Keeping warm

Same as old wired telephones were always in halls.

A NHS workers has said to me that she is concerned about the smart meters which have these devices which show when, and how much, leccie is being used. She feels that these are dangerous as people are obsessed with watching that and worrying about what they are using, and turning things down and off below safety warm levels.

For those doing things like heating a whole kettle of waer in the morning, and then filling up flasks to use for hot water for the rest of the day - perhaps they should think more logically. The cost of that full kettle even once a day is probably just as much as boiing just one cup or mug full, as and when requried, manybe more. And drinks like tea really do require newly boiled water!!!

This winter we have all been granted good sums of money by the government towards our bills. (Okay, our - taxpayers - money being passed on to us to pay the stupidly large amounts from the energy companies, so that they can continue to pay their shareholders stupidly high dividends),

But we need to use this money for this purpose. Using candles, one boiled kettle a day, paying out for purchasing expensive items such as dehumidifiers, top range airfryers, etc.etc will probably cost more money than in using things normally and properly and carefully. And, what price our health!!!!

Georgesgran that is why we invested in a "Nest" system. The thermostat can be moved to whichever room you want to keep warm and it can be turned up via a phone app so you need never come home to a cold house.
Who was it who decided that thermostats should be in the hall? Nobody lives in their hallway.

I have a house with an unusual design – a big hall, which is where the heating thermostat is sited, then a galleried landing.
When I got home yesterday, the hall temperature was down to 11 and despite the thermostat being set at 15, the heating came on for the rest of the evening - but the hall never got up to 15, while sitting in the lounge was actually far too hot later! When I go away next week, I’ll leave it set at 10 and hope it doesn’t drop below that indoors, or my bill will be enormous.

Also to add that nutrition is impoertant in this cold weather. Regular meals, high calorific helps the bodhy keep warm. Forget the diet - eat as part of the heating process.

Sat with a lady not far short of 90 years for several hours recently/ waiting for an ambulance. The flat was reasonably warm (around 18 or 19 degrees), but she was so cold, heading towards hypothermia - and was then in hospital for this condition for a couple of days - all due to the fact that she had 'forgotten' to eat for most of the day. She was sleepy, slurring her words, and (later) had absolutely no memory of those hours we sat with her and the paramedics coming.

Not sure about old type 'real fires'. So much heat from those went up the chimney, I can remember that unless someone was sitting very close to these there was little benefit, rest of quite small room was cold, and too close meant chilblains, etc.
Do think that modern CH systems are much better, and y more economic to run. Important to have rads in all rooms with their own turn off and off knob. Only heat those rooms to the level and times required.

I've just seen a chap walk by the house in shirt and shorts - he must have what my late MIL used to call 'thick blood' - it's frosty for heavens sake.

Martin Lewis has said that it's best to put the heating on when you need it and switch it off when you're too warm, instead of putting the heating on low all day. I do the former and use a heated throw which I purchased last winter.

The point is that the advise about keeping warm is from clinicians who we assume are the experts rather than some old boy sitting in an icy sea or pond maintaining that it is good for his heart.

Until the experts tell us that to survive the cold we should sit in a bath of cold water, I shall continue to heat my home to the recommended temperature.

I have my DHs heart to think of, and quite frankly my comfort.

Another use for my friend the ring type doorbell is that I can have a conversation with anyone outside without having to open the door and let the cold air in. Ive already seen off a sales person and a charity chugger.

I bought some Profoot 'double cushion' insoles (£4 from that place we love to hate) for my slipper boots, as the old insoles had worn as thin as paper. Oh, the comfort, that bouncy feeling of luxury - recommended!

I watched blackbeltbarrister yesterday and he has done the maths, said that heating via a wood or solid fuel stove costs twice as much as heat by gas. Made me think

I have a lot of fuel stored for my multi fuel stove and it is set and ready to light but I also have a 2 year fixed rate with octopus, until november 2023. So yes I will use the stove if electricity goes off but am no longer thinking I will use it by choice for aesthetics. Obviously it would be better for me, financially, to carry on with gas until next november

I am also prioritising my outgoings, particularly helpful are the generous government subsidies. I will not let myself be cold

all these people who talk about surviving ice on the inside of windows etc, those were the days of outside lavatories with a small paraffin burner to stop the pipes from freezing. I bet the death from cold statistics were very high then

Death statistics are still high, people who die from hypothermia due to living in cold homes, complete with mould and damp. They get so cold that they no longer notice that it is cold, they think they are ok

I called out my heating engineer earlier this week to check the gas boiler and make sure its running efficiently for winter. We were talking about all the people on mumsnet who are saying they have not turned their heating on or are attempting to survive in really low temperatures. The guy has a new baby and says there is no way he is going to risk its health or that of his wife and other young child. He says they keep the temperature at about 18-19. I like it about 20/21 but I am arthritic.

