Stay Warm and Save Money at Home
By Chris Baskind in The Daily Footstep
It was another unseasonably cold winter weekend, with snow reaching deep into the Deep South. That’s going to mean another spike in in power and gas prices. Want to cool your bill without feeling a chill? Start dressing more appropriately around the house — especially at night. Big, comfy flannel PJs; a set of sweats; warm slippers; and a serviceable robe should make it possible for you to turn the heat down 2-6 degrees without discomfort. At bedtime, try a hot water wattle bottle (or two) and dial the heat back even more. What’s your favorite common sense way to beat the cold? Please share in our comments section!
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Good topic! I've been taking daily meter readings for a month and I'm shocked at how much electricity we use, despite being frugal.
At night time I go to bed with two duvets on the bed. It makes so much difference. Combine that with a hot water bottle and warm husband and we don't have any heating in the bedroom. After half an hour I'm kicking off the top duvet anyway - it doesn't take long to warm up
Another thing that makes loads of difference is getting dressed first thing in the morning in warm clothes, rather than hanging around in night clothes.
try filling a long sock (or 2) with rice. Tie the end tight. Then put it in the microwave oven for 2-3 minutes. Wrap it around your neck when reading in bed or watching TV, or put it in your bed a few minutes before retiring to keep your feet warm. The "neck sock" will stay warm for about 40 minutes. Beats a hot water bottle!
A lot of commercial devices like this are really just glorified rice sacks. They work well — just be sure not to overheat in the microwave or leave them within reach of a curious pet. Heated rice sacks are great on sore backs and joints, too.
We do not have central heating in our house. We heat with a chimney that contains an insert with a fan system to throw out the heat. On a very cold night, I sometimes use a trick my mother-in-law taught me.. Place two bricks in the chimney, not too close to the flames, remove when heated, wrap first in newspaper (in case of soot) then in a piece of flannel or a tereycloth towel. Place between the sheets about half way down , and when you go to bed push them down to the foot. Keeps you warm and comfy a very old fashioned way!
It was actually visiting family in a drafty Manchester row house that I learned to appreciate the glory of hot water bottles. Slipped under the covers ten minutes before bed, they'll provide enough warmth to make things comfortable until your body heat is doing the job. I now live in northern Florida, where we only have a dozen or so really cold nights a season. But with proper bedding, there's no need for central heat. Everything gets turned off at night. Just have those slippers by the bed to avoid cold floors the next morning.
Now that is old-timey. I wouldn't know how to use them safely — so I won't recommend them — but Way Back When, people kept metal bed warmers by the fireplace. They worked much as you suggest with the bricks, getting warmed in the fire before bed and slipped under the covers. Toasty!