Useful money-saving tips for Winter 2022

Some posters have mentioned that the younger people won’t manage.
Have a look on MN and really see what what good ideas these younger people are coming up with: I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Few years ago I brought a electric throw and it used to cost me pennies to use. I tell everyone to buy a electric blanket will be cheaper than using the electric itself to heat home I bought mine from QVC but you can buy them anywhere this year I think more ppl will buy them. I bought my youngest daughter inlaw last year after she came out of hospital and even she said it will be handy this year.

Stop ironing! If you're careful to shake out and line dry most items don't need it. For anything that's badly creased, (thinking mens' shirts) pop them in the tumble dryer for a few minutes. Cheaper than running an iron for an hour. Also has the advantage that a lot of fluff (I have 2 long haired German shepherds that shed constantly) sticks to the door, not the clothes. And just think what you can do with the extra time.

The following link gives costs to run various household appliances.

www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/how-much-electricity-am-i-using

Have an oil fired boiler for hot water and c.h. also used for cooking. I normally have it working from mid September to beginning of May. The cost to fill my oil tank with sufficient oil for that period is currently more than twice I paid in August last year. Although it keeps the kitchen nice and warm for the animals and the radiators are only on in the sitting room for a few hours, I am considering not ordering oil until the price drops. Luckily I have plenty of logs for my log burner - two huge trees were brought down last winter - so had someone fill my woodshed.
I don't know if they are still available, but I have an electric hot water bottle which is lovely during cold evenings.

Bought my first "all in one" - onsie from Dunelm yesterday as I get a claustraphobic type feeling with blankets on me. As many other have, we have just bought an air fryer and thin fleece blankets on sale to use as curtain linings. Put tealight holders in each room etc Struggle with layering up due to fibro and M.E and hate feeling constricted at all. Got thermal sleeveless vests but not sure I could cope with leggings under jeans. Happy to hear any suggestions?

Just thrown all the leftovers from the past two days plus some tired veg and seasoning into the instapot to make soup. Let’s see what happens ?

Chardy, I bought the same air fryer, really like it!
Electric throw is my suggestion for winter, had one years ago when I worked from home in a big drafty house (since moved out of said house to a smaller, warmer place thank heavens - ten years ago my heating DD for a year was £180 a month). Anyway, a heated throw and electric blankets keeps you and your bed warm fairly inexpensively. We only use an electric shower most of the year and don't heat any other water except on an ocassionl basis. I do have concerns though, if you turn the water heating off there is a small risk of things like legionnaires disease, and turning off all the heating means cold but well insulated homes can easily get moldy. I think it's a potential problem these days as we're told to block up drafts but there's too little emphasis on other sorts of ventilation.

When I had a spell of being very poor my house was unheated for a whole winter as I couldn't afford to buy a new boiler. Had a baby at the time and he slept in a sleep suit - like a sleeping bag with sleeves - not sure if they have them today. I lived in a fleecy tracksuit in the house with knitted Swedish footwear - they were a mixture of heavy knitted socks but with a leather sole! Woolly hat and fingerless gloves! All my clothes came from jumble sales (not sure they exist any longer) or friends. When my son went to school everyone in the road contributed something - I think the only thing I bought were his underpants! I was in the middle of a protracted and difficult divorce at the time! We ate a lot of jacket potatoes and baked beans. No car so I bicycled everywhere which was excellent exercise. It was quite a challenge but I was young so I don't remember being unhappy and it makes a good story now!

Good grief. I popped on this thread to see if anyone had any good ideas, and so far I have read
Remember when we were little we didn’t have central heating and the windows iced up inside! Don’t think it will be that bad and we survived

^Lots of scaremongering from the media as usual
We will endure^.

Many households where there are people of colour and he said they are the worst they will be in tshirts and shorts in the winter and it is like a sauna in the house . I know it’s not their fault that the cost is so high but a lot won’t try to help themselves

I am speechless

For those who sew, there's a free pattern for a wearable blanket on the DIBY website. Folk have been making it using throws and blankets. It has a hood and looks the same at the ready to wear ones.
doitbetteryourself.club/free-sewing-patterns/

My grandchildren stay occasionally so I have a couple of single duvets. Last year I started putting one across the bed. I hate having cold feet but with a thicker duvet, I tend to get hot. So this gives me toasty feet and warm top.
My heating goes off an hour before I go to bed. And it doesn't come on in the morning until after I'm back from walking the dog.
Only small things but it does help.

