As temperatures plummet and we battle a cold snap, we’re all looking to stay warm in winter. And it’s all too easy to reach for the thermostat and crank up the heating.
But there are other alternatives to staying warm – and they don’t all include rising gas and electricity bills.
Read on to get some inspiration!
Close the curtains!
When it starts to get dark, close the curtains (or your blinds/shutters) as it makes a huge difference to the temperature of the room.
If you are going to be staying in one room for the night – maybe to watch the telly – then close the door as well as the room will heat up much quicker.
Wear layers
Wearing more than one layer of clothes will go a long way to helping you stay warm in winter.
Wearing layers traps air, providing natural insulation for you to stay warm.
Three layers is a good place to start – a vest followed by a plain long-sleeved top and then a t-shirt on top of that should do the trick.
Draught proofing
There’ll be lots of little crevices that will be letting in cool air as you desperately try to warm your home. So it’s a good idea to hunt these out to prevent heat loss.
Walk around the house and look for ways that you can draught-proof your home.
Common culprits for letting in the wind are uncovered keyholes in doors, under doors, cat-flaps and letter boxes.
Radiate some warmth
Spend a morning bleeding all the radiators in your home. You’ll know if it needs bleeding if it’s cold at the top and warm at the bottom – or vice versa.
If you can, it’s worth investing in radiator reflectors. They save you money by reducing heat loss by up to 45% and they take just a few minutes to fit. They’re also relatively cheap to purchase.
Another top tip for radiators is not to dry clothes on them! If you do, it will prevent the warm air from circulating and you could send up with a mould problem if you continue to do so.
Keep it constant
Try to keep the temperature of your home constant if you can rather than moving the thermostat up and down throughout the day.
According to research, for every degree of temperature above 20°C, heating costs rise between 6%-7%.
If you can get the temperature down to a constant 18°C – even better.
A lotta bottle
When you feel a little chilly, put on an extra later and then make yourself a hot water bottle. And while the kettle’s on, pour yourself a cuppa too.
There’s nothing nicer than curling up with your favourite book or magazine, a cuppa and a hot water bottle and feeling snug (and smug!)
There are some really nice hot water bottle designs out there – how about this fluffy number for starters?
Do the chores!
If there’s any part of you that enjoys cleaning, tidying up, ironing or general housework, then knock yourself out!
You’ll be busy rushing around getting the chores done that you’ll hardly notice the chill.
And by the time you’ve finished, you might even have worked up a bit of a sweat. It’s a win-win – burn off some calories AND warm up.
If you’re feeling even more adventurous, then take yourself off for a brisk 30-minute walk.
There are plenty of other ways of keeping your home warm – from snuggling under blankets to covering water tanks and pipes – and even insulating your loft.
But staying warm in winter needn’t cost the earth – you just need to get creative and use your imagination.
And just remember – 20th March (when spring starts this year) isn’t a million miles away, so keep your chin up, focus on staying warm and don’t lose your hat or scarf – for now anyway.
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57 comments
some great idea’s, I am going to keep my curtains shut unless the sun is shining into my living room
Great idea Paula – if I have time, I always find doing some cleaning helps.
Great list! We have double glazed windows and they are amazing, retains the heat so well. Close the curtains and its a pretty toasty home!
Yes, I’ll second that. Couldn’t do without double glazing – I always feel the cold too!
Fantastic ideas I will have to implement them
Thanks Vivien!
Some great ideas , and layering up is something I now practice . Suitable revenge for my Dad who always said put a jumper on when we complained the house was cold !
Ah yes, parents always know best don’t they?! ha ha…
Such a lot of good ideas. We have the worse heating in our home, so much so we have now reverted to calor gas heaters.
Whatever it takes to see you through the cold …I’m the same! Roll on summer I say…it can’t come quick enough.
I might have to resort to using one as our kitchen is usually very cold!
I like the idea of keeping the temperature constant and 18 degrees seems like a possible one for me!
Thanks Anthea – mind you, it’s around two months to go until spring is here anyway!
