What heat to use when supply chains break down?

Russia cut the gas supply to France also a few days ago.

I don't know if this would be helpful or not, but in winter, when we lived in a bigger house, we used to shut down completely part of it.  i.e.  We only used the kitchen, bathroom and the living room that we converted into a bedroom with a sofa bed for the duration.

Heavy insulating curtains on doors and windows makes a big difference and so would shutters if you had them.  Both would even be better!  I know it might sound daft, but in the very olden days, people used to wear a hat at night, well I can vouch that it really helps to keep you warm, most of the body heat escaping through the head.  Of course, as mentioned above, hot water bottles are a must, especially if you put them in your bed 20 minutes before you go in.  And don't discount your dog as a source of heat!  A dog in bed is worth a few hot water bottles!!

During the day, it depends on your activity.  I think people have already mentioned, long johns, woollies etc.  If sitting a lot, blankets and old eiderdowns are good to cover your legs or over your shoulders.   I you have any thrift shops in Germany, go now and stock up on blankets, duvets and woollen items.

Being in Germany, I would assume that you have double glazing on your windows.  When I was living in the UK and we only had those stupid single glazed sash windows with a gap on either sides the size of a canyon allowing the cold wind to blow into the house, I used to tape some large clear plastic sheets over the window frames making an affordable temporary but efficient double glazing.  Mind you, there is no reason why you could not do it also and have triple glazing!

Keep hot water in thermos flasks in case your supply of gas/electricity is erratic.  Drink hot teas or soups, even if it is just miso in hot water.

I agree with another poster, do not let your house go cold, it will take so long and so much fuel to warm the walls and get the house warm again.

I cannot comment on your source of heating as I do not know the rules and regulations in Germany neither do I know your particular situation.  Renting is always going to be a bit limiting in what you can or cannot do.

Whatever you do, I wish you the very best and hope that this winter will not be too cold.

Like many people have said before: Prepare for the worst and hope for the best! Good luck and keep us posted, we are in for a rough ride!

I've just read through this thread and feel I need to butt in with my take on Jeremy's predicament.  I am from Maine (NE corner of America).  Very cold, long winters.  I grew up in mostly old uninsulated houses with no furnaces in the city of Bangor.  They were heated with a kerosene cook stove in the kitchen and a kerosene pot-bellied stove in the living room.  There were vents (registers) in the ceiling above to allow heat to rise to the bedrooms.  In winter we closed off all unused rooms and lived in the two rooms with the stoves.  At night mom would iron the bottom sheet of our beds and once inside our cocoon of blankets and quilts slept soundly though every breath released a cloud of vapor in the cold air.  When temps dropped to -20F or lower, we all slept in the living room.  I left Maine when I was 17 after joining the Army.  

I returned to Maine 50 years later and bought a century+ old Victorian house in central Maine and started renovating it.  It had an 80-year-old oil furnace and boiler that supplied hot water to all the sinks and bathtub and to circulating hot water baseboard heaters in every room.  It had old wooden windows that rattled when the wind blew, which was most of the time, a wood fireplace in the living room that was unusable because there was no damper and the chimney needed major repairs to the brickwork and a new flue liner.  I sealed it off temporarily.  The local heating company advised me that if I was going to upgrade the oil furnace I would have to repair that chimney and install a flue liner as well.  They recommended converting to a new efficient gas furnace and boiler for US$7,000 that didn't require a chimney.  I was on a tight budget and figured my money would be best spent on sealing up the air leaks and replacing the 23 leaky windows with dual pane insulated windows.

The first winter I replaced 6 of the windows and closed off unused rooms with blankets and plastic sheeting, covered remaining leaky windows with plastic, turned the furnace down to 55F and tried to heat only the kitchen and dining room (my office) with two electric oil radiators during the hours I was in them.  Wearing warm clothing, wool socks, and fleece slippers, I was quite comfortable.

Unfortunately, the gauge on the oil tank wasn't working, so during the coldest part of winter, I ran out of fuel oil and everything froze.  Two copper pipes burst and flooded my sun-room.  The plumber couldn't get there until the next day, so I spent a day and a night mopping up water and wringing into buckets which I poured down the kitchen sink.  Seems I had missed one shut off valve and the water was still coming in through the main to the upstairs pipes and draining down to the broken pipes.  When the plumber arrived he shut off everything and drained the entire system attic to basement.  Then he replaced the broken copper pipes with PEX, refilled the boiler, restarted the furnace (the oil company had delivered more fuel), and opened the shut offs to one zone at a time until the whole system was active again.  We found no other leaks, so I was good for the rest of that winter.  My heating bill, even at 55F, was nearly US$3,000 that first winter.  At today's fuel prices, it would have been at least double that.  That's nuts!

By the following winter I had replaced all 23 windows, a couple of exterior doors, and added more insulation to attic and basement.  In November 2019 I finally found my current homestead in southwest Virginia and happily moved from Maine to a more temperate climate where I haven't had to shovel snow or worry about frozen pipes since.

That was my worst case situation.  I lived in central Germany (Mannheim) three winters November 1974 to February 1977 and don't recall it ever being that cold.  I rented an apartment over a farm house outside of the city and heat was provided by my landlady below.  It was always a comfortable 65F-68F.  Again, if I felt chilly, I added a warm layer of clothing and was fine.  Where I am now, I have an electric heat pump with forced air furnace / AC.  I keep the thermostat at 68F in winter and 78F in summer and wear warm clothes in winter and only T-shirts and shorts or jeans in the warmer months.  I intend to add a wood stove this year for backup heat and cooking during power outages which occur frequently here and will likely get worse.

