I have had a really nasty viral infection which has left me feeling cold and unwell. During the time I was most ill I had the heat on more than usual and I notice my bill has almost doubled. I now wish I had put more layers on to keep warm. What do you do when you are unwell and need to keep warm? Do you keep the heat on and worry about the cost later or do you find another way to save energy?
Oh so sorry to hear you are not well! I hope you are feeling better now. Don't beat up yourself over the extra heat, you needed that to feel better, if you hadn't kept yourself warm, you would have had taken a longer time to recover. Sometimes, when you are not well, you simply cannot think straight, just adding layers would make you feel stifled instead of better, so it is okay. You can always make up for the increased bill later when you are up and good and can wear layers without any discomfort.
Our situation is the opposite because our problem here is the heat. When you are sick during summer, you don’t actually feel cold and you feel that you need air conditioning to alleviate your condition. When I had a flu, I would rest in the backyard right under our mango tree. And when the heat gets unbearable, I can use the electric fan. It’s comfortable in an air conditioned room but as much as I can endure the outdoor, that is better because I get fresh air.
I always wear extra warm clothes, close the windows and stay indoors. I can also switch the lights on if the house is a little dark but not with the intention of getting more energy. I also make warm drinks and drink. Things like porridge or warm water mixed with ginger can help you feel better. You can also drink warm soup or herbal tea. This methods are cheaper and won't require you to put on many electric appliances for extra energy.
Hope you get well soon.... However, I think there are many other ways that you could keep warm rather than using electricity. You could use firewood or charcoal if it doesn't affect you. I come from Kenya and this place gets cold sometimes but we don't use electricity to keep warm. We mostly use charcoal or solar heated water that keeps the houses warm even at night. There's always a way to avoid incurring extra costs on energy bills.
Same as @Alexandoy, as I am staying in tropical country, here we don't need heater but most of the time we turn on air-conditioner. I am trying to save electricity and also it's better for health, so we try not to turn on the air conditioner most of the time. But when I am feeling sick, I feel much better with the air conditioner turned on. If I really don't want to turn on the air conditioner, I'll try to take a shower as often as needed, it helps me to cool down too. As for getting warm, I suppose putting on blanket will help, right? Hope you'll get well soon.
