Thermal undies, ski socks and fleeces or jumpers to keep warm plus rugs for when we're curled up on the sofa. We don't heat the two guest bedrooms in winter and every room has a radiator with a thermostat so we can control the heat in each room so bedrooms are kept cooler. We also have two log burning fires and, after winter storms, plenty of wood to cut and burn if we need extra warmth.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
We don't heat the spare bedroom and dining room unless we have someone staying (even though I use one or the other as my office space - leaving the door open lets enough heat in for me). If I get my way we don't heat our bedroom either - I prefer cool air and cosy bedding. I do like the bathroom warm though.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
We heat the whole house, including spare bedrooms as they have two outside walls and two large windows. Their rads are set at '2' though which avoids mould and the rest are set at '3'. I'll wear two pairs of socks, trousers, a jumper plus a fleece if I'm particularly cold. We have had solar panels for about ten years which helps with our bills.
I would rather cut down on food than get cold but we are very fortunate that we don't have to economise.
I worry for older, vulnerable people in our neighbourhood who are just about coping. We have lots of their own, with various stages of dementias, and isolation. I have no idea how they are going to cope or get the help they need. Many have no families, no tech comms to speak of - only a TV. Some don't even answer the door or read what comes through the letterbox. Many people are high and unmanageable levels of debt already. There will be a lot of suffering and panic in silence.
I've noticed that all the news items concerning the "energy crisis" rarely mention the price of heating oil these days. Not everywhere has the option of mains gas and nor do many old properties make it easy to convert to heat pumps, etc. Installation of solar panels also tends to be restricted in some Conservation Areas as do some types of double/triple glazed windows. The Petrol "crisis" continues to bemuse me - the number of drivers ( both private and commercial) who persist in leaving their engines running whilst stationary is beyond belief. Noise, air pollution and expense - amaaazing
Apparently the folk who use heating oil for their homes will not receive any of the rebates which is scandalous. It can't be that difficult to get their details from the local oil suppliers or have the owners supply copies of previous bills?
No worries fire all the comments on this post are really interesting and very helpful!
At the moment I can’t imagine it getting colder it’s been so humid today, but I know it will, I have thermals & a few jumpers & fleeces, I like the bedroom to be cold ish then have a hot water bottle I just hope we’re not all worried to boil a kettle!
I also hope that once the new PM is in whoever it may be, they get cracking sorting this terrible mess out not only for home owners but businesses too, there could be a lot of job losses if companies can’t pay their bills too which will add to the problem.
For the last few winters I have used an electric heat pad, in the spirit of heating the body rather than the air. It's machine washable, which is rather amazing. It has a timer and heat range setting too. All very convienient. It's not nice directly on the body as it gets smelly fast, esp if you are hot. Probably not safe to sleep near (much like the old electric blankets were not for sleeping). But lovely to use with a towel and put on a sore neck or back, and great to heat a bed before sleeping. It uses about the same energy as an old style light bulb. I found it to be like a hot bot but more controllable and doesn't get cold unless you want it to. Good for working or the sofa.
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I would rather cut down on food than get cold but we are very fortunate that we don't have to economise.
Not everywhere has the option of mains gas and nor do many old properties make it easy to convert to heat pumps, etc. Installation of solar panels also tends to be restricted in some Conservation Areas as do some types of double/triple glazed windows.
The Petrol "crisis" continues to bemuse me - the number of drivers ( both private and commercial) who persist in leaving their engines running whilst stationary is beyond belief. Noise, air pollution and expense - amaaazing
I know there are ground source heat pumps but they are impractical for the vast majority of people, and not just because of the cost.