Am still using washing machine and tumble drier, but only use if the sun is out. We have an array of 14 solar panels, so using our own electricity. Have had panels for years. Smart meter on green.

not trying to advertise here as such but for those of you with water meters ( we don't in Scotland) have you thought of using an eco egg for your washing? not only are they planet friendly, I love mine, I buy the fresh linen never tried the others, but if you have a rinse hold programme on your machine, sadly I don't, due to the way they work you can switch off your rinses and just wash and spin.
I have a worktop halogen oven and batch cook with the slow cooker etc. Helps keep the freezer full and therefore saves in 2 ways. Remember if you have gaps in your freezer you can fill the gaps with empty boxes or scrunched-up paper.
We use the plug in the wall oil-filled radiators, much more economical to use than central heating if you just want the one main room warm.

Just listening to Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show, talking about Warm Rooms, or Living Rooms, where events are organised daily in church halls and local establishments that are heated, so that people can go and keep warm, away from home and turn off their heating while doing so. Might catch on.......

We are British for goodness sake! If it gets cold throw another dog on the bed!
?

I don’t see the point of a throw unless you are sitting for hours. I have a Hottie. Like a hot water bottle but heated in the microwave. In very cold weather I wear my fleece dressing gown around the house together with thermal vest and leggings.
I use only my microwave and slow cooker for all my cooking. Nowadays when buying a microwave all you get is a leaflet. I still have my mothers comprehensive cookbook which came with her first one in 1974. Everything from an egg 40 sec, to a chicken, Bol sauce, steamed pudding. Rather than boil the kettle put my cup of water in the
Have found that washing is just as clean on a 20 degree programme or even the rinse and spin cycle. Save detergent by using washing soda.
Only shower every other day and wash hair once a weei

I think there is a lot of unfairness to young people going on. My daughter is 29, and is very careful with energy - she has given me some tips, and I'm not exactly profligate. Many young people are very climate conscious, and do it for that reason as much as to save money.

I'm just going to try and remember how I was brought up with my gran. We had 1 coal fire, she collected wood from the fields. Kettle went on the fire on a trivet. Meals all cooked on the gas hob. Oven went on once a week. Never ever used the grill. Toast made on the fire. 40w bulbs right through the house. No hot water in the house. Washing by hand and always line dried then on a clothes horse to air. We had a mangle. No vacuum just dusting mop for lino floors, and wet mop once a week. No fridge just cool pantry. Milk was boiled at night. Wash every day and tin bath once a week. Veg mainly from the garden. Battery radio and 1 small TV. Coats on the bed if it was really cold. And a 1 bar electric fire on for half an hour to warm the bedroom.
She was not poor far from it. But very frugal. Welcome to 60s Britain lol

MOnica. Totally agree with you. A lot of folk will already live applying the now "just thought off" suggestions to cut costs. I feel it's younger folk who will have to take what will appear to them to be stringent steps to reduce energy costs. No sitting about in teeshirts and leggings/shorts, wear socks and slippers and manage their appliances better. Not saying those who generally are economical will find it easy, far from it.

Heated throws are great. I even take mine as an extra layer if we go off in the Campervan. Don’t cost much to run and you heat yourself not the whole room.
Remember when we were little we didn’t have central heating and the windows iced up inside! Don’t think it will be that bad and we survived.

I saw Nancy (ex Bake Off) who now offers household hints on TV. She said that the main expense of running a washing machine is incurred in heating the water. She uses stain removal methods (if necessary) prior to washing clothes and then using the 20 degree cycle to cut costs. I've tried it and the clothes came out as clean as they do at 30 so I hope to save money this way.

Thermal curtains, turning boiler core temperature down, turning radiators down or off, heating one room well, eating cheap warming foods, porridge etc. Cutting everything you pay for back to basic.

These are all really useful tips and ones I will be doing, however the majority of youngsters will not bother and will run up big bills because they like walking round in t shirts even in the winter so have the heating up high.
I was talking recently to a heating repair man , he was how do you say it these days - a man of colour , I say this as context to the story, he said he goes into
Many households where there are people of colour and he said they are the worst they will be in tshirts and shorts in the winter and it is like a sauna in the house . I know it’s not their fault that the cost is so high but a lot won’t try to help themselves

Slow cookers will increase in price.

Sorry if this is too obvious but I find thermal underwear is great for keeping warm. Last year Sainsburys did some extra warm long sleeved t shirts and leggings which had a slightly fleecy lining. They came in bright colours so were good for layering and not frumpy. M and S do similar.