Useful tips on how to keep warm this winter

Useful tips on how to keep warm this winter

Temperatures are dropping and the weather is thoroughly miserable. We all want our homes to be snug and cosy, but how do we get that warm feeling without the horror-inducing energy bills?

In this blog we’re going to be looking at cheap, simple ways to insulate your home and save money on bills – along with some warming tricks you may be missing.

How to keep the heat in

Let’s start with your radiators. They’re doing a great job pumping out heat, but are they heating your home in the most energy-efficient way? Don’t worry, you don’t need to replace your central heating system. There are simple, cheap ways to make it more effective:

- Tin foil. Aluminium foil behind the radiator reflects heat back into the room and stops it disappearing through the wall. It’s a useful tip if your radiators are attached to outside walls. You can use good quality tin foil or, for under a tenner, you can buy foil specially designed for the purpose.

- Shelves. Putting a shelf above the radiator helps channel the warmth. If you have high ceilings it stops heat rising directly above it, and when the radiator is below a window it prevents warm air becoming trapped between the window and the curtain.

Your windows and external doors may be secure from the outside, but they’re probably leaking out heat from the inside. Here are a couple of ways to insulate them:

- Windows. Thick curtains are a great way to protect your house from losing heat through the windows. The thicker the better. Curtains with thermal lining are relatively cheap, but you can line them yourself with cheap fleece, or even use a PVC shower curtain.

-External doors. Hanging a curtain in front of external doors adds another layer of protection. Actually, it doesn’t even need to be a curtain. An old rug will do the job just as effectively.

And don’t forget the floor. Wooden floors look great, but they’re notoriously draughty in the winter. Rugs and blankets help, and they also keep your feet warm. But if there are cracks and gaps in the flooring, use a silicone-based filler.

-Roofs. Loft insulation doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Rolls of foam insulation are relatively cheap, and 3 rolls of 8” deep foam is usually enough for an entire loft. Use mineral wool (such as Rockwool or Rocksil), glass fibre or recycled paper products. If you’re going to do it yourself, always use a facemask, goggles and protective clothing - and remember to leave gaps around the eves to avoid condensation.

The sunshine may be in short supply at the moment, but we still get sunny days during the winter. Heat from sunlight is free, so keep your window blinds and curtains open during the day to make the most of it. Close the curtains as soon as dusk falls to maximise your house’s potential to retain heat.

Clothing

When it comes to warm clothing, prioritise. Some body parts are more important than others, and if you focus on these you’re likely to stay warmer. They run in this order: torso, head, feet, neck, hands, legs.

- Torso. Your granny was right, a vest really does keep you warm. It helps you retain your core heat whilst keeping your arms comfortably mobile.

- Head. There’s a great general rule with winter hats. The cooler they look, the less likely they are to keep you warm. The dumber your hat looks, the more likely it is to keep you warm.

-Feet. As with winter hats, slippers are never going to win you any fashion contests. They’re not cool but they’re definitely warm, especially when combined with thick cotton or wool socks.

-Neck. You don’t need to wear a big bulky outdoor scarf indoors. Invest in a lighter scarf that you can wear comfortably around the house.

-Hands. You don’t need to wear gloves indoors, but you can use socks. Put a handful of rice into a sock and tie the end. Then pop it into the microwave for a minute and it turns into a reusable heat pack.

-Legs. Make the most of the warming layering effect to keep your legs cosy. Thick woollen tights or leggings under jeans work well for women. Men who don’t want to borrow their lady’s tights or leggings can always go for the long johns option.

Saving money on energy bills

In the winter, it can be a constant battle between keeping your home warm and well lit while keeping an eye on those ever-rising energy bills. But there are a number of easy ways to save money on electricity and gas bills without losing out on heat and light.

- Lighting. Everyone wants cosy, warm lighting in the winter, but this can account for up to 19% of a household’s electricity bill. Energy-saving bulbs can knock off a huge amount off your bill, particularly low power LED bulbs, which can last between 15 and 25 times longer than halogen equivalents.

- Electrical appliances. Any appliance that has a light on when it’s idle will be using up power - so unplug the TV, DVD player or even your mobile phone charger.

In the kitchen, wait until the dishwasher is full before you switch it on - one full load uses less energy than two half loads. You can also turn down the heat on your washing machine to 30 degrees, and use the quick wash function if your machine has one.

- Heating. It sounds obvious, but one of the simplest ways to prevent eye-watering energy bills is to heat only the rooms you occupy. Rather than warming up the whole house with a central heating system, consider a convection heater or fan heater. They’re less expensive to run and they’ll heat up the room faster than a central system.

If this isn’t practical, think about turning down your thermostat. Most families have the heating on at 20 degrees centigrade all day. Turn it down just one degree and you can shave 10% off your heating bill.

Setting timers on heating is important. Don’t put the heating on after you wake up, because by the time it’s warmed up you’ll be heading out the door. Instead, set the timer to come on about half an hour before you get up, and to switch off again before you leave.

And here’s a great tip for saving wasted energy costs: you may think that your ceiling fan is only for use in summer. In fact, if you set it to run in the reverse direction, it will drive warm air downwards.

For more energy-saving ways to warm and light your home, check out Arrow Electrical’s range of heaters and low power light bulbs.