A SAVVY mum has shared five ways she keeps herself and the house warm without keeping the heating on for hours.
Cassie has shared her ‘common-sense ideas’ to help other families conscious of putting the heating on and the rising costs to come.
Cassie shared five ways to keep the heating off and stay warm[/caption]
Taking to her blog, Frugal Family, she shared five simple money-saving tips to keep you and the house as warm as possible without putting the electric on.
Cassie penned on her blog: “Keep your curtains open to get in as much heat as you can, but as soon as it starts to get dark then close them to keep out the cold.”
The mum also suggested buying thermal or thick curtains to help keep the heat inside.
“If you can, make sure your curtains are lined with a good thick fabric to keep as much of the heat in [when it’s dark outside],” she continued.
She also recommended feeling out for draughts near doors or windows by feeling for a breeze as this will make any tasks done to make the home warm futile.
“Do something about any drafts that you find because where the cold is coming in, the heat is also escaping, which means that you’re literally pouring money down the drain,” she says.
You can use door stoppers, window sealant and even duct tape to stop draughts.
Another simple hack was to move from downstairs to upstairs as heat travels up meaning the top floor will always be warmer in the winter.
Cassie also recommended moving your body as a simple, healthy and free way to warm up.
She shared: “I’ll turn my music up and do half an hour on my exercise bike; more often than not I’ll start off wearing a jumper over a T-shirt and take it off after about five minutes as I get that warm.”
We all know dressing in extra layers will keep you warm but it’s such an easy trick we sometimes forget just how effective it is.
She added: “I also dress in layers at this time of the year because the extra clothes not only keep me warm but the layers trap warmth in between them too.”
Getting on the sofa in a blanket with a warm drink will not only make you feel better it will make you warmer too.
And Cassie said if you’re really cold warm socks and hats were the best way to go – even indoors.
5 ways to keep your house warm in winter
Property expert Joshua Houston shared his tips.
1. Curtains
“Windows are a common place for the outside cold to get into your home, this is because of small gaps that can let in air so always close your curtains as soon as it gets dark,” he said.
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth as it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
2. Rugs
“Your floor is another area of your home where heat can be lost and can make your home feel chilly,” he continued. “You might notice on cold days, that your floor is not nice to walk on due to it freezing your feet.
“Add rugs to areas that don’t already have a carpet, this provides a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
3. Check your insulation
Check your pipes, loft space, crawlspaces and underneath floorboards.
“Loose-fill insulation is very good for this, and is a more affordable type of insulation, with a big bag being able to be picked up for around £30,” Joshua explained.
4. Keep your internal doors closed
“Household members often gather in one room in the evening, and this is usually either the kitchen or living room,” Joshua said.
“This means you only have to heat a small area of your home, and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
5. Block drafts
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and letterboxes, as they can let in cold air if they aren’t secure.
Cassie said: “My mum used to tell me that if your head and your feet were warm then the rest of you would be too, so I have some lovely thick socks to pop on to warm me up.
“I draw the line at wearing a hat at home though, so the heating would definitely go on if that was needed.”
Plus one plumber has shared how to keep your radiators working properly when you decided to turn the heating on.
He revealed dusting the radiators were vital to ensure the vanes weren’t obstructed and it could efficiently heat up the room.
Radiator fans were also a great buy, they’re small electric fans that either sit on top or the bottom of the radiator.
Yanchev shared: “By drawing air through the radiator’s vanes, they help it emit as much heat as possible.”