My recommendations:

1.  Don't wait to get to your homestead.  The sooner you get there and start working on your infrastructure and building self-reliance the better.  Get your food self-sufficiency, water and heating set up so you don't have to worry about shortages and economic upheaval which we all know is not just coming, but is already here.

2.  You need to get your fiancee onboard.  If the dog is so sick it can't be moved, it is probably going to die.  Prolonging that date won't help your dog and is costing you valuable time and money that can be better invested in your homestead.  Have the dog euthanized, take the body to a taxidermist if you want it preserved, and do your mourning on the way to America and your homestead.  Get a puppy when you get here and get on with life.  I don't mean to sound cruel, but weighing all factors, it solves several of your current problems.  Moving to a smaller house is just a delaying tactic.  Strategically, it will set you back.

I wish you much luck and success with your homestead and your relationship with your fiancee.

Actually, here in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (or McPommes as I call it), my local friends tell me we can burn in our gardens in March and September only. I haven't checked for myself.

Since I'm usually surrounded by either barley, rape or maize in summer I wouldn't risk sparks! Every year someone's overheating tractor or the like causes a field fire, that's bad enough.

Nobody actually checks your wood is a year old but green wood will badly soot up your chimney so you probably wouldn't. Everyone else will be burning last year's storm bonanza wood, I didn't have a big enough vehicle to go out scavenging with the chainsaw (nor enough practice with it)

I've got half a tank of heating oil and a bunch of wood still in the barn (building waste and old fruit trees). House has foot thick clay ceilings on ground floor. I think I'll be ok... I'm good down to 12C. Hat, thermal underwear, fluffy socks ... and eating lots. My metabolism turns it right to heat. Also got oil rads and electric blankets. I used to live on boats/ sail in winter. I know how to do this! Got a kerosene heater and 10l of fuel still on the boat (which will be in the drive in winter).

They still sell brown coal briquettes in all the supermarkets here (wow). Got some of them in the garage too left over when I bought the place.

Wow, interesting thread. You already got a lot of good advice, I think you just need to make some hard decisions. Regarding your options, countries, the dog... this will be a hard winter for everyone!

Cimarron Layne wrote:My recommendations:

1.  Don't wait to get to your homestead.  The sooner you get there and start working on your infrastructure and building self-reliance the better.  Get your food self-sufficiency, water and heating set up so you don't have to worry about shortages and economic upheaval which we all know is not just coming, but is already here.

2.  You need to get your fiancee onboard.  If the dog is so sick it can't be moved, it is probably going to die.  Prolonging that date won't help your dog and is costing you valuable time and money that can be better invested in your homestead.  Have the dog euthanized, take the body to a taxidermist if you want it preserved, and do your mourning on the way to America and your homestead.  Get a puppy when you get here and get on with life.  I don't mean to sound cruel, but weighing all factors, it solves several of your current problems.  Moving to a smaller house is just a delaying tactic.  Strategically, it will set you back.

I agree with Cimarron. You should discuss all the possibilities together, and note how much each option will cost you.

Based on the commentary already provided, if staying in one place is looking like the best option, then I would get a few electric space heaters and use creative insulation and room partitioning to ride out this one winter, especially if you are confident of the move to the States next year.  As an approximation, electrical costs in Germany are, on average, about 3X higher than the average in the US (per kilowatt hour).  It is noted that German household plugs are 230V (50 hz and up to 10 A...?)... so one outlet could service a 2,300W heater if available and/or needed.

As expensive as that may seem, in a pinch--and for one winter-- this may get you through and allow you the least amount of head-ache given the situation at hand.  This all assumes that the price and availability of electricity in Germany will be relatively stable in the coming months, ..... which may not be such a wise assumption, but that will be for you to judge:

https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/electric-heaters-boom-causing-concerns-about-german-grid-stability-next-winter

Good luck with this difficult situation!...

Nothing more to add to the good answers you've been given, but just wanted to let you know I'm praying for you and your fiancee to get through this difficult situation. Next winter, God willing you'll be on your homestead and have more options available.

Hoping the winter is a mild one - for us here in the UK, too! We are far more frugal than most with electricity and gas, and our bills have doubled this year.

What about putting together a "Biomeiler " or compost heater?  These can be built relatively inexpensively and quickly and will produce useful heat for several months.  Just about any organic material can be used including wood chips, tree leaves, manure, tree trimmings, and yard waste.  Unlike burning wood products, the fuel doesn't need to be dry.  In fact, it needs to be wet!  Also, relative to combustion devices, there is much less or even zero concern about permitting, insurance, certifications, and environmental regulation.  I suspect usable fire wood might be in short supply as everyone looks to it as an alternative fuel.  Far fewer people will be competing for organic waste products.  Even if you can't produce all the heat you need it might significantly reduce the amount of additional heat needed from conventional sources.

I haven't read all the other responses, but something to look into:  https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/03/local-heating.html

Also a plug for the simple hot water bottle, or water bottle full of hot water (although this may be an issue if there is also a water shortage...however, you could drink the water later...)

That has kept me warm in bed when, as a person used to Hawaii's warm weather, I've found myself in mainland lodging, still cold with the heating on...!  

Sorry to hear about the dog, too.  That's a real tough one, but sounds like it might be a relationship breaker, if you disregarded the dog's needs.

