Energy costs, the way we were, and how we might cope today.

Kim19

Great post MBM, full of practicalities and compassion. Just great.

Thank you Kim19

This- Rosie likes the idea too.
She starts the night curled up in her dog bed in the corner of the bedroom, but by morning I often find her curled up against the small of my back.

I live in a modern 3 bedroom house and over the years I have spent a fair bit of money insulating it. I have solar panels so when the sun shines for a few hours I get free hot water.

I have the heating on low in every room upstairs but downstairs each radiator is on the highest. I have the thermostat set at 18C and that is fine for me. One problem here is the staircase in my living room and of course the heat rises.

I only have the heating on overnight if it is going to be -2C or lower as it is cheaper to heat the house than pay for a plumber to sort out frozen or burst pipes.

I recently bought an air fryer and already it is paying for itself because I no longer use my electric large oven.

My house is not like Blackpool illuminations-it is task lighting only.

A neighbour and friend popped in a couple of days ago to help me with my router etc. He was dressed for mid July with thin clothes and a short sleeved shirt. Heaven knows what the T was in their house.

I am careful and to date, not cold but I do have a very thick cardigan on.

I think people will have to adapt. I have noticed some younger people wear summer clothing with the temperature in their houses in mid 20s.
I hate to think that people may actually die from cold if they can't afford heating this winter.

I have health conditions where I really cannot stand the cold. However, I cannot stand a warm bedroom, so heating is rarely on there. Ive invested in new thermal underwear and intend to layer up if necessary.

New build homes in this country should be much more eco friendly with the emphasis on insulation, solar and wind power etc. I saw a programme on some eco friendly house where the owners spent nothing on energy bills because of the way it was designed . Why are not all new builds made to follow such principles?

I remember the days of just a coal fire in the house and ice on the window, in my early childhood.

I also remember hating getting out of bed and dressed as a five year old because of the cold, and of lying awake in the middle of the night when I was older because I was cold.

Then there were the frequent ear infections and catarrh that plagued me all winter.

Some of you might have been made of sterner stuff (or have poor memories / rose-tinted glasses), but I clearly wasn't, and I have no desire to live like that again.

I'm already as careful as I can be with energy usage - or as careful as my DH will let me be, anyway - but would only go back to the old ways if there was absolutely no choice.

I grew up in a freezing house. I would sell dh rather than return to that.

I grew up in a freezing house, too. Chilblains every winter.

I used to get dressed under the bedclothes to avoid the cold. I don't relish returning to that, either.

Galaxy

I grew up in a freezing house. I would sell dh rather than return to that.

How much is he worth?

Very little I imagine Callistemon . Not sure I have thought it through.

Enough for one winter?

You could hire him out, that might be more profitable ?

I can not spell your name right for love nor money, I always do the double l. Sorry.
I am not sure what I could hire him out for. Shouting at the news isnt really a skill that is missing in most peoples lives.

You can't spell it because it's spelt wrong. I had an IT glitch and had to rejoin with a slightly different name.

In fact I'm so fed up with it I'm going to try rejoining!

Hello, I'm back ?

Unfortunately, I don't know which threads I was on.

You did it

Apparently you're allowed another username but clicking on that is pointless as it didn't work!

We live in such a different world now, it’s not just that there is only one source of heat in the house. It’s also a fact that we live so differently.
For instance , we had one television and everyone would be in the same room. Four bodies in one room generates more heat than one person in four rooms using different devices.

I have reduced mobility so I cant skimp on heating. I wouldrather cut down on other things. I dont heat the bedrooms but the heat from downstairs rises to keep them dairly comfortable.

Nowadays I never open the door when I have an unexpected caller as it lets the cold air in. Its deliveries and appointments only. Anyone else I speak to over the intercom on my ring doorbell. I find that they don't really want to stand there in the cold for long so it gets rid of timewasters and whining neighbours.

I think people are forgetting the downsides of the 'old' days. Chilblains, increased numbver of colds and respiratory diseases, smog from all the coal fires. Smog killed my grandmother. yes, I know air is polluted today, but the sheer constant filth of the days before smoke control orders has to have been experienced to be believed - and I did experience it.

In cold houses walls streamed with condensation, excarbating respiratory illnesses, Old people dying of hypothermia.

As far as I am concerned, I can see nothing to be nostalgic about, living in cold, damp uninsulated houses,with condensation streaming down kitchen and bathroom walld, with a permanent cold and red swollen knuckles and toes, sometimes the skin on the joints was broken and raw.

I totally agree Monica.

i stay in a HA flat that got new heating in about 9 years ago, it has never been on, i use a halogen heater in my living room and the electric blanket at bedtime. i grew up in a house that had a coal fire and that was it for heating, we had water bottles and my mums old winter coat on the bed, no duvets but plenty of blankets usually got from jumble sales. i have a keycard so i know how much i am spending on my electric, it has gone up in price from about £10 a week to nearly £25, i make savings by not using my cooker and boiling the kettle for the few dishes that i have rather than turn on the hot water.

M0nica

I think people are forgetting the downsides of the 'old' days. Chilblains, increased numbver of colds and respiratory diseases, smog from all the coal fires. Smog killed my grandmother. yes, I know air is polluted today, but the sheer constant filth of the days before smoke control orders has to have been experienced to be believed - and I did experience it.

In cold houses walls streamed with condensation, excarbating respiratory illnesses, Old people dying of hypothermia.

As far as I am concerned, I can see nothing to be nostalgic about, living in cold, damp uninsulated houses,with condensation streaming down kitchen and bathroom walld, with a permanent cold and red swollen knuckles and toes, sometimes the skin on the joints was broken and raw.

I'm not being nostalgic about anything although our North facing two up two down unheated stone cottage in Scotland was pretty dam' cold at times!
But- we are consuming very much more enerģy than we did then, not just central heating but domestic gadgets, tv, more of us have washing machines, charge our phones, laptops or tablets etc etc etc
I have made some concrete suggestions but if we are serious about saving energy we also need to be prepared for a lifestyle change.

M0nica

I think people are forgetting the downsides of the 'old' days. Chilblains, increased numbver of colds and respiratory diseases, smog from all the coal fires. Smog killed my grandmother. yes, I know air is polluted today, but the sheer constant filth of the days before smoke control orders has to have been experienced to be believed - and I did experience it.

In cold houses walls streamed with condensation, excarbating respiratory illnesses, Old people dying of hypothermia.

As far as I am concerned, I can see nothing to be nostalgic about, living in cold, damp uninsulated houses,with condensation streaming down kitchen and bathroom walld, with a permanent cold and red swollen knuckles and toes, sometimes the skin on the joints was broken and raw.

Absolutely agree.

We should be looking to progress by new technology not regress to poorer health outcomes because of lack of heating and all the problems it causes.

I agree Monica and it is also important to remember that the invention of many of these appliances gave women in particular much greater freedom and equality.

Nexus
£100 per month is a lot of money for what your using. Is there a reason you have to use a keycard.