12 budget friendly ways to stay warm at home this winter

At the risk of sounding like dads the world over, ‘Put a jumper on!’ Sounds obvious, but if you’ve ever seen your kids standing barefoot in shorts and t-shirt in front of a heater, toasting themselves on the hot air, you’ll know that logic doesn’t always win.

Putting on warm clothing such as tights or stockings, sweaters, hoodies, Oodies or Ugg boots can make you feel a few degrees warmer. Keeping a blanket on your lap or a shawl over your shoulders can also increase your body heat (it's not daggy, it's Nanna-chic).

A lot of heat is lost through windows, and not only open ones! Closing curtains and blinds can reduce heat loss by creating a layer of insulation. If possible, close them as close to sunset as you can.

Open curtains and blinds on windows that have direct sunlight shining on them, even in rooms that aren't in use, like children's bedrooms on school days (because the kids won’t have opened them!). Sunlight is free and even the ‘winter sun’ can provide a significant amount of warmth.

If you work from home and have a flexible set-up, you may be able to make the most of the morning sun in an east-facing living room in the first half of the day, and then move to the opposite side of the house in the afternoon to benefit from the warming rays of the afternoon sun as it descends in the west.

Hot air rises, so if you live in a two-storey home, you will probably find that the air temperature rises by a couple of degrees as you climb the stairs. If it's practical to do so, base yourself upstairs while working from home or doing household chores.

Insulating your home reduces heat loss and prevents cold air from entering. It can help your heating system work more efficiently by keeping the warmth in the building rather than having to keep ‘topping up’ heat lost to 'leakage'. This reduces not only your energy consumption but also your heating bills. Insulation can also regulate the temperature in your home at other times of the year, keeping it cooler in the summer months.

Use ’door snakes’, weatherstrips, or door sweeps to keep cold air from coming in around the bottom and edges of front and back doors. You can also use draught excluders to prevent heat from escaping gaps around windows. Caulking is another inexpensive DIY solution to block draughts from gaps around windows and other spaces, keeping the cold out and the warmth in.

Hot drinks and food can make you feel a little warmer for a short time. Having a cup of hot chocolate, tea or soup can provide warmth and comfort, and a steaming bowl of oats can be a great breakfast option on cold winter mornings.

Covering your floors with rugs or carpets can help insulate your home and keep your feet warm. Bare floors can feel very cold, especially in the mornings, so even placing a small and inexpensive rug beneath your desk can make you feel more comfortable in a home working set-up.

If there are rooms in your house that you don't use often, close the doors to keep the heat concentrated in the rooms you're using. If you are using a whole house heating system, such as radiators or air conditioning that allows you to isolate units in specific rooms or areas, turn off those in unused rooms to save on heating costs.

Electric blankets, hot water bottles and heat pads are great for warming up your bed before you snuggle down under the duvet, having on your lap while working, or even placing on your feet while sitting on the couch.

Using your oven or stove makes the kitchen a warmer place to be, so make the most of that heat. If you have a comfortable area in or near your kitchen, base yourself there while baking some cookies or simmering a pot of homemade soup - and then warm yourself up even more by enjoying your fresh, hot culinary creations.

Physical activity can get your blood flowing and raise your body temperature. You don't need to go to the gym or do a full workout to feel the benefits of exercise either - even performing a few stretches, push ups or jumping jacks every half hour can help you feel warmer, and you can enjoy the happy paradox of energy saving (on your utilities) by burning energy (calories)!

If you want to take inspiration from the adage that 'Summer bodies are built in winter', however, you could kill two birds with one stone by working up a sweat with some cool new home exercise equipment (with free delivery from Appliances Online, even on heavy weights and machines!)

While these tips can help delay turning on the heating by a few weeks and stop using it sooner when the cold season starts coming to an end, most of us will also need to flip the switch on the heating for at least a few hours a day from late Autumn to early Spring.

If you’re in need of a good heating system, it's important to choose a heater that can warm you up without causing your energy bills to skyrocket. Here are some things to consider when choosing a heater.

You can choose from several styles of heater, from electric and gas heaters, to reverse cycle air conditioners.

If your home is connected to gas, either natural or LPG, and your state regulations permit it, a gas heater can be a cost effective choice, but you may be restricted by the placement of gas bayonet connections in your home. Gas heaters are generally either convector models, which spread heat throughout a large area, or older style radiant models, which have visible heating elements behind a grille and are more effective at heating the area directly in front of them.

Electric heaters can offer greater flexibility in terms of their ability to be plugged in anywhere. Electric models also encompass more styles, including fan heaters, panel heaters, column heaters and electric fireplaces.

Safety features

If you choose a portable heater, particularly one that has exposed heating elements - as some types of fan heater and radiant heater do - make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions. Keep the heater away from flammable materials, never leave it unattended and ensure it’s the appropriate size for the room.

Ideally, it should also have safety features such as tip-over protection and overheat protection, which can prevent accidents and keep your home safe.