Reply to: Alternatives to heating the house

[al_cam]

Might want to read this (finally published yesterday) before installing anything

Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme - Department of Energy and Climate Change

Basically, financial incentives for generating heat, much like those already available for generating electricity.

[DimPrawn]

Moving south is your best option.

Southampton

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Inverness

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[DimPrawn]

£600? You should invoice that for one days work. Not worth worrying about.

That's my approach. Heating is on in every room, 24/7 365 at a constant temperature (unless we are away on holiday or the like). If the bills go up, a small rate increase (just a £1 an hour increase would cover it easily) is all that's needed.

People are too scared to put up their rates and yet companies are making the biggest profits ever and inflation is rampant.

Put your bloody rates up people!

Don't starve and sit in freezing homes.

[rightfluff]

Having just paid a £600 gas bill for the quarter I need to think about some other way of heating the house in winter. Weird and wonderful suggestions welcome.

£600? You should invoice that for one days work. Not worth worrying about.

[alreadypacked]

Not much chance of cavity wall insulation here as the walls are three feet thick. There's no loft as such but an apex gap of about four feet that should be properly insulated as the conversion was only done about five years ago. All helps of course.

If you have a very high celling, you could try to recirculate the hot air from the roof back down to ground level.

[DimPrawn]

Some suggestions.

1. Move south. South coast of England or if you are able to leave Britain, somewhere sub-tropical. No more heating bills.
2. Move house. Buy a modern built house that has modern insulation, modern heating system and good quality double glazing.
3. Only heat the rooms you are in. Leave all other spare rooms, hallways unheated and keep the doors closed in the heated rooms.
4. Fill the house with lodgers. Each one pays rent towards the heating and adds 100w of body heat. Perhaps 3 or 4 Tai ladies to keep you warm at night (you can let them stay rent free ).
5. Fit solar panels and get £1200 a year in feed in tariffs. Welcome to SunShare | Profit from Solar Power & FiT | SunShare
6. Get some wood burning stoves. I like the modern ones: Panoramic fx1 stove - future fires stoves uk or La nordica fortuna contemporary stove and then find a free source of wood.
7. Fit a heat pump. Air source heat pumps - Generate your own energy - Energy Savint Trust or Ground source heat pumps - Heat pumps & ground loops - Energy Saving Trust.
8. Wear some thermal underwear and a sweat suit when in the house Swelter Premier Sweat Suit Sauna Suit for Guaranteed Weight Loss Results During Exercise - £49.99 : Sweatsuits, Specialised clothing to assist with weight loss
9. Switch energy supplier. You might save some money on the bills to pay for some of the above. Comparison sites for gas & electricity, car insurance & more | uSwitch.com
10. Use an electric blanket at night and don't heat the bedrooms.


Hope this helps.

[vetran]

blimey I got it wrong who would have thought it.

100w it is.

I'll have to tell the wife to run round a bit more so I can turn down the heating.

[AtW]

My flat is well warm now - should not cost a fortune either now that I've changed PAYG meter

[Zippy]

I didn't use the heating at all and only my hands went blue.

Splash out on a pair of gloves for next year.

[Cliphead]

And it gets even colder outside summer too.

No tulip

[TimberWolf]

To be fair, he lives in bloody Scotland. When it is a lovely 12 C in London, he has polar bears outside his house playing in the snow.

And it gets even colder outside summer too.

[Board Game Geek]

Remember each human is about 1-2kw of heat.

Probably the best answer so far.

This would solve over-population issues, over-subscription to local and national resources, increase employment, and possibly even help with food shortages for 3rd world countries (remember, SG is about people).

[fullyautomatix]

WHS. And if it gets really cold, buy two jumpers. I reckon each layer allows the thermostat to be turned down 3 or 4 degrees.

Tackle draughts too.

To be fair, he lives in bloody Scotland. When it is a lovely 12 C in London, he has polar bears outside his house playing in the snow.

[xoggoth]

In the country pick up any fallen branches for the fire. Roadkill makes good stew too.

[TimberWolf]

Sounds like you should turn the heating up, bits of you shouldn't go blue.

I didn't use the heating at all and only my hands went blue.