This week on Ideal Home all our discussions have been dominated by the drop in temperature, and all the tricks we’re using to keep warm and avoid turning the central heating on for another week. I’m sure the Ideal Home team is not alone in feeling the chill as we edge closer to the end of September, and we want you to tell us what tricks you’ve been using to stay warm, while still keeping energy bills low. Is there something we’re missing? Head to the comments section at the end of this article to share your secrets (and get some inspiration from others!).
Living in a Victorian terrace house with single glazing, I’m bracing myself for a chilly winter, and alongside many of the team, I’ve been swearing by the best heated throws to keep the chill off when sitting on the sofa in the evening. I have a gorgeous Dreamland mustard yellow heated throw, available for £70 from Amazon. I only need to put it on for an hour at a low temperature to keep me warm all evening at the moment, and it costs pennies to run.
If it’s in bed that you get chilly, while I’m a fan of a hot water bottle, one of the team swears by using an electric blanket with a smart plug. This smart system means she can switch the electric blanket on from her sofa, so it’s ready and warm for when she climbs in.
(Image credit: Future PLC/Mary Wadsworth)
While heated throws and blankets are very cheap to run, if you don’t want to use any additional electricity, another trick I heard doing the rounds in the office this week was adding base layers to your working-from-home outfit.
The principle of base layers is taken from skiing, where you wear three thinner layers (base, mid-layer and outer shell) to help trap air and insulate your body. Of course, inside you don’t need the outer shell, but adding a pair of leggings under tracksuit bottoms or a £17 M&S thermal top under a jumper will make a world of difference to how warm you feel.
(Image credit: Future PLC/Darren Chung)
Another game-changer is adding better insulation to your windows with thermal curtains. Dunelm has a brilliant selection, and I’m currently considering the new Luna thermal door curtain to keep out the chill from my back door later this year.
These are just a few of the ways our team is keeping warm this month and hiding from the looming heating bills. Do you use any of these methods too, or do you have another creative way for keeping the chill off? Share any methods you regularly use to stay toasty at home below in our comments section. We’d also love to know if you’ve finally pulled the trigger and turned the heating on yet, or are you still holding out?
We’ll feature the best tips on the website, so make sure to add yours in the comments below!