Hi there
I live in a flat where I have a timer electric heater in the lounge, and the bedrooms have electric heaters which you can only switch on when you are there.
As I am at work all day, and sometimes away for weekends, I only keep the timed one on and not the bedroom heaters. As it is so cold I have noticed mould growing on some of the clothes in the wardrobe!! They smell of damp, too. There does not seem to be a way of keeping the place warm when I'm away, and I can't afford to keep the heaters on all the time - there isn't much choice in how strong the heat is on those, so it is a total waste of money keeping it on even when I'm not home for 2 or 3 days.
Is there any anti-damp device or anything I can try to stop this bloody mould? It is also very cold, if you haven't been in for a while, am dreading a cold winter :help:
I can't afford to spend too much on any gadgets etc, but would welcome any suggestions.
Thanks all:)

Hi there
I live in a flat where I have a timer electric heater in the lounge, and the bedrooms have electric heaters which you can only switch on when you are there.
As I am at work all day, and sometimes away for weekends, I only keep the timed one on and not the bedroom heaters. As it is so cold I have noticed mould growing on some of the clothes in the wardrobe!! They smell of damp, too. There does not seem to be a way of keeping the place warm when I'm away, and I can't afford to keep the heaters on all the time - there isn't much choice in how strong the heat is on those, so it is a total waste of money keeping it on even when I'm not home for 2 or 3 days.
Is there any anti-damp device or anything I can try to stop this bloody mould? It is also very cold, if you haven't been in for a while, am dreading a cold winter :help:
I can't afford to spend too much on any gadgets etc, but would welcome any suggestions.
Thanks all:)

I had the same problem and solved it by running a dehumidifer 24/7. This sucks a lot of water out of the air and hence there is less water to condense on your walls, clothes etc.

Thanks - I thought about it..but aren't they expensive? And how much would that add on your electricity bill, if you run it 24/7?!

Thanks - I thought about it..but aren't they expensive? And how much would that add on your electricity bill, if you run it 24/7?!

my elec bill is 15 pounds per month. But I do not leave lights on in rooms when not there, dont leave tv on standby etc so that cuts it down quite a bit.

That sounds cheap, wow! I try to leave lights off etc as well, but my heating alone is about £20 a month! What sort of dehumidifier should I go for, what do you have? And how much was it. Thanks:)

That sounds cheap, wow! I try to leave lights off etc as well, but my heating alone is about £20 a month! What sort of dehumidifier should I go for, what do you have? And how much was it. Thanks:)

well my heating is gas which costs me more than 15 per month :(

It didnt cost me anything because my landlord supplied it. I would have thought if you rent your landlord should (dunno whether legally he/she has to) supply it too because the property cannot be considered habitable if it has mold from damp.

cant see a brand name on it so dont know what sort it is

Oh I see what you mean, you have gas heating..that makes sense now. I'm not sure about talking to the landlord, already renting at a discount so may seem too cheeky to ask..will have a look for dehumidifiers online. I'm assuming they are quite big..? Don't even know what one looks like lol:)

just looked up dehumidifers - so expensive:shocked:

just looked up dehumidifers - so expensive:shocked:

maybe you should point out to your landlord a dehumidifier is cheaper than repairing the damage caused by mold.

Yes the thing is he already said to the previous tenant to open windows and make sure the place is heated because he had mould too, it got really bad, think that was because he left wet stuff in one of the bedrooms ( I obviously don't do that). but how can you keep the heating on all the time in every room (see original post!!), or open the windows th place is cold already any warmth left will go out the window! Suppose I can try and mention to him some time soon, see what he says.

If your windows have vents try to leave them open. This should ensure the air circuates thus preventing mould growth. If not try having a word with your landlord. A mouldy house is not fit to live in.

Warmth and circulation of air do reduce damp and mould. Doesn't mean the heating has to be on all the time, but its worth opening all the windows for a short time every day. I've seen really bad mould in bathrooms - all because the windows are kept shut. Its often hard to get people to believe condensation can cause such damp conditions, but it can.

