Friday 20 January 2023
According to my computer, it’s one degree with a feels-like temperature of minus two outdoors. Indoors, it’s seven degrees. Maybe we were broken in gently with heating problems. Maybe the multi-fuel burner with the crucial tap turned off (the one that allowed the heat to circulate) was an introduction, then we had a hint of how good it could be, but then we got an extortionate electricity bill (though there are other issues with that than ‘just’ that we used the heating ‘too much’) so limited the heating, then the thermostat stopped working and the default temperature seemed to be somewhere between ten and fourteen degrees. And now, as of last night, the boiler is showing no signs of life. Nothing. No lights, no sounds. Nothing. And it’s cold. Very cold. And we have our first visitor arriving this afternoon. We will of course use the dreaded multi-fuel burner again, though that’s no longer connected to the heating system, but will at least take the chill off the living room. As for the plan B of warming up in the hot tub, the hot tub man sent a message last night asking Chris to call him today as he’s had a “wee accident” at work. We have filled the hot tub ready for his visit today. I’m thinking the odds are high he won’t be coming today.
So, to recap, we currently have no heating, no hot water, no hot tub and it’s cold. We are both very much over heating, plumbing and boiler issues. Thank goodness I did a wash three days ago and my thermals are dry. I’m wearing them, corduroy trousers, the thickest walking socks I have, a vest, a thermal turtleneck top and a large rollneck jumper. Only my extremities are currently cold. It’s very hard not to bang on about how cold it is when you’re this cold and know it’s going to get colder with potentially another night of no boiler (surely an electrician can come out today???). All meals will be cooked in the oven and the oven door opened as much as possible. I can hardly bear to think how it is for people who have chosen not to use their heating or ovens or kettles or lights because they can’t afford the energy bills and for whom every day is like this, but without the mug of tea I am currently hugging-typing-sipping-typing-hugging.
Snow is still lingering on the ground and it looks lovely outside, I’m not sure if our friend, Kyla, knows that we still have snow; I’m hoping it might be a nice surprise. Subject to a few chores, a last-minute tidy-up, the plan is for me to head out to Lockerbie shortly after eleven, go to the supermarket, try to find an electric heater of some kind and/or a water bottle (sold out in Peebles when we looked the other day), finish putting up a hangy-board type thing (IKEA Skadis) that I was distracted from affixing by the fact the radiators hadn’t turned on when they should have – Must. Not. Bring. Every. Conversation. Back. To. How. [Expletive]. Cold. It. Is – and maybe even bake a birthday cake (yes, it’s going to be a memorable birthday for Kyla tomorrow; bitterly cold. But there will be cake, dammit).
