23 ways to stay warm without turning on the heating this winter
The UK is about to be plunged into a cold snap with ice and snow set to hit in most areas. Of course, the chilly temperatures has everyone wondering about the best way to heat their homes. While the immediate temptation is to turn up the heating, the ongoing cost of living and energy crisis may have you reluctant to go near the thermostat.
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Teddy Fleece Hooded Blanket
Avocado Oodie
Ninja Foodi Blender & Soup Maker
Thermos Stainless King Food Flask, 470ml
Heatgen Medium Thermal Brushed Leggings
Wearable Hot Water Bottle Belt
Rechargeable Hand Warmers, 2-Pack
Russell Hobbs 700W Black Ceramic Plug in Fan
Thermal Knit Fingerless Winter Gloves
Fogarty Superfull 13.5 Tog Winter Duvet, Double
Silentnight Comfort Control Electric Blanket
Heated Vest
Research, by comparison site Uswitch, has revealed more than 1.7 million households say they will not turn on their heating this winter, up from the 972,000 who said they took this drastic step last year.
The survey reported that 55% cited rising living costs as the reason they would hold out on heating their homes, while a quarter of pensioners put it down to the loss of winter fuel payments.
Fortunately, there are methods to help you stay warm that don't involve cranking up the boiler. From plugging unwelcome draughts to making sure your bed is toasty, here are 23 simple and cost-effective ways to stay warm this winter, no radiators required.
1. Plug the draughts
Feeling the chill through the floorboards? One woman has shared a great way to keep your home warm if you have wooden flooring. TikTok-user lydsear demonstrated a hack on her social media account where she uses an Amazon product to stop cold draughts coming through her floorboards.
2. Put tin foil behind your radiators
On the occasions when it's just too cold not to put on the heating, try putting foil behind your radiators to make sure the heat is forced back into the room, rather than escaping into the wall.
3. Dry your clothes and heat your room
As well as offering a solution that will help dry your clothes without the expense of running your tumble dryer, a heated clothes airer will also help heat up your room without altering the thermostat. And some have running costs at less than 4p an hour!
The clever, space-saving gadget dries up to 15kg of laundry in between four and six hours, thanks to thermostatically-controlled bars and costs considerably less than a tumble dryer.
4. Swap your jumper for a wearable blanket
Still feeling the chill in your usual TV-viewing cocoon? Try the Marks & Spencer's Teddy Fleece Hooded Blanket, otherwise known as 'The M&S Snuggle'. But, you'll need to be quick, it's currently in high demand with some sizes and colours already selling out.
Super soft, cosy and available in a range of colours, it's a must-have for the cold winter months.
You could pull on an Oodie. On Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website, one fan says she hasn't needed her heating since buying the cross between a hoodie and a blanket. "Invested in an oversized hoodie blanket to snuggle up in, not used heating since," the user wrote.
Stay warm this winter with everyone's favourite oversized hooded blanket — The Oodie.
5. Have a hot lunch
The NHS says eating regularly will help keep you warm, and says you should have one hot meal a day. A soup maker will help you make cheap, nourishing and warming food to give you a post-lunch heat boost.
Breeze through dinner time with this highly rated soup maker by your side, capable of blending and cooking at the same time for enjoying chunky and smooth soups, fresh sauces, homemade jams and more.
6. Take your tea in a flask
Who would have thought that we'd be totting up the number of times we boil our kettle, but we are where we are. Reduce your kettle use to once a day by making up a vat of tea in a flask.
This flask can keep contents hot for up to nine hours and is designed with a versatile lid that doubles as a convenient bowl for when you're on-the-go. Choose between a range of colours to suit your taste.
7. Pull on the thermals
Rethink your outdated view on thermals by staying snug in the latest cosy yet cool base layers. From bargain £16 thermal leggings to practical but pretty tops, thermals are back in style.
Pack on the layers with this pair of stretchy thermal leggings from M&S.
8. Plug the gaps
Ensure your home is as heat-efficient as possible by banishing draughts. "Allowing cold air to get into the home will, unsurprisingly, bring the overall temperature down," explains Laura O’Connell, product manager at Thomas Sanderson. "If you can stop these draughts from getting in and taking away the warm heat, it will make a huge difference to the temperature of your home."
