Savvy ways to stay warm at home without paying more for heating bills

With the colder weather creeping in and the cost of energy bills rising, we’ve taken a look at the best ways to keep yourself warm and heat retain heat in your home without touching the thermostat!

With expert tips from Matthew Jenkins, heating expert at Myjobquote.co.uk, Sophie Platts from luxury bedding brand Floks, and online blinds retailer BlindsbyPost.

Invest in a weighted blanket

With the weather taking a much colder turn a lot of us are looking for ways to stay warm and toasty in bed without resorting to turning the heating on full blast!

Weighted blankets have become one of the most popular tools to help you fall into a dream-worthy slumber whilst keeping you nice and toasty! And not just that, The Brentfords weighted blanket by the Online Home Shop has been crafted to relieve stress, insomnia, and anxiety. Rather than any old heavy blanket, it comes with small weights sewn into the pockets to give you the Deep Touch Pressure Stimulation therapy which helps increase levels of melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep. I opted for the Sienna Fluffy Weighted blanket and I am in LOVE. This blanket is so cozy with luxurious quality, thick and warm, and looks perfect on my double bed. Online Home Shop offers an array of quality, affordable soft furnishings to personalize any living space and if you’re looking for some extra throws or new bedding this winter you’ll find everything you need online.

Utilise sunlight during the day

During the colder months, it’s even more important to utilise any sunlight throughout the day. Ensure you open your curtains and blinds to let the sun bring warmth into the room, this will naturally heat the air up inside your home. This will also help to dry up and damp air inside your property.

Letting the sun shine through is also beneficial for your mental health, if the sun is shining in from outside it will instantly make you feel warmer and boost your mood. Just remember to close the blinds and curtains once it goes dark to keep the warmth in.

Add a rug to hard wood floors

Adding a rug to a room with hard wood floors or laminate flooring, is one of the best ways to keep the space warm. It not only makes you feel more cosy, but it adds an extra layer to the floor and stops heat escaping.

Matthew Jenkins, heating expert at Myjobquote.co.uk explains, when you have no insulation on your floor, this can account for around 10% of lost heat. This is especially true for bare floors.

If you have wooden flooring, it’s likely that you’ll have some gaps between each plank or at the edges of the room. In these cases, a thick rug can work wonders for preventing warm air from escaping through the gaps in the floor.

A warm, fluffy rug will also help to make your room feel much cosier, which can also make it feel warmer.

Put a Shelf Above The Radiator

Hanging a shelf above your radiator doesn’t just look great, but it can also help to distribute heat better. By hanging a shelf directly above your radiator, it acts as a sort of shield, preventing the heat from rising up to the ceiling and, instead, pushing it outwards into the room.

Bleed your radiators ready for the colder months

Autumn is the perfect time to bleed your radiators, after about 6 months of not being used they will need to health check before the weather starts to get colder. Air can get trapped inside your radiators, making it difficult for the heat to circulate and they will often feel cold to the touch, especially on the top.

Always make sure your central heating is completely turned off before bleeding your radiators. There are lots of youtube videos that will take you through the process if you’ve never done it before (check out this one from British Gas), alternatively, seek advice from family or friends.

Move Your Furniture Around

Another tip from heating expert Matthew Jenkins, is to think about the positioning of your furniture as this can make a big difference in the way heat is distributed around your home and the way your rooms retain heat. A simple rejig of your furniture could help save you a lot of money on your energy bills and help keep your home much warmer.

If any of your furniture is covering the radiator, this will prevent the heat from being able to travel around the room properly. Even just a partial blocking of the radiator could limit the amount of heat that is sent out into the room. If your sofa is against an external wall, it’s advised that you move it to an internal wall.

When you’re sat against an internal wall, you’ll feel the cold more, and you’ll be more likely to put your heating on. With this in mind, consider moving your seated furniture to internal walls so that you can feel more comfortable and less likely to feel the need to turn the heating on.

Identify any gaps where heat might escape

A lot of older properties will be prone to draughts. This is particularly true for those with single glazing. Homes with single glazing will allow more cold air to enter the home and also allow more warm air to escape from the home through the windows and doors.