And some warnings:  Watch out if you wear synthetic fabrics near a local heating source (such as a small heater in Japan)--you can burn a hole in your clothes.

Also, be careful burning anything indoors, for fire risk and carbon monoxide inhalation. (apologies if this has been mentioned before...)

Sigh.  This sucks that we are all getting into these very serious problems...

Just a side note:  

About twenty years ago, I rented a poorly insulated house. My monthly electric and gas bills were three to five hundred a month. It didn't take long to realize it might pay insulate someone else's for profit rental on my dime. I did.  Two hundred bought a lot of blow in insulation and the use of the machine was free with the blow in.

Kelly Craig wrote:About twenty years ago, I rented a poorly insulated house. My monthly electric and gas bills were three to five hundred a month. It didn't take long to realize it might pay insulate someone else's for profit rental on my dime. I did.  Two hundred bought a lot of blow in insulation and the use of the machine was free with the blow in.

You're talking about loose-fill blown-in cellulose insulation.  Indeed, I have worked with it in my house and it is easy for a homeowner to apply.  It is possible that adding a couple $hundred worth of fill to the attic space could pay for itself over the course of a single winter, if the fuel bills are high enough.  An intriguing notion to explore.

jack vegas wrote:What about putting together a "Biomeiler" or compost heater?  These can be built relatively inexpensively and quickly and will produce useful heat for several months.  Just about any organic material can be used including wood chips, tree leaves, manure, tree trimmings, and yard waste.  Unlike burning wood products, the fuel doesn't need to be dry.  In fact, it needs to be wet!  Also, relative to combustion devices, there is much less or even zero concern about permitting, insurance, certifications, and environmental regulation.  I suspect usable fire wood might be in short supply as everyone looks to it as an alternative fuel.  Far fewer people will be competing for organic waste products.  Even if you can't produce all the heat you need it might significantly reduce the amount of additional heat needed from conventional sources.

That is a fascinating idea.  Nobody had yet thought about this option, including me, but compost heaters are indeed cheap and effective.  You can learn more about building a Jean-Pain-style compost heater here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jm-c9B2_ew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXvKcvrvqPE
https://permies.com/t/43035/composting/Heat-house-Compost

But my thoughts immediately run to the Cons:

- If you live in anything like an urban or suburban environment, it might not work.  You need a little bit of yard space adjacent to a window.  Compost heaters for high rise apartments are not an option.  And even if you have the space at ground level, do you have the privacy?  This is not a concept that your close neighbors will likely endorse, unless they're free thinkers or you live in a run-down area where nobody gives a shit.  A Home-Owner's Association will never let a compost heater fly.
- You would have to improvise a pass-through built into a window to pipe the hot water from the compost heater inside the house, where it could be circulated through radiators.  See photos I posted above showing a window pass-through stove pipe; something similar could easily be built.  Or you might just slip a small-diameter PEX pipe through a cracked double-hung window and stuff the rest of the crack with a towel.
- The whole system - compost pile and window pass-through - will be highly visible.  There is no way to escape the notice of neighbors/landlords/local authorities.  Jack Vegas proposes that a compost heater would not draw the ire of local code enforcement.  Perhaps, but my guess is exactly the opposite.  Bureaucrats do not encourage individual initiative, innovation, or just about anything that does not fit into one of their pre-approved check boxes.  Hell, I wouldn't even try to get a compost heater past the code officials here, and I live in a US state more laissez-faire than most.  If they don't understand it, they won't go for it.  The difference is that I could hide mine, if I were to go down that route, and no inspector will come randomly snooping to discover it so long as neighbors don't complain.  It has already been noted, above, that German inspectors do exactly that!

Matthew - you make some excellent points!  Thanks for the thoughtful comments.  Though I'm certainly not an expert, I will try to address your "cons" with thoughts on how some of them  might be overcome.

First, my frame of reference - I live on a remote part of the Washington coast in a poorly insulated 750 sqft cottage on 1/4 acres in a small community of maybe 30 other houses.  Outside city limits but within county jurisdiction where building and health codes are enforced.  Winter temperatures are generally between 20 and 40 deg-F.  Certainly not as cold as Germany (spent 3 wonderful years there when I was a kid) but cold enough.

Several years ago I built a very small indoor "pile" in a 55 gallon steel drum.  It had a small computer fan to circulate fresh air and the exhaust was dumped through the kitchen ceiling fan vent.  An automotive electric window motor was used to rotate the drum periodically to keep all material inside uniformly damp and break up any clumps.  All this was enclosed in a box made of 2" foam insulation that allowed heat to build as the bacteria did its work.  The heat produced soaked through the steel drum and heated the air inside the box.  Once the temperature inside the box exceeded 130 deg-F a fan pulled air through the box and dumped the heated air into the room.  If the box exhaust temperature dropped below 120 deg-F, the fan cut off.  I kept it running continuously by feeding organic material daily.  It actually worked relatively well and kept the house temperature between 55-60 deg-F.  During the day I augment with electric heat.

I mention this as an illustration of how compost heat might be generated in a small apartment.  I doubt if anyone would notice or care if one or two of these were installed in an apartment and the vented air really has little odor if the unit is working properly.  There is a slight earthy smell, similar to fresh potting soil and it really doesn't even need to be vented.  I vented mine to avoid humidity build-up since that is a problem in my location.  The downside of this unit was its mechanical complexity (I'm a machine nut) and its need to be fed often due to its small size and high rate of bacterial activity.  Also, it was relatively small so it had a limited heat output.

