The Canny Lass

Well, one tealight heater. I was curious to know if it actually would heat a room. And there was some heat off of it, but does it heat a whole room? I had mine burning in my kitchen, which is quite big and it definitely took the chill off the air. I think, in an emergency, yes it would contribute heat to a cold room, but not so it was as toasty as my gas central heating. I bought mine from Aliexpress for £15.31 (including taxes) and I already had the tealights, but was it worth the money? I don’t think so. I would probably have been better investing the money in a warm jumper.

Anyway, how have things been? Today, I actually remembered to fix my energy tariffs with my provider. I’m with Octopus and it was really easy to fix it. I just went online and followed their instructions. Energy prices are rising next month due to the new Energy Price Cap, so if you haven’t changed your supplier or fixed your tariff (providing it’s a good tariff to fix to) yet, I’d suggest you have a look into it now. Martin Lewis, aka the Money Saving Expert, has a great article explaining it all. For me, the act of fixing my rate means I know exactly what I’ll be paying over the next 16 months and that will help with budgeting.

In the meantime, while the weather is still cold outside, I’ll still be trying to cut down my energy consumption by only putting the heating on for a short while during the day and evening. I’ve also taken to wearing layers inside to stay warm, which was good when I took the dogs out for a walk earlier. We live near the River Clyde in Scotland and during the winter the wind whips off the river and freezers you to the marrow. There’s a nice walk by the river where I walk the dogs, but, by God, it was COLD today. Thank God for a warm jacket with a hood and gloves! And I had a vest on under my clothes for that added warmth. Don’t underestimate how much additional heat a vest gives you and a double layer of warm socks. They do make a difference.

Here are my other top tips for staying warm during the winter/Scottish spring:

• drink lots of warm drinks and eat hot food
• wear layers: wear a vest or t-shirt under your normal clothes, double up on socks and wear tights or thermal leggings under your trousers; wear a hat, scarf and gloves outside and inside too if you need them
• move around – I definitely feel colder if I’m sitting in one place for too long, which isn’t great as my job is desk bound
• wear slippers indoors and warm shoes or boots outside
• if using your oven for cooking, once finished turn the oven off and open the door to allow the heat to escape into the kitchen
• there’s nothing nicer than a blanket to drape over you whilst lounging on the sofa watching telly plus it keeps you warm and cosy, and you can buy inexpensive ones online

Talking of hot food, here’s my favourite recipe for lentil soup that I got from one of those community-written charity cook books years ago:

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• four large carrots grated
• one large onion grated
• one medium sized potato grated
• large handful of red lentils (I don’t measure lentils, but you need at least a cup’s worth)
• half a turnip (also known as a Swede) grated
• two ham stock cubes
• two litres of water

Bung it all into a large pot and simmer until it’s all cooked. Stir occasionally. Have a taste before you serve it. If it needs something extra add some salt (do it a little at a time) and/ or pepper (I like some pepper in my soup as it adds a wee zing). Serve in a nice soup bowl with a cheese sandwich or bread and butter.

Top Tip

This is a no-brainer and one I’m sure you already know! Take a packed lunch to work and a bottle (reusable preferably) of water. Not only will you save money (you can easily spend £25 a week on lunch at work), but it can be healthier. You can make delicious sandwiches or take leftovers from the meal the night before.