General Chat

Well I seem to have cracked the cold .... :-D :-D :-D :-D it was warm enough today to go out without a coat !!

With the 2 econo wall panels on and the 2 portable radiators for back up we seem to have a steady temperature now, guess we have warmed to bricks up.

Merlin I did think about the clingfilm trick but then we have double glazing and shutters- I think I will for next year mind get heavy curtains for the windows. Not going to do it yet as I keep moving things around and as yet haven´t settled on a colour, ha ha the walls are white and I like that the furniture is red (already here and too good and comfy to change) the rugs are red, the dog pads by pure chance as they were the only 2 in the shop are red and I say I haven´t decided on a colour scheme yet !! :-S

The baking idea is good to warm the house up as we have an open plan kitchen BUT baking cookies in an electric oven doesn´t factor into low cost heating. :-D :-D :-D especially when you add the cost of the cookies.

Brenda I am not eligible for winter fuel allowance and to be honest if I was after 9yrs in Spain I would be too embarrassed to claim it. I would have done if Mum was still here mind.

Why not put ""Clingfilm over the windows Helps to keep the heat in and some of the cold out.

When you talk to people who winter in Spain in hotels they say ...oh we don't find it cold,,,but that is entirely different as the hotels are well heated.
I only used my butane heater as a back up so didnt find it too humid.
The log burner was the best...but more work cleaning out etc.Logs were quite cheap where we were,but we had to split them...suppose that kept my OH warm!

Ps ...did you know that you can get your winter fuel allowance in Spain if you are eligible?....know my friends out there get it. :-)

We used to have calor gas heater but as Wisechild said they cause humidity - we have 2 electric radiator heaters on wall on our living room - thermostatically controlled but when I am on my own I do not put them on - still on another woolly instead. Hubby goes mad at me. Uzzi your hubby is right having the oven on makes a world of difference. Must admit winter seems to have come with a vengance this year but we have had good warm weather for so long. Forgot also have a blankey which d i l made for me last Christmas - I certainly look like an older wrinkley !!!

Stay warm

Love Mary xx

I do have a butane heater but I am not a lover of using it. Slipper socks went on feet at the 1st sign of chill, and my snuggle blanket came out for the evenings.

Wisechild we have been told that it´s better to put the heating on early (before the cold) and then leave it on low. That way the cold doesn´t get into the bricks. All well and good but there was no heating (except for the aircon heat ) and the cold didn´t creep up on us this year but came in with a bang !

Liz I did know when we bought the house it was going to be chilly in the winter because it stays so cool in the summer. I have invested in some rugs because I need to keep Minx off the cold tiles because of her hip :-0 and I might have to invest in a couple more.

Oh well roll on summer only 3 months to go :-D guess I can´t complain too much we did have a long summer.

Oh that's a shame Uzzi, altho I am sure you realised it would be a problem. Means you will have to go around looking like Michelin man for the next few months with lots of layers on. A fleece jacket over your usual daywear will be handy too - I have two I keep for inside wear as there is no central heating at this house, only the gas fire in the open plan lounge so some heat goes upstairs too as they have open treads.

I think it's Aldi (do you have them there?) that have some nice warm thermal undies for women in the next couple of weeks and Lidl will probably do some too, they are reasonably priced and lovely and warm, I got some last year in purple of course! Only trouble is I can't remember where I put them when I got the summer stuff out lol

If you can fit a wood burner it might be the best way to get some warmth into the house and also maybe buy some large rugs to put down so your feet aren't directly on stone. Buy some of those slipper socks or fleece boots so your feet and ankles stay warm indoors, and put those reflective innersoles inside your footwear too as they help reflect heat back into your tootsies.

If you get too chilly jump in the hot tub to thaw out, bless you!

Lizxxx

We don´t use butane heaters because they cause humidity & the house is bad enough as it is.
It´s not ours, it´s rented & is old. The windows & doors don´t fit so when it´s windy, which it is most of the time in Menorca, any attempts at heating are useless.As you say, tiled floors, no carpets & in our case, no convenient outside wall, so a wood burner is not an option.
We have an oil filled radiator in 3 rooms & I was advised yesterday that it´s cheaper to run them all the time on the lowest setting than to put them on high just when you need them.
In the evenings we sit under blankets or sleeping bags & my understanding cat lies on my lap like a hot water bottle (for his benefit too, you understand.)
We always have at least 3 layers of clothes on & last winter it was so cold, we were wearing 3 layers in bed too.
So much for ex pats sipping g&ts on the terrace in January & watching the sun go down.
Our winter electricity bills from November to March are rarely less than €100 per month.

Do you have bombonas de butano Uzzi.
I used one of those as well in a heater,cos there was no house gas.I presume it is the same .They don't seem to have piped gas much in Spain.
Good idea though doing some baking .. :-D

lol @Brenda I may have to do that ..OH has 1 idea and that is if I cook him cookies etc I can warm the house and feed him ????? mmmmm I think he has an ulterior motive on this idea ! ..

When I lived in Southern Spain Had the same problem in the house...of course we had tiled floors and rugs,but no cavity walls etc.
We moved house and had a log burner which was a lot warmer and seemed to heat upstairs a bit as well.
Electricity was dearer than the UK..well it was then,don't know about now,but friends would say go and live there in winter..they don't understand how the houses feel cold even though the temperature outside is warmer than UK.
You will have to resort to one of those under the table heaters and drape a big cloth over the table and stick your feet on it as the locals do!!! :-)

I think my sister in Turkey uses oil filled portable heaters. Not sure and can't ask at the moment as she is off line until reconnected having just moved flats.

It´s winter and the house was build for summer. So it is cold.
For the previous owners it wasn´t a problem as they didn´t live the winter in it.
There is the aircon heat which will run through my bank account quicker than a scam artist, they also left heaters behind, I brought with me 2 econo wall panel heaters, which I can tell you are in place ! :-D I do intend on buying more but I need to work out where they are going to go and I will need to re-route some electrics. Meanwhile I am trying to work out the cheapest way to stay warm for us all.
That is the other problem- where I lived before not only was it the size of my porch, I didn´t have bills, so as long as the 10amp could take the heating, I could use it. (hence my use of panel heaters now as I had 4 then and they never throw the leccy.)

So what do you all use to stay warm ??