9. Wearable hot water bottle
Hot water bottles are a cheap and cheerful way to stay toasty when trying to keep the heating off. You can even shop styles that wrap around you thanks to long arms and velcro fastenings — think of it as a constant warm hug.
Snuggle up with this wraparound hot water bottle that comes with built-in hand pockets for keeping warm. It's also great for pain relief.
10. Try some reusable hand warmers
If you struggle to keep your mitts warm, reusable hand warmers could help to solve the problem and will cost you less than 1p per hour to run, according to MoneySavingExpert. You can also shop single-use air-activated heat packs if you're looking for something more budget-friendly.
Brave the cold weather with a pair of these hand warmers in your pockets.
11. Snuggle up with a special someone
If you curl up with another person or even a pet, you'll get twice the body heat than if you were sitting solo. As well as keeping you warm, cosying up with a special someone can release oxytocin, known as the cuddle hormone, which has a whole heap of benefits for your mental health.
12. Try a plug heater
Small yet mighty, not only are plug heaters space-saving, but they're also a cost-effective way to warm up a room without having to crank up all the radiators. The Russell Hobbs Compact Black Ceramic Plug Heater, £14.99, can reach up to a toasty 30C – most likely why it keeps selling out and is the top-seller in Amazon's heating category.
Suitable for all sorts of small spaces, this little heater can reach temperatures of up to 30C and has proven to be a cost-effective and efficient way to heat up homes.
13. Upgrade your slippers
Make sure they have rubber soles. The rationale? Rubber is a bad conductor of heat and will therefore keep your toes toastier.
14. Leave the oven open after cooking
While many are turning to air fryers to save money on bills, those who are still using their oven can leave it open after cooking to release additional warmth into the room.
15. WFH in fingerless gloves
They may be an 80s throwback, but fingerless gloves could be a cheap yet simple solution to keeping our circulation going while tapping out that report when working from home.
Designed with a comfortable and stretchy fit, these fingerless gloves are ideal for throwing on when you're feeling cold indoors.
16. Get your exercise on
As well as increasing your metabolic rate, exercising also helps accelerate body heat production, so why not try doing a quick round of jumping jacks in between meetings? Cardiovascular exercise increases blood circulation, while strength training will increase heat production in the muscles. But try not to get too sweaty as you'll start to get cold as you cool down.
17. Take a morning cold shower
This may seem utterly bonkers and completely counter-intuitive, but cold showers help improve blood circulation, and that in turn could help to keep you warm.
18. Put your feet up
A chilly floor is usually the coldest part of your home, but popping your feet up on a stool or chair can help your tootsies stay that little bit warmer while you're sitting down.
19. Upgrade your duvet
The best temperature for sleep is around 18C. "To reach this easily in winter, choose a higher tog duvet of at least 13 which will retain as much heat as possible," Georgia Metcalfe, co-founder and creative director of The French Bedroom Company previously told Yahoo UK. If you're struggling to recall the last time you changed your duvet it might be time to do so as the stuffing in older duvets can clump together and lead to cold spots.
Upgrade your bedtime set-up with a brand-new duvet for winter.
20. Switch up your PJs
Changing up your nightwear can actually have an impact on how warm you feel in bed. "One of the best materials to feel warm on cold evenings is silk – it is a natural thermal regulator and keeps heat between the threads," explains Metcalfe.
21. Try an electric blanket
Warming up yourself and your immediate surroundings rather than the entire house can help to ensure your heating stays off. And electric blankets have come a long way since from the stiff and scratchy ones your granny used to swear by. These days best heated blankets are soft and light, with wires you'll barely notice.
Made from a super snuggly fleece material and complete with three heat settings, there's no wonder over 4,000 shoppers have purchased this exact blanket in the last month.
22. Rearrange the furniture
By moving any furniture or items that are blocking your radiator, the heat generated can circulate more freely. You should also make sure your bed is positioned away from windows and doors to avoid any draught.
23. Wear the warm
Wearable tech has switched its attention to keeping warm and heated gilets are providing a cosy boost. Heated panels in the chest and back and are powered by lightweight portable battery packs, which you charge up to keep you toasty warm round the house and on the go.
Get onboard with a heated jacket, which works to instantly warm you up when you're on-the-go. It also helps promote blood circulation and relieve muscle soreness in winter.