Inspect all of your doors and windows to see if there are any gaps that are allowing draughts to enter. If you notice any significant draughts that can’t be covered easily, it may be worth investing in some new windows or doors.

Upgrading to double glazing from single glazing can make a huge difference. If you can’t afford to invest in new windows and doors currently, it’s worth spending a small sum on some draught excluders, as these can be used to cover up the gaps and holes in the framework around your doors and windows.

Install thermal blinds to reduce heat loss through your windows

In winter, windows can be a large source of heat loss with up to 30% of a home’s heating energy lost through windows, but tightly installed blinds can reduce heat loss through windows by 40% in winter, equating to around 10% savings in heating bills.

One efficient and cost effective method of insulating a home is installing thermal blinds. These blinds are specially designed to keep the heat in during the winter months, while also providing an easy way of upgrading home decor. 

Blackout blinds also offer the potential of keeping heat in during the colder winter months, and money can be saved on energy bills as they can reduce the need to keep the heating on high.

Make use of curtains

A large amount of heat in the home is lost through the windows. However, heating expert Matthew Jenkins recommends curtains as the perfect solution to prevent this from becoming a big issue.

Curtains help with heat retention and will restrict the flow of air between the cold outside and the warmth within your home. Thicker, heavier curtains can act as a great barrier, trapping the air flowing from the window. Large, thick curtains can also help to make your room feel much cosier, which can also make it feel warmer.

Keep yourself warm with wool fabrics rather than cotton

The best material for optimal heat is either fleece or wool, both have been scientifically proven to keep you warmer than cotton and polyester. When purchasing pyjamas, loungwear, dressing gowns and even throw blankets, check the material before investing.

Wool is perfect for the colder months as its’ fibers consist of natural kinks to trap air and keep your body warm, not only does it have great ‘heat trapping powers,’ it’s also the more sustainable option.

Upgrade your bedding ready for the colder months

“If you are looking to upgrade your bedding ahead of winter, wool is an insulating and deep-sleep inducing product which can keep you cosy at night without the need for night time heating” says, Sophie Platts from luxury bedding brand Floks. 

By investing in wool you are creating a stable microclimate in bed which will improve your sleep quality. Your body’s temperature will be regulated throughout the night, warming and cooling you as your body heat dictates. In fact, studies have shown wool bedding to increase REM deep sleep periods by 25% and help you wake up more refreshed compared to other fibres,from Floks wool pillows to duvets and matress toppers.

Opt for multi beneficial items like a heated clothes airer

During the colder months when it’s impossible to dry your clothes on the washing line outside, reduce costs by opting for a multi purpose item such as a heated clothes airer.

Instead of using the dryer, hang your clothes on this handy little gem and place it in your living room or bedroom, and it will heat up the whole space whilst drying your clothes.

Go old school with a hot water bottle

Don’t underestimate the power of a good old fashioned hot water bottle, it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to keep warm. Most hot water bottles retain heat for up to 2 hours and they only need to be replaced every 2-3 years. They’re perfect for using during the day while your working from home and don’t want the heating on all day and for taking to bed to help you sleep.

Light candles to add heat to a room & feel cosier

Candles are great for adding heat to a room and making it feel much cosier. Plus, you can get some great scented winter candles that can make your home smell like a winter wonderland.

You’ll be surprised at how much warmer you’ll feel with a few lit candles. Not only do they emit small amounts of heat, but the flame can trick your brain into feeling much warmer. Even if you just light a few tea lights, these will still make the room feel and appear much warmer.

Invest in an electric blanket or throw

Electric blankets are a great way to keep yourself warm at home without cranking up the thermostat. They’re relatively cheap to run, with some claiming to only costs 1p of electricity per hour, which is a tiny fraction of the cost for heating your room.

Use a blanket hoodie when working from home

A classic which gained popularity a few years ago, is an oversized blanket hoodie.  Great for keeping you warm while working from home, cuddling up in to watch TV, and even to sleep in. The oversize nature of blanket hoodies, means you can tuck your legs right up inside and keep your whole body warm.  

The Esme blanket hoodie offers the ultimate in cosy warm comfort. Made of the softest bobble Sherpa fleece it comes in a one-size fits all style that truly keeps you warm all over.