A more powerful "pile" that I'm considering building this winter would be contained in an insulated box 4 ft x 4 ft x 8 ft long that will sit in my backyard. No mechanical devices this time, just an insulted box filled with organic material.  It will have two rods running through it with paddles welded along their length that I can hand crank periodically to stir the contents.  This will be a closed box, painted to match my house and I doubt if anyone will notice or complain.  Local regulation allow an un-permitted shed up to 120 sqft so I don't think this will break any codes and certainly no HOA regs (we have a few but sheds and even compost piles are allowed).  I really think this is an approach that could work for just about any suburban house without raising many eyebrows.  I'm hoping it will produce enough heat over 4 months to keep the house interior above 60 deg-F.  If it does, sun on the house should raise daytime temperatures well above 65 deg-F.

As might be noted, I'm not a fan  of the Jean-Pain-style "pile".  I like the idea of containing the organic material in an insulated structure that allow heat to build rapidly and evenly giving better control of heat production.  Insulated piles can have very high rates of bacterial activity.  The end goal is not compost but complete digestion of the organic material for maximum heat production.

It's a neat idea, but I don't think it would realistically produce enough heat to help the OP in a country with genuine winter.

This would make a great stand-alone thread though.

Sorry if somebody else has provided this advice but here goes.  At this point of basic survival against a coke European winter I would suggest not bothering with ideal permaculture or expensive and time consuming approaches (although these would be good for the long term).

Hopefully you can these in Germany but here we have catalytic heaters that run on propane.  They turn propane into heat by chemistry not by combustion. Combustion on your house will make carbon monoxide and kill you. Catalytic heaters will give heat and create some water vapour.  The chemical reaction also uses up some oxygen so you will want to crack a window in the house.  Remember though that air is 21%oxygen so there is quite a bit of that available.  

If you can get the catalytic heater and a few large propane tanks this may be your best heat this winter. The heater should be about $200 Canadian. Also don’t forget simple plug in electric space heaters.  Wear long johns and undershorts, thick socks and a sweater. Consider wearing a toque undies and gloves.  Seal the windows with plastic film to give an extra air barrier. If it gets really cold huddle together.  

Take care and best of luck this winter.

A few ideas
1) Close off the heat supply to all bedrooms/etc (don't freeze any pipes)
2) Add another pane to your windows by using cling-wrap plastic
3) Only heat the bathroom/kitchen and living room
4) The living room aka sleeping (where the thermostat is, and also sleep in here. also the higher the bed the warmer it will feel at night)
5) Wear extra layers of clothing and be active when you are awake.
6) Eat healthier so that the cold stresses your body less, (probiotics, vegetables, less processed food, etc)
7) Have a backup supply of water, in case the grid goes down like it did in Texas, US during the winter.
8) Be open to using your credit card to pay for electric-heat
9) In an emergency it's okay to burn biomas/gas/etc inside your house don't feel too bad.
10) Radiant Bed-heating is a thing, start experiment with a system to circular hot-water just for your bed, lol

Hopefully the problem is only limited to it costing you extra money to use electric-heat during the winter. But if it gets bad enough like in Texas, city services could start falling apart (no water, no sewage, hospitals didn't have power, gas stations couldn't pump because they didn't have power), or worse society could take a hit and then you have vandalism, anti-visitors/immigrants tendencies, etc, etc.

I just feel the need to post a couple of other threads that might be of use here...

https://permies.com/t/188138/Tents-space-reducers-heating

https://permies.com/t/4906/making-electric-heat

https://richsoil.com/electric-heat.jsp

Try to think of ways to heat the people directly, and put less effort into heating the airspace less expensively.  Yes, electric resistive heating is a very expensive way to heat a house, but an incredibly cheap way to heat just a bed or couch.  I use a heated mattress pad for the beds, and turn the house thermostat down to 65 Fahrenheit  (18 degrees C)

jack vegas wrote:Several years ago I built a very small indoor "pile" in a 55 gallon steel drum.  It had a small computer fan to circulate fresh air and the exhaust was dumped through the kitchen ceiling fan vent.  An automotive electric window motor was used to rotate the drum periodically to keep all material inside uniformly damp and break up any clumps.  All this was enclosed in a box made of 2" foam insulation that allowed heat to build as the bacteria did its work.  The heat produced soaked through the steel drum and heated the air inside the box.  Once the temperature inside the box exceeded 130 deg-F a fan pulled air through the box and dumped the heated air into the room.  If the box exhaust temperature dropped below 120 deg-F, the fan cut off.  I kept it running continuously by feeding organic material daily.  It actually worked relatively well and kept the house temperature between 55-60 deg-F.  During the day I augment with electric heat.

Wow!  I've never heard of an interior compost heater before.  That is way cool.  I can definitely see that you are a machine nut, but I still think that your design could be achievable by most people with a little bit of work.  My first thought is that you don't need a motor to turn the compost drum; that could easily be achieved manually.  Clearly it's already mounted on bearings, so just remember to give it a couple spins whenever you open up to add your scraps.  And you said yourself that your whole venting system was mostly optional, as the compost smell wasn't offensive.  If that part was skipped, then we've really just got a steel barrel on bearings with some sort of sealable access hatch, a wooden box with sheet foam insulation, and an electric fan on a very simple thermistor control circuit.  I could build that, no problem.

