Main thing is it's warm.
I might think of going into hibernation end of October. Consigned to one room, insulated clothes and a sleeping bag. Emerge about March 😕
I know it's an old person thing but I <love> my electric blanket. Sounds like an additional cost, but it heats the bed meaning you don't need to heat the room. And being snug as a bug under a good duvet that's been pre-heated, in a cold-ish room, is lovely.
Other'n that, cheap thermals and fleeces. There's a temptation to go down the mountain bikey route with merino and suchlike but imo for just around the house there's no need, go cheap and bulky. Mountain Warehouse not Mountain Equipment.
Re: switching off standby, it does bug me seeing all those tiny little LEDs on all the time.
Don't Sky et al recommend keeping broadband hubs and TV boxes on all the time? Or is it fine to switch off at night?
Am trying to decide if it's more efficient to ditch the gas hob wherever possible, gas is cheaper but a big open flame spilling out around the sides of the pot can't be as efficient as e.g. microwaving or boiling in a kettle.
I also remember saving gas when wild camping by just bringing pasta water to the boil, putting pasta in then turning off the gas and letting it sit. Seemed to cook just as well, maybe 1 minute longer.
I'm wondering if a membership at the council gym might be a good idea. At £30 a month, showering there must be cheaper than showering at home and I drive past in the way back from work anyway.
I've been conditioning myself to cold showers the last few months anyway but I'm not sure how far into the winter I'll be able to keep that going.
We've turned down the hot water temp on the condensing combi boiler so that showering and washing can be done with just hot water rather than overheating it and adding cold water for comfort. Theoretical increase of legionnaires but should still be pretty low for an "on demand" system with no storage.
Still need to fact check this one but we might well be turning the flow temperature down on the boiler as well as the thermostat. I've read that running cooler but longer is more efficient but opinion does still seam split.
Has anyone done the maths to see what you can save by doing all the stuff like switching off standby
Radio 4 yesterday, £55 per year for the average household.
If people are worried about bills then surely the best clothes are the ones you already own.
Use the curtains really well - this seems a lost art. We've thermal/blackout blinds as well a curtains upstairs, and one window we've never had a covering on over the sink that I'm going to upgrade.
We're going to do a few walks around the block - getting your physical activity a d body furnace going works wonders on all sorts of levels.
Onzadog
We’ve turned down the hot water temp on the condensing combi boiler so that showering and washing can be done with just hot water rather than overheating it and adding cold water for comfort. Theoretical increase of legionnaires but should still be pretty low for an “on demand” system with no storage.Still need to fact check this one but we might well be turning the flow temperature down on the boiler as well as the thermostat. I’ve read that running cooler but longer is more efficient but opinion does still seam split.
Gut feel is changing the hot water temp will make little difference if you end up with the same temperature bath/shower. If you want water at 60c, it's going to take X KW to do that. That is unless you are running a bath too hot and then actually draining it away and topping up with more cold.
For the rads you want it in the range where the boiler can run in condensing mode yet still provide enough heat to warm the house. The installation booklet will tell you what temperature you want on the returning flow to get it working. It's usually around 50c IIRC.
I am assuming this question is born out of the cost of living crisis. Has anyone done the maths to see what you can save by doing all the stuff like switching off standby, not putting the heating on etc? Is this going to knock 50% off the bill?
It's a reasonable point when the standing charge is not inconsiderable.
Best hope is for a mild winter.
Surely the bath is more efficient if you only use water heated to 40° rather than 80% of that volume heated to 60° and then cooled with the other 20% from the cold tap.
Onzadog
Free Member
Surely the bath is more efficient if you only use water heated to 40° rather than 80% of that volume heated to 60° and then cooled with the other 20% from the cold tap.
Can you explain why you think that?
Can you explain why you think that?
Because in one example, you've only added the energy needed, in the other, you've added an excess and then reduced it back down to what's needed by cooling it.
I've not crunched the numbers, just applied logic. If it's flawed, I'd like to see the numbers.
The bath example is also looking at a fixed volume but washing hands or taking a shower isn't volume dependant and the reduced flow rate of only using the hot might save a few pence on the water bill as well.
brown paper and goose grease
Slippers? North Face 'thermoball' tent mules. Quilted, toasty, downy perfection in the winter. We have a stone floor in the kitchen/living room we spend most time in, and these are just ace. A grippy ish sole on them too, so you can take the bins out in them. Too warm for spring and summer though. My current ones are on their last legs after 4 or 5 years but will definitely be replaced by another pair.
