# Advice needed please for OAP heating



## Monsoon (28 Nov 2010)

Can anyone give me some advice 

I need to buy some type of electric heaters for my 90 year old grandmother.  Her flat has absolutely no heating and extremely poor insulating. she has two plug in oil radiators which run her ESB bill up so high she hardly turns them on - its heart breaking to see her cold her place is freezing tonight. She is afraid to turn on the heaters as her last bill was nearly 500 euro. I want to see if I could get some new heaters which would be more efficient to run than the oil radiators but dont want to buy her something that will make her ESB bill even higher. So any advice on electric heaters which are most economical would be really helpful please. 

Would really appreciate some advice as I dont want to run her bills higher than they already are. If you could advise me that would be really great!


----------



## Fullback (28 Nov 2010)

You don't say if your granny owns her flat.

If so, there are some grants that may be available to her to improve her housing/heating conditions.

Check out the Warmer Homes Scheme [broken link removed]

Also, the Housing Aid for Older Persons Scheme, http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...mes/housing_aid_for_older_persons_scheme.html 

Sorry, can't help with heater types.


----------



## allthedoyles (29 Nov 2010)

Her plug-in oil radiators are more than likely 2kw each , which means that they are using 2 units of electricity an hour .

There are 1.5kw heaters out there , but this will not solve high ESB charges .

You could look at switching to a different  electricity supplier , or you could also look at buying a gas fire and check if your OPA is entitled to a gas refill allowance as well as the ESB allowance .

Read up on the Households Benefits package here :

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/HouseholdBenefits/Pages/hb.aspx


----------



## Monsoon (29 Nov 2010)

Thanks for the replies - some good ideas here - yes she does own the flat its very small and old though! will check out those options - thank you.


----------



## nai (29 Nov 2010)

can you give us some idea of the type of flat ?
- number of rooms
- types of windows/doors
- what floor it's on
- is there an attic
- chimney

insulating may be more cost effective than paying for heating


----------



## burmo (29 Nov 2010)

Hi,

All electric heaters are the same efficiency...  what I'm using and find benefical is ceramic halogen heaters... they radiate heat directly onto what they're pointing at... so one of them (1.2kw on full) makes a person feel a lot warmer than a 1.2kw convection / oil filled radiator will.  

Those 1.2kw halogen heaters are between 17 and 23 euros at lots of different shops.


----------



## pudds (29 Nov 2010)

As well as Households Benefits package your mam mayble entitled to the Fuel Allowance, which is €23p.w.  if living in an urban area, slightly less if a rural area. 

Good insulation is the key.  If only single glaze windows try to use heavy lined curtains.  Temporarily block up open fire place if not in use by putting a piece of hardboard or siimilar in front of it. They all help a bit.


----------



## Bluebells (29 Nov 2010)

What were you doing all summer ? Last week ? This weather was well forecasted. 
Why didn't you get the heating/insulating/research done then. What are you doing on here asking how to warm your grandmother? Did you not know it would get cold in the winter? 
Help her pay her bill and switch on the heaters. She will die in a flat with no heat.


----------



## bullworth (29 Nov 2010)

An electric blanket might be beneficial . They seem pretty cheap to run.


----------



## Sue Ellen (29 Nov 2010)

Hi,

Sorry to hear that your poor Gran is cold in this terrible weather.  If you contact Age Action they might be able to give help and guidance.


----------



## Monsoon (30 Nov 2010)

Thank you for all the helpful ideas here - I got the electric blanket during the summer - and have got two new ceramic heaters today.  Am looking into the grants also and the insulation. Thats a great idea about the curtains thank you.
Age aciton have put me in the direction of the warmer homes scheme and am waiting on them to call back so thank you all for your help

@Bluebell - I think you are very quick to judge here - I have been extremely ill during the summer spending 8 weeks in hospital - so fyi thats what I was doing - and if I had the money of course I would pay all bills but at the moment Im barely putting my own heating on for two hours per day. I did not find your reply in any way helpful Im afraid - best of luck to you and thank you to those who gave me some great ideas in a short space of time which is exactly why I came here to ask people for ideas which I could act on quickly.


----------



## Pennyscraper (1 Dec 2010)

Hi Monsoon,

my Granny's 97 and I know where you're coming from. I sleep over there on Sunday nights for the last few years (we all do) so we get to experience what she does. Luckily, house is snug with a lot of improved insulation & windows courtesy of the council (she owns her own house) and a well tended open fire. Many of us are not happy with an open fire arrangement because of the risk but its something she enjoys to look at. She was born in 1913 after all, so an open fire means the world to her.

But...... having said that, if you look at this link here on Boards.ie, I have to say I'm finding a digitally controlled kerosene heater intriguing. Costs about 270-290 but pushes out excellent heat. See http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056086261 Also has a carbon monoxide detector. Which is vital !

You could also opt for the older technology wick style. They are not digitally controlled and a bit more fussy to start / stop etc and for that reason may not be suitable around a very elderly lady, where people mightn't drop in for 5 hours or more at a time. So, as others say, either ceramic / halogen heaters or this kind of high tech  paraffin / kerosene heater.

Hope that helps and, as you know, the biggest killer of all is winter. always has been, always will be. Best wishes this winter and mind yourself too.


----------



## Monsoon (2 Dec 2010)

many thanks - will have a look at this one also.


----------



## Pennyscraper (6 Dec 2010)

Hi Monsoon,

don't forget this little beauty coming up oin Lidl this Thursday. As someone above said, they give an instant feeling of warmth. [broken link removed] And can be used as a fan in the summer too!


----------