Warmth and circulation of air do reduce damp and mould. Doesn't mean the heating has to be on all the time, but its worth opening all the windows for a short time every day. I've seen really bad mould in bathrooms - all because the windows are kept shut. Its often hard to get people to believe condensation can cause such damp conditions, but it can.

For once Ms Macbeth i agree with you. We always open the bathroom window after going in the shower/bath regardless of the weather/temperature. It allows the air to circulate and reduces mould growth and to be honest the bathroom dont really need to be warm. You dont spend long in there!

Oddly enough the bathroom is where no mould ever grows, and although it is persihingly cold, there is no damp smell etc. It is the bedrooms that are the problem. I see your point in opening windows, although when you are away for a couple of days with no heating, you can't leave the windows open. A am also on the ground floor so wouldn't always feel safe about opening windows - and it would have to be in the evening when I am back at home.

I personally think that having just electric as a heat source is expensive and ineffective.
I know this won't help, but if you can afford to move I would. I have been in this position myself and have never found a solution to the problem.

Gas central heating is much better, as it seems to warm the entire property, although you do need to open windows for the occasional fresh air.

I agree entirely. Trouble is, I can't afford to move in the foreseeable future, in fact only moved here this year, and unless you rent a house (can't afford as on my own), 99% of flats have only electric heating:(
So, I will have to find some solution or other. Can't have all this mould growing if I'm going to stay here for another couple of years or so:help:

Just some info off the net

"Dehumidifiers will help dry out damp in newly built houses. They can also help reduce condensation in warm rooms with a lot of moisture, but they are of little use in cold damp rooms.

Points to remember
Produce less moisture:

cover pans
dry clothes outdoors
vent your tumble dryer to the outside
avoid using paraffin or flueless bottled gas heaters
Ventilate to remove moisture:

ventilate when someone is in
increase ventilation of the kitchen and bathroom when in use and shut the door
ventilate cupboards, wardrobes and blocked chimneys

Find out if you are eligible for a grant or other help

find out about benefits, rebates and help with fuel bills

If you are a householder who receives an income-related benefit or Disability Living Allowance, or if you are a householder over 60, you may be able to get help under the Warm Front scheme. Further information on grants under the Warm Front Scheme.


Your local gas or electricity company can give advice about budget schemes like fuel saving stamps which spread the costs of heating.

Thanks, that's a lot of info, sadly most of it doesn't apply to me, and it's a shame about dehumidifiers, if they only help in warm rooms. So what do I do?? Any gadgets for cold damp places around?:help:

Just heaters i reckon mate.
You could get a timer plug switch for your separate heaters so they come on for a bit every other hour or so just to raise the temp a bit. A few degrees warmer will make quite a difference. You could also check whether your elec is cheaper in off peak hours and time them to come on then.

If the switches are not compatible with your heaters, you can pick up really cheap fan / halogen heaters - like £10 or so from Netto type shops

timer plug switches sound like a good idea. where can you buy them from cheaply? I could do with a couple of them. Are they programmable to switch on every day at a certain time?:)

Just realised I was being daft..my heaters don't plug into a wall socket, rather they have a switch built into the wall so can't have timed switches..any other way to control the heaters, if they haven't got a plug??:help:

timer plug switches sound like a good idea. where can you buy them from cheaply? I could do with a couple of them. Are they programmable to switch on every day at a certain time?:)

yeah you can program them to go on and off as many times as you want whenever you want i think. Try Maplin electronics -
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?TabID=1&criteria=usb&ModuleNo=27346&doy=search&C=SO&U=Strat15

less than a fiver!

thanks for that, but see above post - realised that my heaters do not plug into a socket, they have a switch that looks like a light switch that is what you control them with, so can't use timer plugs:(

thanks for that, but see above post - realised that my heaters do not plug into a socket, they have a switch that looks like a light switch that is what you control them with, so can't use timer plugs:(

no but you can pick up a heater for less than £20

Yes I see, so I could get a couple of heaters and then time switches for them..still quite a bit of money considering it's really my landlord who should be paying it:mad:
Suppose I could see if I can get some cheap heaters..but then the cheap ones are always the most expensive ones to run aren't they!