Argos (and Amazon etc) sell fleecy heated blankets and throws. Use almost no electricity compared to heating a room, and they heat up in seconds. Made a huge difference when I lived in a leaky grade-2-listed stone cottage where the radiators may as well have been heating the outside directly.
Best hope is for a mild winter.
I’m praying for this. We have taken always taken the measures that others are considering (and more). A harsh winter can make a huge difference in my experience. The year we had the ‘Beast from the East’ was particularly difficult.
Things to consider:
Forget bathing. Shower quickly.
Wear thermal underwear.
Jumpers, jackets, scarves and hats etc indoors.
Blankets whilst watching Tv.
Only put the water you need into the kettle - measure what you will need.
More extreme measures may be required for some of us. Onzadog, I liked your gym idea - maybe I should shower at work.
Can you explain why you think that?
Because in one example, you’ve only added the energy needed, in the other, you’ve added an excess and then reduced it back down to what’s needed by cooling it.
I’ve not crunched the numbers, just applied logic. If it’s flawed, I’d like to see the numbers.
The bath example is also looking at a fixed volume but washing hands or taking a shower isn’t volume dependant and the reduced flow rate of only using the hot might save a few pence on the water bill as well.
I would have thought that in both scenarios you are heating the same volume of water, to the same temperature and hence you will require the same amount of energy. The difference would be, how much extra energy you lose, by heating water to 60 degrees.
I love the look oh McNair shirts, but I’d rather not sell my house to buy one.
Does anyone know of anything similar but cheaper?
I love the look oh McNair shirts, but I’d rather not sell my house to buy one.
Does anyone know of anything similar but cheaper?
Crazy prices! They look a bit like these LL Bean shirts
https://global.llbean.com/shop/Mens-Chamois-Shirt-Traditional-Fit/22611.html
I plan to burn Tories and Pro-Brexit voters.
The last time we had ice on the inside of the windows I was in nylon flares and shirts with big eff off collars.
Proven survival clothing.
I love the look oh McNair shirts, but I’d rather not sell my house to buy one.
Does anyone know of anything similar but cheaper?
You can pick up second hand Woolrich Alaskan wool over-shirts on eBay that are a similar thick wool shirt. Lee made a zip up wool one recently that you might find cheaper. They're a nice thing in that classic US carhartt old workwear kind of way but in uk conditions not really very many occasions that they're the right thing to wear - most of the time its too warm or to wet or too cold for it to be the right thing to wear. Nice though on that day when the conditions suit it and you remember you own it.
I find any old quilted shirt is lighter, warmer, more wind proof, faster drying and more flexibly wearable then thick wool ones. Most of the workwear brands make one - I've a Snickers one that I've pretty much worn winter and summer somewhere in the layers for that last two years.
Sherpa - lined flannel or denim shirts or hoodies - if you find a nice one (there are lots of ones online that look like flannel but are actually cheap fleece on the outside - are a really nice warm layer for indoors without feeling like you're wearing your coat. I was given a hooded one from Primark that was a brilliant flexible indoor and outdoor warm layer but i doubt its something they still - Wrangler seem to make something along those lines for a reasonable price
My logic would be that the energy of a bath at a set volume and temp is the same whether you add that energy as 40 degree water or a smaller amount of hotter water mixed with cold.
The only way filling at 40 would save energy is if it stops you overfilling by adding too much hot before the cold. As rather than a 50l bath you end up at 60l by the time the temp is correct.
Clothes? I'm thinking my bothy setup will be getting used at home. Fleece lined trousers. Long sleeved thermal base layer top with a fleece or cashmere jumper over it.
Im thinking at these prices there will be a fair reduction in gas demand. Not many people can afford to heat their house at 22c with these prices. Just a question of whether it kicks in tight away or after the first eye watering bill in January.
Am I the only one who is happy with 16-17 degrees c in the house?
21 is shorts and t-shirt surely!
We've not had the thermostat over 18°C for years. Wondering how low you can go for how long before it actually starts causing problems with the fabric of the building.
Do some exercise to get the blood flowing and the body temp up.
I’ve worked from home for the last 10 years and we never have the heating on during the day. 20 press-ups and run up and down the stairs a couple of times, or a run or a bike ride before work - anything that gets the furnace going. (A good hard sh@g before getting up would also work)
It was really noticeable on office days - all the people who’d come in by train or driven would be wrapped up in blankets and clutching hot water bottles and complaining about the cold. I had a hour on the bike and would be quite comfortable in a base layer.
