Mum plans to sit in Wetherspoons all day as 'it's much cheaper than heating the home'

A mum has revealed that she is planning to sit in a Wetherspoons all day because 'it's cheaper than heating the home.'

Heidi Ondrak, 51, said her gas and electric bill has increased by a £98 a month to £268, and this number is set to increase further with the October price cap hike.

The project manager and mum-of-two is now getting creative as she attempts to navigate the cost of living crisis and is planning to sit in Wetherspoons during the winter months.

The budget restaurant offers diners a £1 unlimited coffee option, which she plans to take advantage of.

She explained that she works from home and said the restaurant and the library are her best options for keeping warm this winter.

"It's tricky if you have to make calls," she admitted, "but if you just need to do some desk work it might be helpful to save you some money."

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Heidi added: "I try to do as much as I can to save where I can.

"I had the idea to buy some garden solar lights in the sale and can charge them up all day on the window and then use them in the evening so we’re not using electricity by having the lights on.

"I haven't used my oven in months as it costs so much more to heat than my airfryer or slow cooker.

"I've got my heated blanket ready for the winter months."

Heidi explained that even though her energy bill has increased by 174 percent, her provider, Eon, quoted her even higher.

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She explained: "They had quoted me £388 at first but I haggled to get it down to a more affordable price and explained all the things I would do to cut my energy bill down.

"It's definitely worth doing this.

"I stopped using the oven and hob as I worked out that to cook a roast chicken was coating me about £1.80 for two hours, whereas if I do it in the slow cooker it costs about 80p for eight hours.

"My teenagers still like quick freezer food, but I get them to defrost it in the fridge slightly first, which lowers the temperature of your fridge too, before cooking it for 10 minutes in the air fryer.

"I make an inventory of my fridge and freezer so that I'm working my meals around what I already have and only buying what I need.

"I batch cook a lot too to get more out of the meals."

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As well as this, the savvy mum is showering at the gym to keep costs down at home.

"If you normally shower at home and swap to showering at the gym I worked out that you could save £760 a year on the electricity bill - if you have an electric shower - and £320 if your shower is run through gas, as you're not using the energy to warm up the water," she said.

"My gym is just a five-minute walk away and costs £20 a month so I make sure to use the shower there when I go for a workout.

The mum added that she's also got a four-minute timer on showers at home to keep costs down.

Another area where the mum is keeping costs down is with washing, and she said that if it smells alright, she will spray her clothes instead of putting them in the machine.

Tyla has reached out to Eon for comment.

Topics: Real Life

Emma Guinness

@guinness_emma