As the cold sets in, heating bills can soar but there are plenty of practical and low-cost ways to make sure everybody stays warm. Ok, they aren’t always as simple as just turning the thermostat up a few degrees, but that should be your last resort anyway.
Before you hike up your central heating, try a few of these tips:
Wear more
It’s a simple but effective tip and should be tried before anything more drastic is brought into play. Encourage everyone to layer up with jumpers and sweat tops to stay a little more toasty and if you get any resistance, think about buying some trendy options from budget-friendly retailers. Feefo’s MandM reviews show that low-cost and current trends can go hand in hand and, let’s be honest, jumpers always come in handy.
Block the draughts
It doesn’t matter whether you’re sitting in a new-build home or an older property, draughts always find a way to sneak in. So, try to locate the worst of yours and block them to keep more of your heat inside. Windows are easy to tackle, as you can simply draw your curtains to form a barrier for any cool air, but when it comes to doors, you might need some excluders.
If you’re crafty, you can easily make your own draught excluders from old leggings or tights, stuffed with offcuts or other old clothing items. Just shape them like sausages and place in front of interior doors to keep out the cold.
Convene somewhere warm
A simple and sociable way to keep everybody warm is to all hang out in the least chilly room in the house. This is normally the kitchen – thanks to your oven being in there – and you can amplify the warming effect by leaving the door open after you cook, to let the extra hot air spread out into the space.
Maximise your radiator efficiency
If you’re going to have your heating on, you should at least make it work as hard as it can for you. You can buy specialist foil reflective panels that slip behind your wall radiators, which help reflect as much warmth back into the room as possible, rather than allowing the wall to soak up the heat. Thrifty homeowners swear by using regular kitchen foil in the same way, so you could start by wrapping thin cardboard in foil and slotting it behind your radiators, to see if that has an effect.
Enjoy plenty of comfort food
Winter foods aren’t just seasonally appropriate, they help keep you warm too. Big pots of hearty stew cost very little to make but can feed a lot of people, plus they really do warm the cockles. Carbohydrate-rich meals will help too, so don’t be afraid to buy plenty of pasta.
Rugs, rugs and more rugs
Even if you have carpeted floors, dig out any old rugs you have in the loft and get them down. The extra layer of insulation will help to block any cold air coming up through your floors and will help seal in as much warmth as possible. This will work especially well if you have kids, as we all know how hard it is to persuade them to wear slippers. Cold feet make for chilly people, so cull the issue by making the floor as warm as possible.
A pragmatic approach to staying warm in winter will see you and your family staying toasty but not needing to worry about dramatically increased heating costs. When in doubt, just remember to layer up, snuggle down and eat well – but this is just great life advice in general!