How are keeping warm?

M0nica

MissAdventure

People would ordinarily have their heating on in this weather, so I can't see why they aren't putting it on AT ALL.

This is something that always puzzles me, but because I do not have any problems paying my heating bills, I feel it is possibly invidious for me to ask.

I think the attitude in the media is a lot of it. Us pensioners are the most vulnerable, the poorest etc etc etc. Well I do know a pensioner who is a vulnerable as a new born baby but she is safely in an excellent dementia care home. All the other pensioners I know are certainly less vulnerable than a new born baby, a baby in NICU, a child who is being abused, a woman who is in fear of her life due to a violent partner.

Yes I am more vulnerable than I was 30 years ago, dodgy hip for example, but I'm not more vulnerable than I was 70 years ago and I'm sick of hearing it. We are being used for political reasons by people who generally couldn't give a damn, who last year would have been moaning about boomers and what an easy life we've had, just as ridiculous as the now vulnerable label.

theworriedwell

M0nica

MissAdventure

People would ordinarily have their heating on in this weather, so I can't see why they aren't putting it on AT ALL.

This is something that always puzzles me, but because I do not have any problems paying my heating bills, I feel it is possibly invidious for me to ask.

I think the attitude in the media is a lot of it. Us pensioners are the most vulnerable, the poorest etc etc etc. Well I do know a pensioner who is a vulnerable as a new born baby but she is safely in an excellent dementia care home. All the other pensioners I know are certainly less vulnerable than a new born baby, a baby in NICU, a child who is being abused, a woman who is in fear of her life due to a violent partner.

Yes I am more vulnerable than I was 30 years ago, dodgy hip for example, but I'm not more vulnerable than I was 70 years ago and I'm sick of hearing it. We are being used for political reasons by people who generally couldn't give a damn, who last year would have been moaning about boomers and what an easy life we've had, just as ridiculous as the now vulnerable label.

Indeed.

Political discussion. Some across spectrum, some ridiculous.

I don’t understand why those who can well afford to heat their homes, judging by their posts on other forums here (holidays for instance), risk their health by not doing so. Breathing in cold air is so dangerous, no matter how you dress and use throws etc.

Is that aimed at me, by any chance? Are you suggesting that people shouldn't have any enjoyment in their lives and scrimp and save all year round just to be able to put their heating on? Maybe you should walk a mile in that other person's shoes before judging them - after all, you have no idea of that person's full circumstances.

MissInterpreted

Is that aimed at me, by any chance? Are you suggesting that people shouldn't have any enjoyment in their lives and scrimp and save all year round just to be able to put their heating on? Maybe you should walk a mile in that other person's shoes before judging them - after all, you have no idea of that person's full circumstances.

Whether it is aimed at you or not, it is a good point. If anyone chooses to put other discretionary expenditure above keeping warm in winter, then they have no reason to whinge about being cold, because the answer is in their own hands.

When my children were young, I had a friend who was always complaining how little housekeeping she had, and it wasn't large, but because her husband worked shifts that meant late nights when public transport wasn't running they bought a new car, and because they were enthusiastic walkers, twice a month they would drive 100 miles plus to some national park to go for 20 mile walks, then they bought a big dog to accompany them. The choice was their own. A secondhand car and shorter walks would have given her more housekeeping.

No, not aimed at any particular poster but you seem uncomfortable MissInterpreted. I certainly didn’t have you in mind.
Thanks MOnica. If someone has the means to keep warm but chooses to spend their money on, say, a holiday that’s their choice and they shouldn’t whinge. There are so many whose only choice is between heating and eating - I certainly wouldn’t want to walk a mile in their shoes.

I just wondered if you'd been searching through particular posters' previous posts or comments to find evidence of what else they spend their money on, that's all. I've explained our situation several times on previous posts about heating. I accept that we live in conditions others would find unacceptable, but that's the way it is. I've lived in this house my whole life - I grew up with ice on the inside of the windows all winter, so at least we've moved on from those days - so I'm just used to the cold.

I have better things to do than trawl through posts to see what individuals have said. I have no idea about your particular circumstances. Btw I also grew up with ice on the inside of the window. It was pretty common when I was a child.

Barleyfields

I don’t understand why those who can well afford to heat their homes, judging by their posts on other forums here (holidays for instance), risk their health by not doing so. Breathing in cold air is so dangerous, no matter how you dress and use throws etc.