Am I the only one who is happy with 16-17 degrees c in the house?
21 is shorts and t-shirt surely!
…and this…
We've started collecting £5 & £10 notes. We plan to burn them in an open fire pit in the garden as it will be a far cheaper method of keeping warm than turning on any electrical or gas sourced heating system currently installed in our home.
I would have thought that in both scenarios you are heating the same volume of water, to the same temperature and hence you will require the same amount of energy. The difference would be, how much extra energy you lose, by heating water to 60 degrees.
The enthalpy of the water in the bath would be the same.
But you would be losing more heat from the cylinder.
If you lose X ammount of heat from a 60C cylinder into a 20C room then you lose 1.5X from a 80C cylinder into the same room.
Obvious caveats asside, like if the heating is on anyway it's just heating the same house. But if your culinder is in an upstairs cupboard without enough insulation in the loft above it could be significant?
I love the look oh McNair shirts, but I’d rather not sell my house to buy one.
Does anyone know of anything similar but cheaper?
swanndri the original and not £300.
Am I the only one who is happy with 16-17 degrees c in the house?
We have unmetered district heating (well the there is a meter but we pay a fixed price) so our heating and hot water bill is the same every month winter and summer whether we have it on or not. But being a big old house with floor to ceiling single glazed Georgian windows - in the middle of winter the heating can't get the temp above 14d most days. I've never had to go to any extraordinary lengths to keep warm
Move house in a couple of weeks - timed that well - it'll be interesting getting gas bills again.
Am trying to decide if it’s more efficient to ditch the gas hob wherever possible
Induction hobs supposedly cheapest.
You could also try adjusting your gas hob to make the low flame lower. We used to have to leave the lid off simmering things to avoid a boil over, now we don't.
But for those of you who can't stay warm without expensive gear (??) you probably want IR panel heaters in the ceiling above where you sit.
I love the look oh McNair shirts, but I’d rather not sell my house to buy one.
Does anyone know of anything similar but cheaper?
Take a look at Varusteleka, a Finnish company - I've got one of their Flannel shirts and it's great, I live in it during the autumn, with a base underneath it's toasty on dry winter days too!
Boob tube and a mini skirt, seems to work for the young women around town in the winter months.
we didn't hear the house anymore last winter when wfh than usual. it's a 1920s place, very cold. particularly on windy days.
the only thing I really suffered with was really hurty cold feet. like really painful and nothing I could do could warm them up. double merino ski socks didn't work, nor hot water bottles. not looming forward to this winter
2022 and unless you are on double the average income you have to walk round hugging a water bottle because heating is the same as a mortgage/rent payment.
What a time to be alive.
I’ve accumulated loads of different types of clothing which can be mixed and matched for temperature adjustments. One of my favourites is a huge baggy sherpa fleece hoodie that I bought years ago from a surf and skate shop in Bristol called Shark Bite.
Its big enough to put on over a wetsuit, and I practically live in it when it’s colder. I can layer all sorts of stuff underneath, and if it’s cold and windy out, I’ve got a Desert Storm-era US Army night camo desert parka, which has its own button-in quilted thermal jacket, which I wear on its own over a tee or sweatshirt. I’ve made up a strip of cotton webbing with appropriate buttons sewn on so I can button the thermal liner up when I wear it on its own.
I’ve also got a pair of Meindle Canadian-style winter boots - they’ve got felt boot liners inside, which I take out and wear around the house as slippers - with thick wool socks, my toes are toasty!
All this chat reminds me of when working in a certain popular outdoors shop chain and we were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to order Rab gear at trade prices. A few of us noted that at trade, a Rab expedition down suit for HA mountaineering was about £360. This seemed steep at the time, but even then the conversation of 'probably cheaper than having the heating on' became quite serious. Kicking myself now...
Being somewhat grippy when it comes to having the heating on, I've long since been a believer that it's pointless having down sleeping bags un-used in the cupboard, so will happily sit in one in the evening on the sofa, and during WFH covid times, would sometimes sit at my desk in one. Any type of sherpa fleece hoody is great, as are the fluffy fleeces. a 13.5 tog duvet and a H&M £10 sweatshirt will see you through the depths of the Scottish winter. While Mcnair shirts are very nice, they're expensive and country clothing supplies shops will yield a super warm work shirt for about £20.
