GUEST POST | Not only does the approach of winter mean we’re more likely to reach for the thermostat to turn up the heating, the current energy crisis has caused our utility bills to rapidly rise. This obviously isn’t good news for our bank balances but putting the heating on isn’t good for either our wallet or the planet, so here are a few ways to keep warm without putting the heating on.
Layer Up
Putting more clothes on sounds like an obvious way to keep warm but instead of reaching for a thick, chunky jumper, put layers on instead. Thick, chunky jumpers look warm and cosy and while they’ll undoubtedly help to keep the chill out, layers are the way to go. Layers will keep heat trapped in between each layer, therefore more layers = more warmth trapped.
Stop Draughts
If you live in a brand-spanking-new posh and trendy London development, you’ll hopefully have draught-free doors, floors and windows. However, for the rest of us mere mortals who may be in older properties with original features from the Victorian era, we might be living with draughts coming in through the doors, floors and windows.
Block those gaps with draught excluders at the bottom of doors, heavy curtains at the windows and rugs to stop draughts coming through the floorboards. Also, if you’re lucky enough to have an open fireplace, if you’re not currently using it, plug the opening with a chimney balloon. Obviously, if you do choose to use your fireplace, remove the balloon first!
Put Rugs Down
Speaking of rugs, as well as stopping draughts coming through the floorboards, rugs will also prevent heat escaping through the floor. Rugs will trap the heat, keeping it inside the room and also keep your feet much warmer than they would be if you were walking directly on hard floors.
When we get cold, we tend to sit around more, moaning about how cold it is. This makes us colder though, because what we should be doing to keep warm is to move around a bit. We’re not suggesting you get on an exercise bike for a full-on spin session - this will actually have the opposite effect. While that much exercise will of course get you hot and sweaty, the sweat will make you lose body heat, causing you to get colder than you were before you started. But if we’re to keep warm, we must move, so do a bit of cleaning, DIY or light exercise to get your body moving and warmed up.
Eat and Drink
Although a glass of wine and a slice of cake will probably cheer you up more when it’s cold rather than something healthy, alcohol and sugar will only give you a brief respite from the cold. Put the kettle on and have a cup of tea to warm yourself up from the inside - add ginger to take advantage of its natural warming properties.
When it comes to food, food that takes longer to digest is ideal - e.g. porridge, potatoes, whole grains and lentils. We know that’s not as exciting as cake, so if you do make a cake, keep the oven open when you’ve finished baking to let all that lovely heat into your kitchen.
Get a Pet
Pets feel the cold just as much as we do and when they feel cold, they turn to the nearest source of heat - i.e. us. Your pet might think it’s using you for heat but in fact, they’re earning their keep by keeping you warm too.
When To Put The Heating On
We’re not suggesting you never put the heating on. Not only is this unrealistic but it can also cause damage to your property. Each year pipes burst due to them freezing, which isn’t something you want to happen to you. With a few tweaks to our homes and lifestyle though, we can save on our heating bills and still keep ourselves warm.
How do you keep warm without putting the heating on?
