As the cost of living crisis bites at the same time temperatures drop, many UK households are searching for tips and tricks on how to keep warm without putting on the heat.
Whilst some are anxious to reduce soaring energy bills, others sadly aren't in the situation to turn the heating on full stop. To help people deal with the crisis, one social media user took to Twitter to divulge the best strategies.
The thread - which details how to dress, draughts, and the best places to stay warm at home - went viral as other users added on their own pointers. Read on for a roundup of the ideas and other recommendations users shared with one another.
Twitter user Kaz @grumpyshrubbery started off the discussion by saying: "hey let's start a bleakly necessary thread about ways to stay warm when you can't put the heating on. some of these will be pretty obvious but if it helps, it helps."
The helpful thread attracted over 26,700 likes, 10,700 retweets, and almost 350 replies in just a few days.
Keeping warm with clothing
To start, Kaz advised wearing knitwear jumpers over crewnecks as they're warmer. She warned people to avoid wearing cotton when it's cold, explaining that material traps moisture from sweat, which then cools you down.
She added: "there are several heated clothing items that end up costing less than 10p a week if you're able to cover the initial cost - heated insoles for example are ~£8".
Ways to keep draughts out
The thread went on to cover bone-chilling draughts as she recommended keeping doors shut to keep rooms warmer.
Kaz recommended placing draught tape - which ranges from £3 to £12 on Amazon - on doors and windows to block cold air. She added that while some landlords may cover the cost, they're not obliged to do so.
Draught excluders that go under doors can be bought from the shops, but she suggested an old towel or blanket as a thrifty alternative.
She also suggested laying down blankets as insulation: "put blankets or rugs down. this helps stop heat escaping through the floor - especially if you have hard/non carpeted flooring."
Money-saving kettle and hot water bottle tricks
Another way to chip at energy bills is to be strategic about boiling water. They suggested: "make your days worth of boiling water for hot drinks at once and keep it in a flask so you don't have to keep boiling the kettle."
The Twitter user also recommended wrapping hot water bottles in layers to retain their warmth. She said: "sitting with a hot water bottle in a sleeping back can be great."
Kaz added: "please please please eat as regularly as you can and try to have as many hot meals as you can afford."
Where to stay indoors
Some areas of your home are bound to be warmer than others - a fact everyone can use to their advantage.
They wrote: "try to stay upstairs, in a room with the least exterior wall area as possible. heat rises so upstairs will be warmer, and the further you are from exterior walls, the further you are from the cold. smaller rooms are likely to be warmer than bigger ones.
"if you live with people, try to congregate together in your chosen room. more bodies = more body heat. only leave the room when you need to so you don't let the heat out."
The user also threw in a tip about bedding: "if you have spare blankets - put one immediately on top of your sheets and under your duvet then sleep on the blanket, this keeps more warmth in than putting the blanket on top of the duvet."
Other tips and tricks for keeping warm without heating
One person replied: "One of the most effective ways to maintain an even temperature is to put bubble wrap on your windows. Had opposite problem here in Australia last summer as my previous house had very low thermal integrity so keeping the heat out was crucial, but same method will work for cold."
Another said: "buy anything wool you can- wool socks, tights, and blankets will keep u much warmer than other textiles"
A second person chipped in to recommend crafting: "Crocheted, knitted or felted goods will be quite warm, even if acrylic yarn is used and the act of crocheting and knitting will give you something to do when the power is off. While you're working on large projects like blankets, drape it on your lap as you work for extra warmth."
Another urged people that the cold can threaten mobile phones: "as someone who now lives where it NEVER gets too cold for me, but used to live in f'ing Minnesota: do NOT rely on a smartphone working in negative double digits. it will die. you must have other plans for how people will contact you or know where you are in that case"
One user added tips for wheelchair users, adding: "Wheelchair users of all kinds, try insulating the opposite side of where you sit on the back of your chair with any of the materials that people have suggested for doors and windows, have an emergency blanket in your bag, and if you are working, keeping a heated blanket at your station in an office or even in a back room makes it possible to sneak off for about ten minutes or just plug in at a desk and avoid space heaters and head off cold related emergencies!"
Another person suggested using a tent indoors: "During last year's TX nonsense, I read some people suggesting that you put up a tent inside/on your bed (if it fits obvs), especially for sleeping. Pile everyone inside w layers & blankets & body heat. The smaller the space, the easier to heat."
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