The upfront cost would be nominal; not non-existent, but still a tiny investment.  And the fuel would be super cheap, if not free.  Yard waste and food scraps would go a long way if you could gather from all your neighbors.  I'm imagining several of these set up and running at once, one in each room perhaps, and I'll bet you'd need no other heat source in any decently-insulated, weather-proofed home.  The only downside is the amount of square footage sacrificed.  There is also some minimal daily maintenance (feeding more organic matter to the digester), though that would certainly be equal or less than the time needed to tend a woodstove.

jack vegas wrote:A more powerful "pile" that I'm considering building this winter would be contained in an insulated box 4 ft x 4 ft x 8 ft long that will sit in my backyard. No mechanical devices this time, just an insulted box filled with organic material.  It will have two rods running through it with paddles welded along their length that I can hand crank periodically to stir the contents.  This will be a closed box, painted to match my house and I doubt if anyone will notice or complain.  Local regulation allow an un-permitted shed up to 120 sqft so I don't think this will break any codes and certainly no HOA regs (we have a few but sheds and even compost piles are allowed).  I really think this is an approach that could work for just about any suburban house without raising many eyebrows.  I'm hoping it will produce enough heat over 4 months to keep the house interior above 60 deg-F.  If it does, sun on the house should raise daytime temperatures well above 65 deg-F.

Also a good design.  And again, something I'd not considered.  You didn't specify: will the heat transference from this outdoor box composter be via air or water?  What do you imagine you will rig up for the penetration into the interior of your building envelope?  Do you envision this being a one-pile-one-season device, or do you plan to regularly feed it?  You could fit over 4 cubic yards of fuel inside your box, which I'm going to guestimate is comparable to a classic Jean Pain pile.  And those have been proven to generate heat for several months, depending on composition of the compostable fuel.  I understand that you can coax a longer heating season out of a compost pile heater by making the mix more carbon-heavy, at the expense of lower continuous thermal output.

jack vegas wrote:As might be noted, I'm not a fan of the Jean-Pain-style "pile."

Yeah, I gathered that.  But I'd say your designs are taking his concept to the next level.  The basic Jean Pain approach is simple, easy, and cheap.  Whereas, with a little added complexity and investment, you have achieved greater versatility (indoor or outdoor options), greater efficiency, and greater aesthetic appeal.  I think this last attribute is perhaps the most important, for reasons you already pointed out: it opens up the utility of compost heaters beyond the rural venue into the suburban.  Perhaps even into the urban, though then you'd certainly be dependent on importing all of your fuel.  Aesthetically "clean" compost box heaters could become widespread.  Perhaps one day even mainstream.  And they have great potential for "below the radar" installations.  For the OP of this thread, that might prove critical.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:This would make a great stand-alone thread though.

Yes, it really would!  Hint, hint, Jack Vegas ; )

Matthew Nistico wrote:

jack vegas wrote:First, my frame of reference - I live on a remote part of the Washington coast in a poorly insulated 750 sqft cottage on 1/4 acres in a small community of maybe 30 other houses.  Outside city limits but within county jurisdiction where building and health codes are enforced.  Winter temperatures are generally between 20 and 40 deg-F.  Certainly not as cold as Germany (spent 3 wonderful years there when I was a kid) but cold enough.

I'm imagining several of these set up and running at once, one in each room perhaps, and I'll bet you'd need no other heat source in any decently-insulated, weather-proofed home.  The only downside is the amount of square footage sacrificed.  There is also some minimal daily maintenance (feeding more organic matter to the digester), though that would certainly be equal or less than the time needed to tend a woodstove.

Ah man, now you've got me intrigued with the idea of interior compost heaters for my own property!

My winters are mild, I'd say very comparable to yours: 20-40 degrees F.  The house I'm building is much larger than your little cottage (about 2000sq ft), but also super-insulated and efficiently designed (passive solar straw bale).  It will use a single modern woodstove, which on paper should be more than adequate to heat the structure.

Once building inspectors are gone and never to return, I'm currently planning two modifications relative to heating.  First, installing a DIY solar air heater.  Second, removing the woodstove and installing a rocket mass heater in its place.  I should have more than enough fuel production off of my own small property (1 acre, heavily wooded) to run the RMH.

But now I'm thinking that I could chip all of that same wood, mix it with some nitrogen-rich inputs, and use it to fuel multiple indoor compost heaters based on your 55gal steel-drum-in-a-box model.  There are nearby farms from which semi-composted manure can be purchased cheap by the truck-load; I've done it before.  I could probably fit two drums in the space I've set aside in my Great Room for the RMH.  Perhaps combined with my solar air heater that would suffice?  If not, I could find places to stash an extra few drums elsewhere in the same Great Room and/or in various bedrooms.

PROS:

- I could likely set up these compost heaters for even less than I'd planned to spend on building the RMH.
- They represent a modular investment: start with a couple the first winter, and add more if needed.
- They need not be permanently installed.  I could move them to somewhere less in the way during the warm seasons.
- If I were willing to forgo recovering the capital investment from my woodstove, I could leave it in place and unused next to the compost heaters.  If my life plan were to change someday, this would greatly facilitate selling my home, compared with having an illegal and difficult to remove RMH.
- Most importantly... a well-built RMH is much safer than a woodstove, which is in turn much safer than a fireplace.  But an RMH still involves combustion, which is inherently dangerous.  Whereas the probability of burning down my house with a compost barrel is 0.00%.

