If there is one thing that everyone can agree on, it’s that keeping warm in the winter can be a struggle without shelling out money on an expensive heating bill. That is, however, unless you know a few ways to keep warm without having to use the heater at all (well, not much). From scouring the internet for ‘damp proofing cost UK’, to stocking up on enough fluffy blankets to cover a football field, there are so many ways to keep warm this winter, and we’ve pulled together just a few.
Curtains
If you have curtains, use them. Sunlight is free, and with sunlight comes heat. As tempting as it can be to leave the curtains closed when you roll out of bed in the morning, opening them up to let the sunlight it is a great way to heat up rooms completely for free. Then when it gets dark, shut them again to add another layer of insulation. Make sure your curtains are the right length too so there are no gaps for draughts.
Set your heating on a timer
Okay, so I know we said that you wouldn’t need heating, but hear us out. Setting your heating to turn on earlier, but on a lower heat can actually save you money on your gas bills. For example, setting it to turn on 30 minutes earlier in the morning than you are due to get up will have the house at a comfortable temperature for when you wake up, rather than you whacking it up full blast the moment you need it. Think of how comfortable you’ll be when you can crawl out of bed to a warm home, with the knowledge it’s actually saving money?
Wrap up warm
This one is a bit of a given, but making sure you’re wrapped up warm is important for keeping your temperature up this winter. Layering is key, from wearing thermal vests on the particularly cold days, to make sure you have quite the collection of fluffy jumpers and socks. Hats, scarves, and gloves will prevent any heat from escaping too, though maybe if your house is cold enough to need a hat, scarf and gloves it might be worth looking into improving your insulation!
Upgrade your boiler
We know this isn’t always an option for everyone, but upgrading your boiler can actually work wonders for saving you money, and saving energy. Most boilers nowadays have some level of ‘green’ to them, meaning that you’ll get more out of less energy, and therefore potentially even pay less too.
Bake!
Winter! Christmas! Festivities! Holidays! All perfect opportunities to get yourself baking and the best part? You’ll have good food to warm your belly and a warm oven. After baking, leave your oven door open and the heat will spread around your kitchen! Of course, this all depends on whether you have small children or pets, but if you can do it, this is a great way to warm at least one or two rooms of your house without using excess energy. After all, the heat would’ve simply cooled off anyway, so why not let it spread around?
However you’re planning on spending the winter, staying warm doesn’t have to be expensive, or difficult. Just follow our steps and even come up with some of your own, and you can stay toasty all winter long.