I'll answer you Barleyfields, for me and mine.

We ski, walk dogs. Breathing in cold air. No health impacts.

We live in a very old home, not worth fitting a new boiler. We've 2 very large brick fireplaces which keep the living spaces cosy (21-23C). Fully half our home is typically 12-15C in winter. Matters not as we don't use bedrooms much during the days in very cold weather.

I don't complain. I explain my thoughts on holidays, cold weather. I do know everyone has different income and outgoings. Diverse group.

Norah We ski, walk dogs. Breathing in cold air. No health impacts.

However you feel, the evidence is there that older people are more likely to have health problems like heart attacks and strokes if the ambient temperature in their home falls below 18 degrees carents.co.uk/safety-security/home-modifications/warmth/

Breathing in cold air aggravates my asthma, so I certainly don't sleep with the windows open during the winter though I do open them to air the room during the day.
Our heating is "on" all the time but I regulate it by adjusting the portable thermostat: 15/16c overnight at the moment and 17/18c during the day, very occasionally 19c.
We wear lots of layers and have wool throws if we need them.

M0nica

Norah We ski, walk dogs. Breathing in cold air. No health impacts.

However you feel, the evidence is there that older people are more likely to have health problems like heart attacks and strokes if the ambient temperature in their home falls below 18 degrees carents.co.uk/safety-security/home-modifications/warmth/

I can't work out how we'd walk dogs or ski if we weren't out in cold weather - needs must. We're not sedentary, obese, nor do we have high blood pressure. We wear layers, cover up well, and are quite active.

I find nothing that applies to us. Nice information for others.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c5986f8ed915d045f3778a9/Min_temp_threshold_for_homes_in_winter.pdf

Norah

Barleyfields

I don’t understand why those who can well afford to heat their homes, judging by their posts on other forums here (holidays for instance), risk their health by not doing so. Breathing in cold air is so dangerous, no matter how you dress and use throws etc.

I'll answer you Barleyfields, for me and mine.

We ski, walk dogs. Breathing in cold air. No health impacts.

We live in a very old home, not worth fitting a new boiler. We've 2 very large brick fireplaces which keep the living spaces cosy (21-23C). Fully half our home is typically 12-15C in winter. Matters not as we don't use bedrooms much during the days in very cold weather.

I don't complain. I explain my thoughts on holidays, cold weather. I do know everyone has different income and outgoings. Diverse group.

Sounds lovely Norah.. I do love an open fire...

I haven’t got dressed today.
I rarely go out and nobody is visiting.
I have a thermal vest under warm pyjamas, socks, slippers and a furry full length dressing gown.
The thermostat is set at 20 and the house is warm and toasty but I don’t believe in dressing in t-shirt etc and heating on high.
I pay the same amount to my heating company throughout the year and expect it balances out .
I am lucky to be able to do so I know and I do appreciate my late H for providing for me.

I've just caught the middle of a really interesting Channel 4 Heat Your Home For Less on now. I'm going to video the whole programme on +1.

It was well worth a watch. (Obviously it must be available on Ch 4 catch up.)

Luckily our house is lovely and warm but I take a new hot water bottle to bed as it’s colder without my husband.

When I go out I wear thermal long johns under my leggings and the really make a difference.

My bed is definitely toasty with a warm duvet and teddy blankets plus an electric blanket.
The house is very old with solid walls. We’ve done our best to insulate, finally persuaded the planning committee to let us install double glazing (conservation area so planning is strict). and the loft has way more than the recommended insulation depth but the temperature drops fast (currently to below 12 degrees) when the heating goes off. It’s a gas combi boiler so more economical than the oil one and the (ancient rather than trendy) aga.
We heat the room we are in to 17 degrees for an hour in the morning and two hours in the evening. We pay £200 a month energy bill and have about £200 in credit so hopefully that will get us through winter if we’re careful.
We have heated throws and a heated footmuff thing for when we’re working at the computer.
My current go to wardrobe wouldn’t win a fashion contest but I’m reasonably warm and able to move around. I have a Marino wool base layer (long johns and long sleeve vest, a thin Uniqlo extra warm thermal t shirt on top then a Marino polo neck from Uniqlo and a Shetland wool long jumper with a silk buff. Uniquo thermal trousers, better than silk sock liners and Marino thermal hiking socks with my slipper boots. This evening , when the temperature drops again I will add an oodie over the top and maybe change the trousers for some thick fleece pyjama trousers.
It’s not too bad but I fear putting the heating on and getting in to debt that I can’t pay. We’re just not eligible for any heating help or a grant for any measures to improve the insulation of the house.

