Samara
Hi everyone :)
I'm living in a very large, 3-story house with 7 other of my college buddies (and I mean "college" synonymously with "thrifty"). Even with the bills split, our energy costs are still coming out to be pretty pricey. We refuse to turn on the central heating (the idea of how much energy it would take to fill up this house strikes fear into my currently frozen heart) and are trying to discourage each other from using personal heaters in the rooms, but it's getting to be pretty desperate/icy here! I had suggested that everyone invest in an electric blanket instead of a personal heater as I've heard they're less energy consuming, but does anyone else have any tips for keeping warm in a frugal way? We need to have our chimney cleaned in order to use it, but I've heard that if it's not a very good one it may end up making your house colder because it sucks up all the oxygen.. and uh.. I don't know, I'm a Psychology major, but I've also been reading up on articles that suggest insulating... big umm metal things cylinder things... something about keeping in heat radiation... or something... Um, clearly I don't know what I'm talking about here... we're just looking for some simple ways to keep the house warm (p.s. especially me! I live in the basement aka dungeon encased in cement) and cut down on our bills. Any suggestions/tips/words of encouragement welcomed!
Bonus point to a good answer for my brilliant new joke: How many college girls does it take to stay warm in a 3-story ice cave?
Also, several of us have sliding glass doors in our bedrooms. Is there anything that can be done to help with heat retention regarding them?
Answer
Frugally I will answer:
Fireplace - as seen as you are not using it, cover it up to prevent heat loss.
Glass doors - hunt around the charity shops for curtains and use string or a broom handle to fix them above the doorways. If you cannot find curtains to fit, you could sew some together. Likewise, if they are only thin, double them up.
Walls and ceiling - hunt around and see if you can find any patterned furniture drapes and use drawing pins to fix to the walls and ceilings. The fabric layer works similar to wearing clothes to keep warm, and if you find nice patterns, can make a room feel and look very snug. If your ceilings are high, hang the fabric so that it appears lower, as a smaller room heats quicker.
Floors - carpet any floor that is bare (you can often get offcuts from carpet fitters very cheap, or at house clearances).
Rooms - if the house has large rooms, consider separating them with drapes, so that the places you spend the most time, such as the bed or couch/sofa area, are small, so that they retain heat easier.
Stairways - consider fitting curtains to both the top an bottom of each stairway.
Windows - If you use blinds, get some curtains either for replacement, or to go over the blinds.
Kitchen - whoever the last person is to use the oven, get them to leave it open, as it will help heat the room.
Light candles in the rooms you are in, as these let out heat (saves on electric too) - just keep them away from anything that might burn.
Again, if you have large rooms that are not fully used, get some empty cardboard boxes from you local shop and fill the part of each room you do not use - okay, it doesn't look great, but it's temporary and works well in retaining heat as each box is a separate compartment.
Get into the habit of closing all doors after you, even if you are only leaving the room for a moment or two.
Layer your clothes - this works better in keeping you warm than a thick bulky layer. You could even wear a dressing gown over your clothes (well, you did ask for frugal)
Invest in a hot water bottle. What I do quite often, is fill glass bottles which have a screw top lid with boiling water - they work great.
Eat plenty of energy foods, as if your house is cold, you will need it to help you stay warm.
Take up a hobby for indoors which will keep you moving - you will stay warmer whilst moving, compared to sitting reading or watching t.v. The more active you are, the warmer you feel.
Make (or buy) draft excluders for the bottom of the doors (fabric sausages).
Assuming you have a landlord, speak to them about insulating the loft/attic and fitting a chimney cylinder, so that you can have a wood fire.
Electric blanket work in theory, but once you get them, you are less likely to actually do anything about taking the chill out of the air. And when you count 8 of these (one for each of you), paying for them and then paying for the electric, you would probably be better off just heating the lowest room in the house (which luckily is yours) and letting the heat rise to warm the rest of it.
These are just a few, very simple, very frugal ways of keeping the cold at bay.
Frugally I will answer:
Fireplace - as seen as you are not using it, cover it up to prevent heat loss.
Glass doors - hunt around the charity shops for curtains and use string or a broom handle to fix them above the doorways. If you cannot find curtains to fit, you could sew some together. Likewise, if they are only thin, double them up.
Walls and ceiling - hunt around and see if you can find any patterned furniture drapes and use drawing pins to fix to the walls and ceilings. The fabric layer works similar to wearing clothes to keep warm, and if you find nice patterns, can make a room feel and look very snug. If your ceilings are high, hang the fabric so that it appears lower, as a smaller room heats quicker.
Floors - carpet any floor that is bare (you can often get offcuts from carpet fitters very cheap, or at house clearances).
Rooms - if the house has large rooms, consider separating them with drapes, so that the places you spend the most time, such as the bed or couch/sofa area, are small, so that they retain heat easier.
Stairways - consider fitting curtains to both the top an bottom of each stairway.
Windows - If you use blinds, get some curtains either for replacement, or to go over the blinds.
Kitchen - whoever the last person is to use the oven, get them to leave it open, as it will help heat the room.
Light candles in the rooms you are in, as these let out heat (saves on electric too) - just keep them away from anything that might burn.
Again, if you have large rooms that are not fully used, get some empty cardboard boxes from you local shop and fill the part of each room you do not use - okay, it doesn't look great, but it's temporary and works well in retaining heat as each box is a separate compartment.
Get into the habit of closing all doors after you, even if you are only leaving the room for a moment or two.
Layer your clothes - this works better in keeping you warm than a thick bulky layer. You could even wear a dressing gown over your clothes (well, you did ask for frugal)
Invest in a hot water bottle. What I do quite often, is fill glass bottles which have a screw top lid with boiling water - they work great.
Eat plenty of energy foods, as if your house is cold, you will need it to help you stay warm.
Take up a hobby for indoors which will keep you moving - you will stay warmer whilst moving, compared to sitting reading or watching t.v. The more active you are, the warmer you feel.
Make (or buy) draft excluders for the bottom of the doors (fabric sausages).
Assuming you have a landlord, speak to them about insulating the loft/attic and fitting a chimney cylinder, so that you can have a wood fire.
Electric blanket work in theory, but once you get them, you are less likely to actually do anything about taking the chill out of the air. And when you count 8 of these (one for each of you), paying for them and then paying for the electric, you would probably be better off just heating the lowest room in the house (which luckily is yours) and letting the heat rise to warm the rest of it.
These are just a few, very simple, very frugal ways of keeping the cold at bay.
what is the difference between electric stove & electric cooker?
hemant mal
answer required for helping custom clearance
Answer
I don't think there's much difference between them. Stove may be a more American word for cooker. "Stoves" is a brand name for cookers though. An electric stove can also refer to a wood burning stove (like a free standing fireplace) but I guess that's not what you're referring to.
I don't think there's much difference between them. Stove may be a more American word for cooker. "Stoves" is a brand name for cookers though. An electric stove can also refer to a wood burning stove (like a free standing fireplace) but I guess that's not what you're referring to.
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