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Electric blanket? Cheap to run and effective.
https://www.dunelm.com/product/cosy-and-warm-electric-blanket-1000193268?beddingSize=Kingsize&defaultSkuId=30652064&ds_c=QandP_Electric+Blankets_%5BGOO-LIA-QANDP-ELECTRIC%5D&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMGcBhCSARIsAIW6d0ALvy_2gTMofKdCVUYEFyxQltGgt02uiAjPdjNwHXUiQWK-iDnnieIaAmu6EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds -
Any other ideas?
+1 leccy blankets but they have to be safe.
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If you've got some time I'm sure they'd appreciate if you check the usual things. Do all the windows and doors close properly (I'm now a DG ninja, getting them all shut tight for winter at all the houses I frequent), does it have nice fitting heavy curtains. Gas heating, is the boiler at the right pressure, right input/output temps, all the rads working and not full of air or sludged up, have a go at setting TRV's appropriately for the rooms they use the most. Maybe show them that its worth going around and physically turning the TRV depending on time of day so the heat they are paying for is going into the room they are in and not heating some back spare junk room to 25c for no reason*
Older/not well folk really need a background heat in their bedroom for Nov>March, ideally something safe so if they forget it doesn't cause a fire or burns. Oil filled 1-2 kw electric plug in job is a good call, often not enough in an old house to actually get the room upto temp, but enough to maintain reasonably well some heat overnight until the gas CH comes back on timer.
Electric blanket + quality high tog new duvet (they degrade over time, age, sweat, use) is the most efficient thing to do to ensure they are warm and well and get some proper rest.
*This is a real issue, when I've had older family they weren't senile, but certainly get stuck in their ways. YES its important to sort of heat and air out unused rooms, but honestly number of times I'd go into a totally unused room (one set of grandparents had closed the door to a badly built 70's extension one winter, and taped the cracks shut to keep the cold in/out...) only to find a set of rads pumping out heat making those rooms warmer than the actually used parts of the house. And a week later i'd return to find they'd done it again. We'll all be old one day and also get stuck in our ways, ad nauseum.
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Howard
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@cjr
From a practical point of view, what can I do to help out our elderly neighbours? They rent the 3 bed, un-modernised victorian terrace next to ours. He asked me the other day if we were cold at night as the 'have never been this cold'. I suspect they are not using the heating much, if at all.
I was going to but them a super warm duvet and say we were given it as a house warming gift but don't use it.
I also have a modern 1.5KW oil filled radiator that I could lend them to just heat the one room, but I don't want to give them something that will send their bills sky high.
They are hard of hearing, but I'm going to try and ascertain if they are on a DD or smart meter. If they are on a smart meter I will try to check that they have received and used the vouchers that are sent as the Gov £400 support payments.
Any other ideas?