How to keep RENTED house warm?

cormie

Where I am at the moment has no central heating or back boiler. I just have an open fire. It really only heats the room it's in when it's on and if I have it on at night, by morning, the house is freezing again.

The only radiators I have are the storage heaters like this:
but I prefer just having the fire on and apparently the storage heaters are quite expensive (although I have used up a whole bag of coal in 24 hours if I keep the fire going throughout the night before, that's €11!).

It's rented accommodation so I can't go busting down walls. It's also pretty small so should be easy to heat.

Any suggestions on how I can keep the place warm when the flame burns out?

Mellor

Extra clothes. And i'm not trying to be funny.
Alot of people spend far too much on heating simply because they sit about with too little clothes on.

10-10-20

If you build up the retained heat in the walls (core temperature) and close off any rooms which you aren't using, also exclude draughts in windows and under doors, you may have a better chance. What is the insulation like in the attic?

Stoner

just a thought, are you using the vents on your Storage heaters correctly, as you may or may not know, you can control the rate of heat

sunnysoutheast

If you have access to the attic/roofspace adding some more fibreglass insulation would be a good place to start - just make sure you don't cover any downlighters etc.

Then look at draughts coming in around windows and doors, maybe heavier curtains and one of those "snakes" for the front door.

Sounds like it's quite old so you're probably limited in what you can achieve, but make sure you ask the landlord. He/she may even buy the insulation/draughtproofing for you if you agree to put it in.

One final thing - don't be tempted to put in a Calor gas heater or equivalent unless you have adequate ventilation sorted out.

SSE

cormie

Thanks for the replies. I'm on the bottom floor so above me is another house so no attic at all. I don't think there's much draught but I'll try the oul candle trick to check.

I don't actually use the storage heaters at all. What kind of cost would be involved as opposed to the open fire?

This is the plan of my place:


I sleep right beside the fire which is nice. Not sure of the exact measurements on the length by width but in the back room, a chest freezer and a piano take up the whole right hand side of the wall so it's not that big at all.

It can also be pretty nippy at the top of the hotpress. I think there's an air vent in it?

antoinolachtnai

How do you know the storage heaters are expensive? Have you actually checked (by monitoring the meter)?

Keeping a storage heater going in one room should cost a lot less than 11 euros a day.

Is that an external door on your bedroom? I'd say there might be some draughts there. I am guessing this house is old (because the fireplace is installed diagonally).

Antoin.

Alfasudcrazy

I think you need a gas heater - one of those calor gas types with the three vertical bars - ideal as it can be moved from room to room and is quite cheap to run.

I also stayed in rented accommodation and agree storage heaters are expensive to run and are very poor at heating the place at the right times anyway.

I would complain to the landlord about the cold and if I did not get satisfaction I would find another place. There must be plenty of newish well insulated apartments available now.