Sunday 1 September 2013

Arrived from abroad? Hate being cold?

Just come from abroad to live in the UK or do you just hate being cold?

 

At some point, you will wonder just how people survive the biting cold of winter. Summers seem to fly past, but the short, dark icy days seem to drag on forever. These tips may help you, as well as more experienced "winterers" aiming to survive the bite without blowing the holiday budget on bloated heating bills.


The best time to think about heating costs and bills is before you rent your first place.  Whether it's a house, flat, room, loft or even a sofa, check what's included.  In the UK, there are add-on bills that you might not have in your home country.  Monthly, Council Tax will cost you around £90-£100,
water around £60, and fuel could be almost anything.  Gas is by far the cheapest way to heat a large indoor area, electric and oil heating is super pricey.  Shop around, "bills included" is THE way forward if you can find it.  Second best, some bills included, third best, gas central heating WITH double glazing.


When scanning "to let" adverts, d/g does not mean double garage - Just double glazing.  Basically, this means that windows have been treated so they hold more heat inside.  Without this, as soon as the heating goes off, the temperature drops quickly and it feels almost as cold indoors as it is outside. Most heating systems work on a timer, the idea being that you generate expensive heat for the times you need it the most.  Many people set their timer to start an hour before they get up in the morning, then it goes off but it ought to stay warm inside until after you leave the house for school/work.  The house remains unheated when empty, so the timer can be set to start the heating back up around an hour before people arrive home.  It might run for a few hours, before switching off again.  The double glazing helps to keep the home warmer for longer after the heating goes off and stops burning expensive fuel.


Many of the buildings in the UK are old, often more than a century old.  Some are better maintained than others, and when starting out everyone is after the cheaper rentals.  Many of these are poorly insulated, and some have no double glazing.  Instead, they may have huge sash windows that slide up and down - & to make it worse, these old windows often come with high ceilings and cheap, thin carpets.  This can mean that the bills costs more than the rent!  If heat cannot be held in a room, then the heating has to be powered all the time and costs become impossible.  That's why they say that in winter, some people have to choose between heating or eating.  That said, there is always something that can be done to make things a bit easier.  

If you are stuck with having to live in one of these old buildings, then try to get a room or flat on a middle floor.  That way, you can benefit from the hot air that rises from the area below, as well as above you.  

The quickest and most efficient way I have found to deal with big sash windows in the winter might seem odd, but I have tried it and it helped me through three winters which I do not think I would otherwise have survived.  With rentals, you cannot do very much to the building without the landlord's consent, so this method is workable, cheap and very effective.  Later, during a bad winter after I moved into a house with double glazing, I used the same process on two of my coldest windows.  

  1. Bubble wrap Windows:
  2. Minimise cold air through floors:
  3. General tips for keeping warm:
  4. Layer clothing:
  5. Head & feet:
  6. One cup kettle:
  7. Pressure cooking pot:


Materials - Rolls of bubble wrap, bleach, fairy liquid, scissors or a sharp knife.  Spray bottle.

Measure the window pane.  Cut a piece of bubble wrap to fit.  Do the same for as many window panes as required.  Fill the spray bottle with a water, add a squirt of fairy liquid and a tablespoon of bleach.  Spray the 1st pane, the bubble wrap that matches it will just stick to it.  Repeat.  If you need to remove a piece at any time, go ahead, it just sticks back on.  The bleach stops any mold or algae growing.  

The method above is a cheap & very effective way of insulating the windows of any hard to heat room.  


During the post-war poor years, people used to lift their carpets, layer the floor with cardboard, then replace.  With the advent of charity & bargain shops, the least invasive method to insulate floors is simply to layer with rugs.  Fire is always a hazard, so check rugs are fire resistant, & place them so they do not pose a tripping risk.


Layers of thin clothes are lighter & more comfortable.  Drying washing hikes fuel bills, & lighter layers dry faster.  A decent coat is an investment, you don't need to spend much.  Scan the charity shops for one well fitting coat that feels good to wear.  

Lots of heat escapes through our heads, so cover up.  A simple scarf or balaclava works well.  I love being barefoot, & dislike wearing slippers or closed shoes, but socks are cheap enough.  Whatever you choose, make sure they don't increase the chance of slipping on your floor coverings.

Tea, coffee, soup, hot chocolate  - These all seem to taste better in winter.  They also get cold quicker. Think small cups to avoid waste, & choose a right-size kettle.  Boiling water is expensive, & you will save money by boiling just what you need.  A small kettle helps avoid overfilling.

Get retro with a pressure cooker for super quick & very economical soups & stews.  Great for softening cheap cuts of meat quickly & efficiently & the shorter cooking time slashes fuel bills.  Go for one pot all-in-one meals to get the best saving.










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