How we are coping!
Why, oh why does it have to be virtually the coldest winter ever, the year we don’t have central heating????? It’s so typical; last year the news was all bout global warming and how daffodils were springing up in December and insects weren’t getting killed off; this year, it’s all about the coldest December on record and not having this much snow in 18 year etc etc.
I am so cold it’s unbelievable. At the moment, we are managing to keep a steady temperature of 10 degrees C in the living room. My Mum thinks it’s so funny because we always used to moan about how cold she deliberately kept her house (about 17), but when we went there last, I said how I couldn’t believe how warm it felt. So we are definitely getting used to it, but that doesn’t mean we are enjoying it! I can’t complain too much – we did after all know we were buying house without heating, and we’ve we’ve done it before. Last time we simply didn’t have the money to put in the gas meter, so we huddled in front of the fan heater and brought down the mattress and all lived and slept in the one room. However, it was a pretty well insulated semi-detached in a built up area. Now we’re in an ancient stone detached house at the top of the hill!
We have an electric shower and a kettle, so that’s the solution for hot water. We opened the fire up in the living room and had it swept (kindly by my father-in-law), so have an open fire going from about 5pm onwards. Plus we have an energy efficient radiator plugged in constantly , though you’d barely know it. Us and the kids each have an oil filled electric radiator in our bedrooms on timer settings for the morning and evening. And for the first time today, I’ve plugged in an electric heater here in the study, so my fingers aren’t too frozen to type. I absolutely dread to think what the electricity bill is going to be.
Our dog is doing the best out of the situation. He’s quite large and very good at keeping you warm – well keeping my husband warm – he doesn’t mind the slobber. So Ziggy is getting away with sleeping on the bed and on the brand new settee, despite my protests. We sit in the evenings with blankets up to our necks and trying to flick through the Radio Times while keeping hands covered up! Driving the kids to clubs no longer seems a chore; at least the car heats up fairly quickly and the corridors of sports centres may have uncomfortable floors to sit on, but at least I’m reasonably warm!
We did wonder if we could manage two winters without heating, but now I think it has taken priority over other building work in the house.
