Tuesday, September 9, 2008

winter woes



The weather has sapped me of any urge to do anything. Even now it's gone nice. I think hibernation is setting in, only slightly against my will.


Where are the mists and mellow fruitfulness? Normally September's pretty balmy. We get a nice Indian summer before the winter sets in. We don't usually start turning on our radiators until mid-October but I almost feel the need of them right now. I had a hot water bottle last night. After a sadly dismal bath that was only about six inches deep. Our immersion heats for the sink at the moment, but not the bath. Nor does our toilet flush properly. Our ancient windows are leaking and let in draughts, and we need a new boiler, and gas piped up the lane, in the absence of an alternative eco heating system that actually works. Geothermal heating sounds great in theory, but I don't think it could give us a 100% of our heat. The roof needs a new fascia. The greatest crime of all might be the avocado bathroom suite.


It really is the home owner's curse. I'd say we could cheerfully spend about fifty grand on repairs, insulation, windows, doors, storage, heating, refurbishment... but at the moment we're struggling with the mortgage.


The sun is sparkling right now, and making me feel better, but I'm still yearning for a pot of gold for the winter heating bill.



6 comments:

Tatiana Franey said...

i feel your pain! we are building a house and don't have money for the geothermal heating for now, so have electric :( and will add geothermal one day (that's the plan anyway). and struggling with rent and the mortgage to build it. and winter is here but my body yearns for summer...
tatoca

Jo said...

Aw, you win on the stress and misery stakes then! Did you look into the grants available for the geothermal system? Still not viable?

Lottie said...

There will always be something more to do in a house- it will never ever be finished. If it's not money that's the obstacle - it's time or energy or inclination.

Luckily - our place is like a sauna most of the year round and we rearel have to use the heaters - yet our ESB bill is sky high.

Put on some extra clothes. it sounds silly - but seriously - it costs nothing.

Jo said...

No, you're totally right! I have a husband who sits there in at shirt no matter what the weather, and says 'It's a bit cold, will I turn the heat on?'

Anonymous said...

We were only talking yesterday at work about how people who suffer from SAD must now be depressed all year round.

We've no heating at all at the moment - the plumber starts today on a new central heating system, so I ended up going to bed at 9 last night coz of the cold (which is why I'm on the Dart at 6.30 again this morning)

Jo said...

I definitely feels weird to be facing into a dark autumn and winter without having had a proper summer season.

I know I got a bit of sunshine in California in May, but there was aso a fair amount of mist and rain up on the hill I was staying on - and then there was the whole funeral thing, and the solo travelling... I definitely still feel like I need a holiday.