I fully intend on making the most of my gym membership when it comes to showers this winter...
Some great looking shirts recced above - thanks everyone
Aldi fleece lined fake crocs for feet due in this weekend special buys
Bought a couple of Woollen jumpers last year
Am I the only one who is happy with 16-17 degrees c in the house?
Nope, you are not alone at all. Our heating is set around 16 degrees during day when people are around, up to 18 in the evening. It only ever goes above 20 when the mother in law is here. Her house is permanently set to a temperature slightly less that that of the surface of the sun.
Our heating is set to 17 for some of the evening. BUT the thermostat is in the hallway near the front door. It's not actually that temperature in the rooms we live in. I would suggest the willy wavers post the temps in their living room at 8pm on a winter's evening.
Ours is probably 20-21 or so at a guess. 16 is probably too cold for actual relaxing in, unless you are seriously bundled up. I find it hard to type at that temperature when working even if my body is ok with a jumper on.
Boob tube and a mini skirt, seems to work for the young women around town in the winter months
I can't figure out if this is going to become a signifier of wealth (you spend all your time in heated environments) or one of poverty (you have adapted to months on end of cold).
Like how having tanned skin changed from indicating a manual labour job to indicating the resources for leisure time and travel.
If wfh at a keyboard, silk glove liners.
Last year I cut the finger ends off a very old pair of North Face gloves and found that worked really well. If needed, I added a £10 Aldi special fleece gilet to the standard ensemble of socks, slippers, joggies, hoodie. Hope it's no colder this winter or its back into the office for me.
I would suggest the willy wavers post the temps in their living room at 8pm on a winter’s evening.
No willy waving here, my house is so bloody cold my willy has retreated inside me leaving just french bulldog face folds where it once was.
WFH r last two years, and Reynauds had made it a bit shit at times. I can keep my body warm but the feet and hands were a huge issue.
The two best things that changed this were massive ski socks from Decathlon for about 3 quid, and a heated mouse! The second sounds stupid, but has been a huge help when stuck at a keyboard all day. Got mine from hotmouse.co.uk
I plan to burn Tories and Pro-Brexit voters.
adjusts glasses.....
Oh.....burn. As you were.
Where can i get some decent door/window seals to replace worn knackered ones? Our back door and some of the window seals are perished/missing and need to be replaced. hoping this will reduce windy drafts and also any heat escaping.
Poler Napsack
Suspect I will live in mine this winter!
The best thing most of you can do is get a comfy pair of lined trousers to wear at home (and out).
I'll often wear a hat while I'm WFH as well, and I have an oil-filled rad in the office, so I can just heat this room.
Aldi fleece lined fake crocs for feet due in this weekend special buys
Nice one, ta.
For feet I have some sheepskin slippers that are warmer than the north face thermoball ones that they replaced. However I can't wear them with thick socks as my feet get colder due to reducing the circulation. Am planning on getting a second pair of slippers a size bigger for winter to fit the hiking socks in.
I also try not to get cold then try to warm up as no amount of layers and hugging radiators will work. Much better to add layers straight from waking up to keep the body heat in.
Exercising to get the body heat going again helps but even losing most of the layers I'll sweat quickly so make sure that exercise is done in a separate layer of clothing which can be changed out of to get rid of the chill from slightly damp clothes.
Where can i get some decent door/window seals to replace worn knackered ones? Our back door and some of the window seals are perished/missing and need to be replaced. hoping this will reduce windy drafts and also any heat escaping.
eBay, but be warned that there about about eleventy bajillion different sizes and profiles, so you need to be careful to get the right one.
I am contemplating a rechargeable heated vest from Amazon, heat me instead of heating the house/rooms. I could then charge it when I go in the office once a week too!
Where can i get some decent door/window seals to replace worn knackered ones? Our back door and some of the window seals are perished/missing and need to be replaced. hoping this will reduce windy drafts and also any heat escaping.
eBay, but be warned that there about about eleventy bajillion different sizes and profiles, so you need to be careful to get the right one.
Ta, cripes that's many!
Ho hum, off to get the measuring wand out and work out how much of which one i need. I'll bet, knowing the hassle we've had so far here with 'odd' decisions made by the previous owners, i'll need about 6 meters of 7 different types!
Looking at it there does seem to be a 'universal' one, so I may buy a bit of that and see if it works, and if it does order a lot more...