CONS:

- If I ended up using 3 or 4 or 5 composters, I would be loath to give up all of that additional floor space, particularly in bedrooms.
- Fire is pretty and fun to play with!  Though I say this as someone who has never before depended on wood heat throughout a winter.  Still, I can imagine no social value from sitting around watching the compost digest.

Kelly Finigan wrote:Sorry if somebody else has provided this advice but here goes.  At this point of basic survival against a coke European winter I would suggest not bothering with ideal permaculture or expensive and time consuming approaches (although these would be good for the long term).

Hopefully you can these in Germany but here we have catalytic heaters that run on propane.  They turn propane into heat by chemistry not by combustion. Combustion on your house will make carbon monoxide and kill you. Catalytic heaters will give heat and create some water vapour.  The chemical reaction also uses up some oxygen so you will want to crack a window in the house.  Remember though that air is 21%oxygen so there is quite a bit of that available.  

If you can get the catalytic heater and a few large propane tanks this may be your best heat this winter. The heater should be about $200 Canadian. Also don’t forget simple plug in electric space heaters.  Wear long johns and undershorts, thick socks and a sweater. Consider wearing a toque undies and gloves.  Seal the windows with plastic film to give an extra air barrier. If it gets really cold huddle together.  

Take care and best of luck this winter.

Sorry, cathalytic heaters are not much different than any other butane/propane heaters. They work by combustion too (fuel+oxygen=water+heat), but you don't get to see the flame since it's distributed among the cathalytic panel at a lower temperature. They produce as much monoxide as any other clean gas heater. Gas heaters are allowed to be used indoors without ventilation for devices of less than 4 kW. Therefore, for more than one heater, ventilation is required (min. 125cm2). All modern heaters feature a safety device that will stop the gas when oxygen is running low (the test flame can't keep the temperature in that case).
As with any other combustion heater, there's a risk of burning when placing things over or too close to the heater. They also produce water steam, which can be an issue in an unventilated room. Some people have a hard time breathing when humidity raises and oxygen lowers, and suffer head bumps.

It's a very common heating device in my country, but note that butane/propane supply depends on oil consumption: the more petrol derivates (fuel oil, gasoline, tars, kerosene, parafine, sfsf) are consumed, the more butane/propane is produced. So, if oil is running low, so will do propane. Maybe it is not an issue for this winter, but it could be for the followings. Good thing is that even if you are cut from the electric grid, it will still work as long as there's gas left in the bottle.

Jeremy,  feel for you, brother.
Just my two cents worth-
instead of going to the expense of moving, and maybe taking on something older and possibly more inefficient, what about getting room mates to cohabit with and share expenses through winter? You could maybe hunker in and even do some social growing and thriving (in spite of adversity)?
Also- buy up old wool blankets, cotton sheeting, down comforters (quilts).... (secondhand) while it is still summer. Sew tents, like mosquito nets, except made from wool or cotton old bedding, and hang them over your beds. They will trap body warmth, and keep you comfortable, tho they will do nothing for your water pipes.
Can you insulate your pipes before these necessary materials run out?
Invest in ski gear. Usually available secondhand thro the off season, and plan on wearing this daily. Those padded overalls really do keep you incredibly warm. Down is a godsend in this respect, as long as it is dry. The one advantage of wool, is that it will keep you warm even when damp.
Tho you may start to baa randomly, and hanker after moving to New Zealand, where there are many other sheep.
Connect with community and make plans together AHEAD OF TIME. Who will need help? Who will look out for vulnerable neighbours? Divide up knowledge, resources and responsibilities, and plan everything out now. Get neighbourhood groups together. Connect and bond now, so when the time comes, plans can be activated in minutes....
Dear heart, sending you love from New Zealand.

If you can get the catalytic heater and a few large propane tanks this may be your best heat this winter.

The problem is gas.  Russia is cutting off the gas supply to most of western Europe.  Even if you can get some, the price will be prohibitive.  Electricity prices are soaring too.  I guess that is why the OP is worried about heating for this coming winter and looking for an alternative.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/sep/04/gas-prices-rise-russia-shuts-nord-stream-1-indefinitely

I love animals, and have gone to great lengths and expense to keep them safe, healthy and happy.  But I have my financial limits.  $20,000 in extra costs because you can't leave or handle putting down a sick dog?  That just doesn't make sense.  Deal with that issue then move to the States per your plan.

Matthew Nistico wrote:Still, I can imagine no social value from sitting around watching the compost digest.

Hahaha!

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Matthew Nistico wrote:Still, I can imagine no social value from sitting around watching the compost digest.

Hahaha!

On the other hand, if Dr. Doolittle could 'talk to the animals', perhaps this would be that golden opportunity to learn how to 'converse with the microbes'!

John Weiland wrote:

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Matthew Nistico wrote:Still, I can imagine no social value from sitting around watching the compost digest.

Hahaha!

On the other hand, if Dr. Doolittle could 'talk to the animals', perhaps this would be that golden opportunity to learn how to 'converse with the microbes'!

In a clear container with coloured lighting and a little heat at the bottom for convection, it could be like a lava lamp.

Olga Booker wrote:

If you can get the catalytic heater and a few large propane tanks this may be your best heat this winter.

The problem is gas.  Russia is cutting off the gas supply to most of western Europe.  Even if you can get some, the price will be prohibitive.  Electricity prices are soaring too.  I guess that is why the OP is worried about heating for this coming winter and looking for an alternative.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/sep/04/gas-prices-rise-russia-shuts-nord-stream-1-indefinitely

Hi Olga,

You have noted "gas" as the "problem". "Russia... cutting off the gas supply to most of western Europe" is actually the triggering event that makes the problem obvious and painful.