Great! Sounds like you can handle 18 degrees better than me too!
Great tips, especially with the coming temperature plunge that is forcast
Thanks Kev – I got the timing right then eh!
haha I love the last tip! Great way to tidy up the house and save the heating costs xD
I love the idea of multi-tasking – and actually being able to multi-task!
Love these tips. My hot water bottle really is my saving grace to stay warm. x
It was mine too until I discovered….the electric blanket! 🙂
Fantastic ideas here! You can’t beat a good hot water bottle and a mug of cocoa! I’ve just bought some thermal curtains and they have really made a difference too
Thanks Tanya – I never even knew thermal curtains existed. You learn something knew every day!
I love a good hot water bottle and along with some serious clothing layers keeps me warm and snug x
I think I might need to buy more thin layers at this rate…I’m a fan of chunky jumpers but they’re not great at keeping the chills at bay.
I agree with all your tips. We keep the curtains closed to stop drafts also having stable temperature really does make consumption of heat stable too. Love your pics too.
Thanks very much Afshan! Good to hear you are making cost-saving choices too!
We are doing all of these at the moment, because our heating bills have been crazy. Layering is definitely key.
Thanks Dannii – and good to hear you are doing pretty much everything you can do…
great ideas im trying so hard to stay at home but i tend to spend online bored lol, i do however drink lots of hot chocolate
Im absolutely awful for not trying to keep the heat in the house. I will definitely be implementing some of these, my hubby will be delighted
You might even save some money too Lynne! 🙂
Yes to blankets and hot chocolate!! I like the dark early night so we can close the curtains!
For me the only good thing about winter is that its acceptable to have a hot chocolate every night without having to justify it!
My mummy sleeps with a hot bottle every night and blankets on the sofa to keep warm x Great tips and we’re going to try and keep the curtains shut to stop drafts x
Mmmh – a hot water bottle – and a hot chocolate – sound like a great idea right about now!
Yes to all of the above. Heating and fire on, duvet, hot chocolate and a good book keeps the cold out !!
Yes – that’s true. If you get engrossed in a book it can offer a distraction from being cold!
I have to admit that I have layered up today, the temp has really dropped
I’m layering up most days – even when I get into bed!
Great ideas and some of which I am so going to use. I have layered up today and closed the curtains to stop that heat escaping!!!!
Thanks Melanie – glad they helped!
Great idea! Stay warm 🙂
These are some great tips, I really need to try and draft proof the house a bit more, we have some horrid breezes that are coming in from time to time.
We had to settle for replacing our windows as the draft got so bad!
These are great ideas! I had no idea that closing the curtains can make a difference in heating. I was through a bit of a heart attach this weekend as one of my electric radiators broke down on Friday and I had to wait till today for a new one to be delivered. It was cooold!
Oooh you did well trying to stay warm today – I always wonder how people survive on the streets when it’s so cold sometimes. It’s the time of the year when I really feel for them.
Great ideas and all very simple to implement. I really found that getting a thicker pair of curtains helped out. I love the idea to keep warm by doing the chores!
Chore warming is my favourite way of keeping warm! 🙂
I have a gorgeous chunky knit blanket which I love and it keeps me so warm when the heating isn’t on x
I love those big chunky knit blankets – very on trend too!
My friend doesn’t have curtains and it makes me so uncomfortable ? never feel cozy without the curtains shut!
Ask her for the hot water bottle next time and she might get the hint! 😉
As much as I would like to close my curtains,I do leave them open so the cheetah can look outside at the snow.
But the layers idea is capital and I also wear socks as well.
Yes to closing the curtains! I cannot believe how many people’s homes we drive past with their curtains wide open at night. I can almost feel the draught!
Thanks Helen – it does make a HUGE difference. We’ve got shutters and they are fantastic at keeping the heat in.
I have Raynauds (which means I’m constantly cold) and I love your ideas, going to try some as it’s still classified as winter in England lol
My friend has Raynauds Beth – some of these have helped her too. Hope they help you too!