Heating!

[TWR]

Can anyone think of way's that the elderly can keep warm without skimping on food etc, there must be ways that they have not thought about, I think this is a serious post, please do not give crackpot answers, I'm only thinking of the elderly.

[EcclesCake]

My heating went kapput a few days ago and the house is baltic.

I am sitting here wearing several layers, a pair of fingerless gloves and a scarf. I have a hot water bottle behind me and a blanket over my knees.

[ummmm]

Old people really feel the cold.

I don't have central heating. It broke about 2 years ago and I have no intention of fixing it.

I suppose the only thing they can do is heat one room. Use electric blankets for the bedroom. They are cheap to run.

[AB Editor]

Red is right, if they heated the house gently (on a low heat) for 12-18 hours a day the place would be warmer and it costs less in the long run. For some reason Pensioners are just like students for turning the heat on in short bursts!

The other option is baking. Certainly wont be skimping on food there.

[joggerjayne]

Oh, Eccles ... !

=0(

My flat is "mid block", so the surrounding flats help keep it warm.

[EvianBaby]

I'm not old or on a tight budget but my office like shed get absolutely freezing at this time of year. We have a couple of small oil heaters and keep them running on a low setting pretty much constantly.

They take the chill out of the air so you're plenty warm enough with just a jumper on and they are reasonably cheap to run.

[TWR]

Ummm / Eccles, why don't you get it sorted? is it your own property or rented?

[deggers316]

make sure you heat one room to around 70 (your main living area) and keep the door shut.an electric all night blanket is best for keeping warm overnight ..
this is if they fear the electric bill

[ummmm]

TWR - Because I don't want to. Before I moved here I lived in a large victorian house with the original sash windows. So even with the heating on it never got too warm.

Moved here...much smaller with double glazing...and it made me feel sick.

I have a gas fire in the living room, underfloor heating in the kitchen, and electric blankets (if it gets too cold)

[jackthehat]

1. An electric blanket on continuously.
2. Several layers of bedding.
3. A flask of soup and a flask of tea.
4. The radio.
5. A heap of books.

I'd take the radio and the books up to bed with my flasks and only emerge for calls of nature or the doorbell!

[EcclesCake]

I am assured it will be fixed today after Friday's failed fix :-(

[maggiebee]

Not sure what age you mean by elderly? If they are mobile would encourage them to keep moving rather than sitting or lying down all day. Helps circulation and you don't feel so cold. Otherwise, some very good advice has already been given.

[jamesnan]

I would suggest to older people that the actual fabric from which their clothing is made could be a reason why they feel the cold. Many older people wear polyester type skirts, trousers, jumpers etc, and they would be far better off wearing fleeces and jogging type looser trousers. They are not expensive to buy, dry very quickly so only one or two items need to be bought, and the high street shops, especially Primark, have very good items on sale cheaply.

[Francis Asis]

I always wonder why people don't pay their heating allowance straight to the gas/electric company so they know any heating they use is already paid for.