Thanks for all the recommendations for heated blankets/clothing, these sound like great options, I'll definitely look into trying a couple of different ones.
Managed to find some good bits on www.completecareshop.co.uk/living-aids/daily/warming-aids as they have a sale on too.

@ MissAdventure and M0nica. I have my heating on almost as much as usual in other years, maybe a little bit less because of the cost and the lack of the WFA which did make a huge difference to us. We’re just above the limit for pension credit so we get nothing extra and currently funding it a little bit tough. Our usual pattern is a hour in the morning and about two to two and a half hours in the evening. That comes in at around £200 - £250 a month over the year.
One hour, full heating one room plus bathroom in the morning raises that room temperature to 17 degrees at the moment. It falls to around 12 degrees within three hours. I have solid stone walls and planning rules won’t allow solid wall insulation as it would mean removing listed architectural features. (Couldn’t afford to do it now anyway)
Our biggest problem currently is the outside temperature which is well below freezing. This time of year is usually just above freezing and not quite so wet, so it costs more to heat the house than it did before. We are also indoors more than usual for the time of year because outside is more dangerous with frozen, compacted snow and ice.

Fingers crossed, temperatures are going to rise this week.

I appreciate the fact that they can vary wildly depending on location, too.

I think once a home is cold through, then there are issues with damp.

It's a miserable way to live.

MissAdventure

Fingers crossed, temperatures are going to rise this week.

I appreciate the fact that they can vary wildly depending on location, too.

I think once a home is cold through, then there are issues with damp.

It's a miserable way to live.

It did seem slightly less chilly on before breakfast dog walk.

I worked out a tiny heating non-problem with a thermometer.

Temperature inside the bed varies to room temperature. Bedroom was 12-14C, inside bed was 19C. I'd wondered why evidence at uk.gov didn't seem correct. Covered in bed, not uncovered in a room.

Evidence on charts when the suppositions are wrong is daft.

It's definitely not as cold in my flat as it was yesterday, plus we've had sunshine, rather than frost and fog.
Roll on spring!!

Dizzyribs I am horrified how little heat you get for your money. Like you we live in a listed property, where we cannot insulate the walls, which are variously; wattle and daub, brick, breeze block and stone. and double glazing is limited to a recent extension, except for some secondary double glazing, although the roof is fully insulated. It is a large house, 2,900 square feet and we keep the thermostats on a low setting for rooms we do not use regualrly, but do not turn them off.

We are paying,, on average the same as you for our energy - £250 a month - and have the heating on from 6 - 9.30am and 4 - 10.00pm. The thermostat is set at 18c and it rarely falls below 17 indoors during the day. If it does we put the heating back on - like this last week or light the wood burning stove. Obviously we wear several layers of clothes, but are warm and comfortable in the house all day and in the bedrooms all night.

M0nica

Dizzyribs I am horrified how little heat you get for your money. Like you we live in a listed property, where we cannot insulate the walls, which are variously; wattle and daub, brick, breeze block and stone. and double glazing is limited to a recent extension, except for some secondary double glazing, although the roof is fully insulated. It is a large house, 2,900 square feet and we keep the thermostats on a low setting for rooms we do not use regualrly, but do not turn them off.

We are paying,, on average the same as you for our energy - £250 a month - and have the heating on from 6 - 9.30am and 4 - 10.00pm. The thermostat is set at 18c and it rarely falls below 17 indoors during the day. If it does we put the heating back on - like this last week or light the wood burning stove. Obviously we wear several layers of clothes, but are warm and comfortable in the house all day and in the bedrooms all night.

I agree Monica.. I have a victorian terraced house with 2 bedrooms. It is open plan downstairs and very well insulated. I have the heating on all day varying the temperature as needed but never below 18 during the day. I pay £78 per month throughout the year which covers my gas and electricity..

Maybe change energy supplier Dizzyribs?