Top tactics for keeping warm at home without turning up the heating

We know that many people in the UK do not have the choice to turn down their heating, because they simply can’t afford to put the heating on in the first place, even here in the South Hams 12% of households are already living in fuel poverty and that number is only going to rise as energy prices increase.

The advice below is intended for anyone who is able to make the choice to turn down their heating. If you can’t afford to keep your home warm enough, we strongly urge you to contact our energy advice team who will be able to help. Depending on the condition of your home you will also need to make sure there is enough warmth and ventilation to avoid damp and condensation building up.
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This blog was written by Sophie, one of South Dartmoor Community Energy’s advice team managers.

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Did you know that turning down the heating by only 1c can reduce your heating bill by 10%!
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​There are several reasons why you might want to turn down your heating:

1. To save money by reducing your heating bills.
2. To reduce your carbon emissions and therefore your impact on climate change.
3. To stop using energy at peak times, which helps to pave the way for a smarter grid with more renewable energy generation.
4. To play your own small part in reducing UK reliance on fossil fuels.

But nobody wants to be cold and home, and we certainly do not advocate for people feeling cold (unless you’re choosing to have an ice bath of course, or doing a spot of winter wild swimming!)

You can contact our advice team for help if you are struggling to keep your home warm advice@sdce.org.uk or call 0800 112 3044.

So what’s a good temperature for your house?

18-21c is the suggested temperature for homes in the UK. But we encourage you to find what feels comfortable to you.

I am a very active person and I don’t like the house very warm, so I am comfortable at 16-17c most of the time. But if I sit still for a long time I do need it a bit warmer, say 18-19c and if I’ve already employed my other ‘keeping warm’ tactics I will need to put the heating on. I also don’t have any issues with damp and condensation, and my house is small and does not take a long time to heat up and cool down.
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Here are some of my top tactics for keeping warm without using the central heating:

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Fluffy slippers!

Wrist warmers

Warm jumpers

Blankets

Snuggling with a hot water bottle

Hot drinks

Get moving

Let the sun shine in

Close the curtains at dusk

Tuck up the curtains

Turn off radiators in empty rooms

Take action on draughts and insulation

• Fluffy slippers - I wear two pairs of socks and fluffy slippers to keep my feet warm.
• Wrist warmers – you can buy these, or just cut the feet off a pair of old socks and tuck them up your sleeves. Really makes a difference by eliminating the draught at your wrists, or if you have a creative friend they might crochet some for you like mine!
• Warm clothes – layers and warm jumpers. Many of us have become used to being able to walk around in a t-shirt at home in the winter. We need to change this, wearing warm clothes is a no brainer.
• Blankets – I always have a blanket wrapped around me when I am working from home, during a meeting I just push it down out of view of the camera.
• Snuggling; with a hot water bottle, or another person, or a pet – you choose!
• Hot drinks - I drink a lot of tea while I’m working from home, always remember to only boil as much as you need or keep some in a thermos for later.
• Get moving to warm up - have a dance in the kitchen or maybe you want to do a full blown HIIT workout. Even some gentle stretching from where you are will get the blood flowing and help to warm you up. Not to mention how good it is for your physical and mental health 😊
• Open the curtains – let the sunshine in! This is called Passive Solar Gain, and it makes a big difference, especially if you’re lucky enough to have some south facing windows, make sure the sun can stream through and the warm air can circulate through the house.
• Close the curtains! As soon as it starts to get dark, close the curtains to help reduce heat loss from your windows. It also makes you feel warmer to see a soft fabric, rather than a dark cold glass surface.
• Tuck your curtains behind or above radiators – this is really useful, if your curtains are covering the radiators that warm air rising from the radiator will go straight up behind the curtain and will not circulate properly in your room.
• Stop draughts – a cool draught on your neck or round your ankles can make the rest of you feel much chillier. Take a walk around your house on a windy day and check if there are any draughts, you might need to get a draught excluder for the bottom of a door or some draught strips around windows or doors. There is often support for draught proofing measures, if you need advice you can contact our energy advice team.

​And of course, its crucial to get your home insulated to reduce the heat loss, a fully topped up loft insulation, and cavity wall insulation are the basics. You can also insulate solid walls, sloping ceiling and under the floor. Contact our energy advice team for information on local installer companies and grants.

SDCE has a team of qualified and experienced advisors to help householders in the South Hams keep warm at home, if you have any questions on what support is available to you please contact us on 0800 112 3044, or email advice@sdce.org.uk