Keeping Warm - The Thrifty Way

Well, now the weather has turned very cold, keeping warm without spending too much money on the heating is paramount.  Since we've had our basement renovated the whole house has been less draughty and keeps the heat in much better but we still make every effort to be careful and not profligate over using the central heating.

We tend to use it for a couple of hours in the morning to warm up the house and then the thermostat automatically switches it on if the temperature goes below 17 degrees centigrade.  In reality it maybe comes on a couple of times during the day for short periods.  My partner manages this meticulously as he hates spending money he doesn't have to.

This morning, before the snow started laying too thickly, he was out in the cold chopping up the remains of a couple of wooden doors taken out of the house during the building work.  These doors weren't really good enough to pass on to anyone else, so they have become firewood and will keep the fire going for the next few weeks.

We use the open fire in our living room every evening after dinner and it keeps us warm enough until bed time.  We use a bit of smokeless coal to get it started and then tend to top up with firewood when we have it.  It is a luxury I really enjoy during the autumn/winter.  Nothing beats being sat in front of it crafting or watching tv and relaxing on an evening.  It is the heart of the home at this time of year.