The REAL problem is actually having spaces that are not resilient. Gas is PART of this problem. The OP (and many millions more) are living in spaces that are sometimes too big, too leaky and heated by energy from far away. When the energy is cut or the price goes high the people panic (rightfully) when faced with freezing or going bankrupt.

Gas is also a problem from a permaculture / sustainability view: methane leaks from wellhead to home, indoor and local air pollution and greenhouse gases.

Long term solutions for the housing are right-sizing living spaces, conservation (insulation, windows, etc) and getting off imported energy (or actually energy from more than 100 to 200 km away, ideally using solar gain, wood stove, efficient heat pump with local electric etc). Long term solutions to "no gas" are widespread adoption of conservation and fuel switching by industry.

Of note, gas prices will be going higher permanently in countries such as Canada that are taxing GHG's even semi-aggressively...prices of $2-3 per GJ (bulk hub price - - retail was already several times this) of last year will increase by about $8 per GJ or about 400% for bulk hub prices. This is ramping in by 2030. It is time for everyone to make their "long term" plans now!

Short term, I have proposed a "livable" solution:
- reduce heat load (extra clothes),
- heat small spaces using a SAFE heater (catalytic NOT "conventional" combustion),
- use fuel that can be purchased ahead of time and stockpiled (so the OP actually has some heat if the lines "run dry")
- use an appliance that can be purchased for hundreds of dollars (not thousands like wood stoves)
- something that can be installed immediately  and without permits (again as opposed to a wood stove etc)

Again, I sincerely hope our friends living through this do so safely. This is a very serious time.

Abraham Palma wrote:

Sorry, cathalytic heaters are not much different than any other butane/propane heaters. They work by combustion too (fuel+oxygen=water+heat), but you don't get to see the flame since it's distributed among the cathalytic panel at a lower temperature. They produce as much monoxide as any other clean gas heater. Gas heaters are allowed to be used indoors without ventilation for devices of less than 4 kW. Therefore, for more than one heater, ventilation is required (min. 125cm2). All modern heaters feature a safety device that will stop the gas when oxygen is running low (the test flame can't keep the temperature in that case).
As with any other combustion heater, there's a risk of burning when placing things over or too close to the heater. They also produce water steam, which can be an issue in an unventilated room. Some people have a hard time breathing when humidity raises and oxygen lowers, and suffer head bumps.

It's a very common heating device in my country, but note that butane/propane supply depends on oil consumption: the more petrol derivates (fuel oil, gasoline, tars, kerosene, parafine, sfsf) are consumed, the more butane/propane is produced. So, if oil is running low, so will do propane. Maybe it is not an issue for this winter, but it could be for the followings. Good thing is that even if you are cut from the electric grid, it will still work as long as there's gas left in the bottle.

Hi Abraham,

To be clear, most energy systems do have hazards and need to be operated properly...electric spaces heaters are a leading cause of fires, chimney fires burn houses down and CO from poorly made wood fires and poorly maintained nature gas furnaces kill people sometimes too. Everything needs to be maintained and operated properly.

And yes, propane / butane is a petroleum product...but for our freezing European friends, these tanks can be purchased in advance and stored. Not an ideal situation but we are dealing with an emergency here. People may have not been planning for the cost of appliance and tanks but moving house is expensive (hundreds of $ for utility hookups, address changes, truck rental, pizza and drinks for friends, lost time from work), time consuming and an upheaval especially if children are part of the household.

Finally, for the OP and anyone who is interested, here are a few links about catalytic heaters and the actual performance and safety issues compared to "conventional combustion" heaters...note that although they do create a small amount of CO (carbon monoxide) they are SAFE INDOORS with an open window for make up air (for the oxygen consumed and turned into carbon dioxide [CO2] ).

ALWAYS GET A "Certified" HEATING APPLIANCE (propane, electric, butane, wood etc) to know unit was designed, manufactured and tested for safety. ALWAYS provide make-up air for wood or fossil fuel use.

https://cpsc-prod.ctacdev.com/s3fs-public/pdfs/CO03.pdf. This is a technical document that describes government (US) testing and recommendations about safety. They do express concerns about one rating standard when the units are left on for more than 6 hours I believe.

https://rvshare.com/blog/catalytic-heater/

https://trucampers.com/are-catalytic-heaters-safe-in-tents/

I did my maths long ago. Every butane tank (12,5 kg) has 130 kWh per unit. Gas heaters have between 3 and 4.5 kW.  Catalytic units are usually 3 kW (remember that you need to vent in a while, so it's a little less efficient than electric heaters). If you keep it working night and day, it drinks one tank every 43 hours. In our mild winters, 5 hours (15 kWh) a day is enough for most appartments, meaning one tank lasts for 8 days. Yeah, I supose someone can store 12 tank units in his home and not depend on the supply for that winter, or what most butane heater users do, have 2 to 3 tanks and have a refill every week (supposing butane supply still works).
For more extreme wheater, I would need to know how much heating power is required per day. If say, that house needs 30 kWh per day, then it's a refill every 4 days, not so practical, and more dependent on a steady supply.

For big houses it's better to install a big propane tank (1000+ kg) with airtight propane heaters. They fill the tank with a truck and you have gas for the whole winter, but that's expensive.

