Top tips to keep your home warm whilst saving energy.

We all want to reduce the impact of our lifestyle on the environment. And, with the cost of living at an all-time high, minimising energy usage has never been more of a priority for many households. But, with our research finding that half of adults are worried about being too cold at home this winter, households must find alternative ways to stay comfortable during the colder months.

Thankfully, keeping your home at a comfortable temperature doesn’t have to cost the earth. Here’s our ultimate guide to staying warm without turning the thermostat up.

2. Move furniture away from your radiators

3. Install radiator fans

4. Automate your heating

5. Shop around for energy

6. Bleed your radiators

7. Use your microwave

1. Draught-proof your windows

Once you’ve identified these weak spots, they are often very straightforward to fix. For example, for small gaps in your window, draught-proofing strips can be a cheap and effective solution and are easy to install yourself. If cold air is coming in underneath doors, DIY draught excluders are a great way to block the breeze and keep your home toasty.

Everyone wants to be warm when they’re curled up on the sofa. But, pushing furniture up against radiators will actually make a room colder.

This is because radiators are designed to raise the air temperature. When you place furniture - like a sofa or bookshelf - close to a radiator, heat is absorbed by the material instead of spreading around the room. This means you’ll need the heating on for much longer to feel the benefit.

Radiator fans are a great way to keep homes warm whilst reducing energy usage. SpeedComfort has been designed to spread heat twice as fast and more evenly throughout the room. This means you can turn your thermostat down by 1-2 degrees without sacrificing warmth. The fans also use very little electricity, with running costs of just 32 pence per year.

Plus, they’re easy to install. SpeedComfort attaches to the bottom of the radiator using magnets and switches on and off automatically thanks to the built-in temperature sensor.

4. Automate your heating

Most boilers, especially those with smart thermostats, allow you to control when you heat your home. Using these controls to ensure the heating is timed only to come on when you really need it is a great way to reduce energy usage without compromising on warmth.

You’ll likely want the heating to come on first thing in the morning to make it a little easier to get out of bed, and in the evening when you’re relaxing and moving around less. But you shouldn’t need it when you’re under your duvet at night or whilst you’re out at work during the day.

Every home is different, but many properties only take around thirty minutes to heat up once the heating is on, so avoid turning it on before you really need to.

5. Shop around for energy

Research suggests that only 25% of UK residents have ever switched energy suppliers. This means millions are paying more than they need to heat their home.

We get it, it feels like a lot of effort to search for new suppliers and make the switch, but it’s well worth seeing what’s out there. It’s normally much easier than you think and could save you hundreds every year. Plus, opting for a green energy supplier could also help you reduce your carbon footprint.

6. Bleed your radiators

If you’ve had your heating on for a while and one or more of your radiators feels completely or partially cold, there is air in your system.

This is very easy to fix, you simply need to bleed your radiators. This is usually straightforward to do yourself and shouldn’t require a plumber, but we do recommend following a step-by-step guide to avoid creating an unwanted mess.

7. Use your microwave

From electric blankets to chargeable hot water bottles, there are hundreds of gadgets designed to offer extra warmth during cold days and nights. Whilst all of these solutions can be effective in keeping you comfortable, the cost of purchasing and running these products varies significantly.

One of the most cost-effective options is microwavable wheat bags. These soft bags are filled with small pieces of wheat which heat up in the microwave, providing sustained warmth for over an hour. According to research, using microwave wheat bags costs just 14p per week. And, with prices for the bags starting at just £4, they offer an economical way to stay toasty on even the chilliest of evenings.