I am writing this dressed in t-shirt and sweater with jogging bottoms. I’ll probably put on a thick dressing gown if I feel cold. Very aware of the price increases for fuel, we haven’t put the central heating on yet. We are pensioners with no other income so there isn’t room for ‘extras’ like heating up a cold house.
Ambient temperature at the moment is 16°C and dropping a fraction of a degree lower. We are of a hardy generation, used to the cold, and will usually wear an extra layer when we think it necessary.
I suppose the problem with central heating is that it assumes fuel is plentiful and affordable which means you heat an entire home to keep warm when it could be sufficient to heat only one room or two at the most.
Somehow we must get through this. We are nowhere near the coldest part of the year but I can foresee problems as the season progresses. I hope we and you manage to cope in these difficult times.
I’m writing this because I need to express concern somewhere. I’m sure others are feeling the same way. Keeping silent is not something I easily do.
Morning @Bobbi. It’s not just you that’s concerned. I am sorting out my winter clothes and have come across some thermal under leggings I think I bought for a skiing holiday years ago. They will be getting employed. I struggle with the cold any way but have found that being cold makes my stroke symptoms worse- my affected hand is less able, so even now I don’t leave the house without gloves on. Layer up . Julia x
@Bobbi I think you echo concerns of many of us. No heating on here yet but guessing it won’t be much longer till it goes on. We have oil central heating but it hasn’t been immune to the price rises. Last year 45p a litre this year £1.05 a litre. As for the electric I’m trying to train hubby to turn things off when he’s not using them…not having much success
Stay warm everyone xx
Thermals, woolly socks, scarves, and hot water bottles for me, but we also have a back boiler wood stove which heats up the rads, and several standard wood burners. With such an increase in fuel prices I’ve come across people making brickettes again, I used to make them but stopped. Hopefully, we won’t get to the Withnail stage of covering ourselves in Deep Heat and standing by the radiator. It’s a worry.
So, as I suspected, not alone, but I’m sure there are more than a few.
I am of the philosophy that fear is not the way forward, it is just a reminder of the need for action.
@rups thanks for the reminder about hot water bottles. Everything here went upside down as they prepped a room when I left hospital but I know somewhere in what is now a chaos there are a few hot water bottles, we must find them. I’ve also got some thermal ware, somewhere.
Having been ‘modernised’ there is now no place in this house to set a fire and burn whatever can be brought in. Oh to be able to return to the old fashioned.
On the less serious subject of Deep Heat, I can’t imagine there is a tube, spray or carton available anywhere by now. It will all have been stock piled in someone’s garden shed, together with wooly socks, ear warmers and a few of those indispensable hot water bottles.
I have my fleece and cap on as I write this and have not yet got extra thermalwear on - but it is all ready. Just one oil filled electric heater running on low in the daytime at the moment.
I remember the times when we had just one coal fire in a three bedroomed house and Grandma did nothing else but knit wooly jumpers for us!
Hi Bobbi. I feel the cold. At present my daily attire consists of thermal long sleeved vest under warm sweater, fur lined gilet as well as stick on heat pads on my back. I was definitely made for tropical climates! Lilian
I feel the cold much more than I used to too but can also become over heated quite quickly so its definitely layers for me. I am becoming like your Grandmother @sunnyday , my knitting isn’t up to jumpers (not ones that anyone would wear anyway) but I am keeping busy knitting hats and wrist warmers
We put our central heating back on Oct. 1. However, it comes on half an hour later and goes off half an hour earlier. We also lowered it a degree. My stroke side gets very cold and, fortunately, our house is good at retaining heat. We fixed our gas price till July 2023.
We have lots of LED light bulbs and resist using the oven as much as possible. I can cook a whole meal in a Remoska (Lakeland) or use our slow cooker. We also have a steamer that uses one ring on the hob. It’s all a bit like living in the 1950s again.
I bet 10 Downing Street has state funded heating, lighting and staff to boot.
I haven’t needed to put the heating on yet,and just wear an extra layer if necessary.
I am an OAP so money is tight but there is help available for the next 6 months plus winter fuel payments so i expect to cope.
I had to concede and put heating on this week. The house was starting to feel damp and I was permanently cold. Only on for couple hrs a day at mo but that’s enough to keep the chill out.
I checked and it seems we are down to 14°C now, this morning.
We’ve also received a timely message that some thermal wear we ordered is being lined up for delivery.
If my memory serves me well, I recall November is usually the start of the cold spells and January, February is when it really bites.
Our computers are in a small room upstairs. It is easy to heat and we have spent the majority of winters there in the past. I think it is time I put my mountaineering gear on and tackled the staircase, joining my partner up there in base camp.
As I write this she who is everything has just appeared with two steaming bowls of porridge, yum. See yah later.
I purchased an uprated duvet this week - up from 10.5 tog to 13.5 tog. That made a big difference and when I got up this morning I was warmest I have been for the last 2 weeks.
I have been still sleeping with the window open, but I sleep with thermals on, two duvets, and have a long, sausage-shaped hot water bottle that is the length of my leg. Aye, February is typically the coldest month.
. Julia x