He made the point that by not adequately heating the house you are encouraging damp and mould to form. There is also the risk that the pipes will freeze and cause a burst or flood. Most home insurance policies require that the home is heated adequately otherwise they may not cover resulting damage.

I dont smoke, drink little and do not spend money on entertaining and going our so heating is a priority for me.

I am keeping my house heated to 19 and turning it up to 20 when sitting around in the evening and down when I go out. We have a smart thermostat and can turn it up or down with a phone app so it's warm when we get in. This has saved us a lot compared to before we had one.
We are prioritising our utility bills and simply cutting out a couple of unnecessary luxuries each month. We were easily spending over £100 on eating out, takeaways and /or alcohol. No hardship swapping a 3 course meal out for a coffee and cake out. We know we're not helping businesses by doing this but needs must.

I do wonder at people who keep on saying how they 'survived' the past times of ice on the inside of windows, etc. YES!! we know YOU did - those who did not - are not around to tell us.

AND....back then you were young and probably very active, so keeping yourself warm with all that movement allof the time.

It has always been the old, the sick and the very young who have sufferd an died through inadequate heating.

Many of us are now in those categories (not the very young!!), so our needs are very different to our needs fifty, sixty plus years back.

This year we have been granted goodly sums of money to pay for extra heating costs. Okay, I know probably will not happen in future years, but there really is no reason for anyone THIS winter not to have their homes kept to a reasonable degree of warmth.

It's a shame that so many homes no longer have real fires. My housing association home use to have one but it was replaced by a gas fire, this then replaced with electric one. All done under the name of refurbishment. If I still had the real fire at least one room would be warm, the chimney breast would heat up and retain heat warming bedrooms that it runs through plus it would heat the water too. Do those of you with this type of fire find it cost effective and that it helps warm the whole house or is it my imagination???

We have our thermostat set at 20c, l am happy with that. I have a poorly DH and poorly dog and I'm not going worry about them or me being cold.I've decided that if we have to use our savings to pay our utilities so be it. We are the lucky ones at least we have savings.
I've read in the last few days our District council has set up warm spaces for anyone who cannot afford to put their heating on. Good on them.
I'm lucky, l live in South Cambs, it doesn't usually get too cold what about people further North?

Exactly @Hetty58! I think a lot of this is aimed at people who are not healthy and therefore vulnerable. Your description of Scandinavia countries is exactly what people here used to do when I was young.

mokryna

Whitewavemark2 When the experiment was carried out the man was not dressed for cold weather. See photo.
It will frighten people who are unable to heat as they would like.
However, further down the same article there were recommendations
^What can you actually do about it?
.. tips are:
focus on clothes that provide good insulation such as those made of wool
gloves and warm socks are more important than a hat (but a woolly hat will help too)
switch foods to a higher carbohydrate diet
generate more body heat by moving around and not just sitting in a chair and watching TV.^

I never turn the heating higher than 19 c
I wear wool jumpers and only sit about in the evening and have a fleecy throw.

My local library is offering to loan out a thermal imaging camera to library members for a week at a time so that we can film our houses from the outside to check where heat loss is happening.

I've put my name on the list. A friend who has just borrowed it has been surprised where she is losing heat. I am waiting for my turn.

As far as indoor temperatures are concerned, I used to keep my house at 19 deg. until this year, but already I have got used to 17.5 deg. at the times when I have actually put the heating on.... and I do feel the cold but have got used to it. I'm sitting with a hot water bottle under a throw with a large cat on my lap! I think we can easily adjust. I grew up with ice on the inside of the windows and just an electric fire in the livingroom and a coke boiler in the kitchen.

I agree too Hetty. However, I think perception of temperature is a very individual thing. The problem I have at home is that I’m rarely cold and find 18 degrees indoors is just fine for me. However my husband finds that too cold. At the moment we do a ‘heating dance’ involving him turning thermostats & heaters up and me going round turning ‘em down - grr!!!

Hetty I agree.

If breathing cold air is that dangerous (for us fit and healthy ones) - why are there no warnings about staying outside too long? It just doesn't make logical sense. I can see that those with reduced mobility and/or other health problems do need extra heating, as they're not moving about enough. They tend to be elderly, hence the increased winter mortality figures.

In Scandinavian countries, it's normal for babies to nap outside (well wrapped up) in sub-zero temperatures. The fresh air and sounds of nature are considered important - and they sleep soundly, too. Indoors, the temperature is about 20C. Here, my house is 16C and the living room is 18C - anything warmer is too stuffy for me, although I'll increase it to 21C for guests.

*too

I suppose too there's a difference between exposure to cold, and being bone deep cold 🥶 for hours. I'd rather be a bit cold than top hot!