Top tips for staying warm this winter

To cheer you up during this cold start to the new year, we are offering you our top tips for staying warm this winter.

The Christmas lights have come down, and festive snacks are being replaced with healthier alternatives. And to make January even more miserable, the temperatures are plummeting.

Although we haven’t yet seen the New Year snow that’s covered parts of the UK, there’s no denying that the weather has been significantly colder this past week.

Here’s the Jersey Consumer Council’s top tips for staying warm this winter, without breaking the bank:

Stay warm at home

Got the heating on in your home, but still don’t feel warm?

Turning off radiators in unused rooms and leaving your electrical appliances on standby could mean that you can afford to turn the heat up in the rooms you spend most time in.

And by using draught excluders – even simple homemade ones – and covering cold, hard floors with rugs, you can better retain the heat in your home.

Generally, a room temperature between 18 and 21 degrees is ideal for most rooms, but 16 to 18 degrees is ideal for your bedroom.

By opening curtains during the day, then closing them at dusk, you can get sunlight into your home. And making sure your curtains, or items of furniture, aren’t sitting in front of radiators, can help retain even more heat indoors.

And if you’re still cold when you settle down on the sofa for the evening, layer up with clothes, use a hot water bottle or heat pad, and make sure you have warm nightwear, before thinking about turning the heating up further.

Stay safe, as well as warm

Using portable heaters can be a cheaper alternative to switching on the central heating.

However, they can be a serious fire hazard if they’re not used carefully.

You should place your heater on a flat surface to ensure it doesn’t fall over, and it should be at least 3ft away from anything flammable.

Energy safety experts also warn that you should never use portable heaters to dry your washing, and you mustn’t plug them into extension leads, as this can be a fire risk.

If you’ve got an old electric blanket, don’t use it if any of the heating wires are visible, or if there’s damage to the power cord or control unit, or it gives off a smell when switched on. It can also be dangerous to leave them on for too long.

Eat the right food and drink

Soups and stews can be relatively cheap meals to make or buy and, along with hot drinks, can help to keep you warm.

But if you’re making lots of teas and coffees, taking care not to overfill the kettle by measuring out what’s needed can really help to keep your energy costs down.

You may also want to consider batch cooking to be more efficient.

And while it may be tempting to sit and do nothing on these cold winter days, keeping moving between meals can help you stay warm, and can also improve both your mental and physical health.