Abraham Palma wrote:I did my maths long ago. Every butane tank (12,5 kg) has 130 kWh per unit. Gas heaters have between 3 and 4.5 kW.  Catalytic units are usually 3 kW (remember that you need to vent in a while, so it's a little less efficient than electric heaters). If you keep it working night and day, it drinks one tank every 43 hours. In our mild winters, 5 hours (15 kWh) a day is enough for most appartments, meaning one tank lasts for 8 days. Yeah, I supose someone can store 12 tank units in his home and not depend on the supply for that winter, or what most butane heater users do, have 2 to 3 tanks and have a refill every week (supposing butane supply still works).
For more extreme wheater, I would need to know how much heating power is required per day. If say, that house needs 30 kWh per day, then it's a refill every 4 days, not so practical, and more dependent on a steady supply.

For big houses it's better to install a big propane tank (1000+ kg) with airtight propane heaters. They fill the tank with a truck and you have gas for the whole winter, but that's expensive.

Pretty much agree with everything you say here.

For context, the OP (and much of Germany it appears) has a special problem this winter: freeze, go bankrupt or try to find some lovable middle road. Conservation has to be first. Lower temperature inside, wear extra clothes, heat only spaces (parts of buildings). Using space heaters can be key to this (wood if existing infrastructure is in place: it is not for the OP, electric heaters and my suggestion of propane).

I (sadly) forecast there will be planned quotas and perhaps unplanned (surprise!) outages....having an alternate heating system and fuel on hand when the grid goes down can be life saving. If I were the OP I would:
[a] conserve like crazy - - keeps the bills down and gets you used to "chilly living" for any outages
[b] experiment with the space heaters, knowing electric could get shut down too
[c] use the propane/butane exclusively when there are outages or if the prices of grid gas spike beyond the fuel tank prices.

The OP indicated they are renting and  considering moving. Putting in a wood stove is permit-lengthy and capital intensive. Putting in a propane bullet (although I would if I could not use local wood and this was to be a long term situation of outages and price volatility) is also quite "spendy" and needs permits (at least around here it does)...

Sound like a lot of folks will be focusing on the kitchen and baths, where water pipes need attention.

Kelly Finigan wrote:

Abraham Palma wrote:
. . . .
For context, the OP (and much of Germany it appears) has a special problem this winter: freeze, go bankrupt or try to find some lovable middle road. Conservation has to be first. Lower temperature inside, wear extra clothes, heat only spaces (parts of buildings). Using space heaters can be key to this (wood if existing infrastructure is in place: it is not for the OP, electric heaters and my suggestion of propane). ...

Although I don't have much to add to the ideas for heating rooms, don't forget the ability of hot drinks to heat the person.

SIDE NOTE:  

I had an old Ford Fairmont which was slow to warm, and the floor boards would stay cold in the sub zero months. Long trips would leave your feet struggling for heat.

A friend mentioned he put a teaspoon of the Safeway cayenne in his socks when he went out skiing.  We concluded the stuff I had, which was about 180,000 BTU, vs the Safeway stuff, at about 40,000 BTU, was way to much.

I tried it on a trip from my home in Eastern Washington to SeaTac Airport. It was the most comfortable winter trip my feet experienced - for a while.   My sister missed her plane, twice.  My feet got so warm I had to go wash them off in the bathroom. It took twice. They had began to grow uncomfortably hot in the indoor climate of the airport. They'd been VERY comfortable out on the cold ground and resting on the frozen floorboards of my old car.

In short, a bit of cayenne in your socks can make being in a cold environment very comfortable.

 cayenne in his socks

Gee, I forgot!  Of course, cayenne in the socks!  My husband would not survive any winter without it, been doing it for 25 years!

Kelly Craig wrote:A friend mentioned he put a teaspoon of the Safeway cayenne in his socks when he went out skiing.  We concluded the stuff I had, which was about 180,000 BTU, vs the Safeway stuff, at about 40,000 BTU, was way to much.

Indeed, chili pepper in one's socks.  A reliable old trick well known to skiers, campers, soldiers, and many more!  A couple of comments...

First, BTU stands for British Thermal Unit, which is a measure of heat energy.  Cayenne pepper is not actually generating heat; it only makes you feel warmer.  Not to mention that 180K BTU is 3x the output of a woodstove!  So I'm kinda doubting that was occurring inside your socks.  Your legs would literally have combusted.  I think perhaps you meant to write "SHU" instead of "BTU."  SHU stands for Scoville Heat Unit, which is a measure of the capsaicin content of a chili, and thus its spiciness.  SHUs do indeed run into the hundreds of thousands and into the millions.

Second, let's double back to the fact that cayenne in one's socks is not actually generating additional heat.  As I understand it, it is effective because it is essentially an irritant to your skin that prompts increased blood flow to the surface.  Whereas, when your feet or hands are cold, your body naturally reacts by decreasing blood flow, in effect pulling its heat back towards your core.  This is a great survival strategy for delaying hypothermia, but it can make for miserably cold feet!  More blood flow to the skin of your extremities makes them warmer, and thus you are more comfortable.

But your body is generating the warmth, not the cayenne.  That is great for getting you through a short period in cold weather, such as an afternoon on the ski slopes.  And in the OP's situation, they might well be able to use this trick to increase their comfort level a bit.  We should recognize that it doesn't actually address the underlying problem that, over the course of an entire German winter, they need to introduce more BTUs into their house.  Lest they spend a miserably frigid season at best, or at worst potentially freeze to death.