It is that time of year again when everyone asks the question..."should I turn on the heat?" It is a hard question to answer. If you were lucky enough to bask in the heat of the sun this Summer, you may feel the need to turn on your heat before the rest of us. If you are like me, where the Summer produced limited days over 72 F (22 C), then you may be able to hold off a little longer.
For the past 3 years, I have barely been able to keep my house above 56 F (14 C), even letting it get down to 53 F (12 C) on more than a few occasions, and yet last year we were still left with a £350 bill for Dec-Feb that we just finished paying off. This time when we moved we decided to sign up for direct debit so we pay a fixed rate every month for our gas/electricity (that is until we start using more and then the direct debit goes up). Luckily Britain has an open market when it comes to gas/electricity suppliers, so you are allowed to shop around and change suppliers at will.
With the Spout due to make an appearance at the end of November we have some time to go without turning on the heat, however, the recent problem with the cellar has left us to un-needingly turn on the heat to dry out the room. Because I feel it is such a waste, I think we are just going to lie and tell the property people that we tried having the heat on for a few days and it didn't work and therefore we need a to borrow a dehumidifier. Honestly, I don't see how blasting the heat in a drafty cellar improves the dampness, especially when you live in a wet climate. We also have to keep the window open in order for the moisture to escape, it just doesn't make sense. NB: We learned that the landlord DID know about the cellar because there was a burst water pipe not to long ago and that is why the cellar was damp...Thanks a lot!
Because of the tightness of our budget, I did look into what a baby needs the temperature to be in the house. I was happy to find that we should have the house between 65 F (18 C) and 70 F(21 C), which isn't too bad. I also read the wisdom of others and they suggested that if you are too cold, so is the baby. Also, we have received so many beautiful knitted sweaters from Richard's Nan, that the Sprout has no chance of going cold this Winter.
So to sum up my Thankful Anyway post...
Yes, it sucks to have to pay for heat. Heating a house in incredibly expensive, almost unfair. However I am thankful anyway because I am looking forward to having a reason to turn on the heat. Being cold is miserable and adds to my S.A.D. I enjoy wearing my woolly sweaters and green, fleece "pickle suit," but being afraid to turn the heat on when even the silk PJs don't keep me warm makes Winter long and depressing (and after all I actually kinda like Winter, not February though...I HATE February).
