How to keep warm when it’s freezing outside

Many households feel the pinch at this time of year. With the current cold snap and higher energy prices, you might be wondering, just how do you keep warm when you can’t pop the heating on?

Fear not – follow these tips to stay warm and well without breaking the bank.

Efficiently heat your home

No one enjoys arguing over the thermostat!

But heating in winter can be a necessity to prevent illness (especially for vulnerable groups like pensioners and young children), keep your water pipes flowing and prevent damp and mould in your home.

When it comes to heating, there’s a lot of debate about whether it’s better to keep the heating on low all day or switch it on and off as needed.

Generally, a room temperature of 18-21C is ideal, so find what works best for your home.

Make small energy savings

Start by checking your home to see where you can make savings:

• Switch off radiators in unused rooms.
• Don’t leave appliances on standby.
• Only use the heating when you’re home.
• Turn the thermostat down by 1C.
• Use thermal curtains or add a lining to keep the heat in.
• Bleed your radiators.
• Turn your flow temperature down if you have a combi boiler.
• Use energy-saving light bulbs.
• Clean your fridge’s condensing coils and defrost your freezer – this keeps them at the right temperature, so uses less energy.
• Use smaller saucepans and pop the lid on – your food will heat up faster, using less energy.
• Add a cylinder jacket to hot water tanks – this stops your tank losing heat as fast.
• Low-flow showerheads don’t need as much energy to heat up the water.
• Showers use much less hot water than baths.
• Block any drafts – even scrunched paper can be used to stop the cold from coming down any unused chimneys.
• Make homemade draught excluders from old fabric, like a pair of jeans you don’t wear anymore.
• Wash clothes at 30C instead of 40C.

EDF says following these tips could save you around £900 each year. We’ve also got lots more tips on our website to help you bring costs down.

Heat yourself

Layering up with clothing and blankets is always a good idea. And, if you have a hot water bottle or microwaveable wheat or rice bag, use it wisely.

Electric blankets or cushions can cost pennies to run and provide an invaluable source of heat. You may be able to get one for free as some providers have been giving them away to priority customers this winter.

Eating, drinking and washing

Staying warm isn’t just about heating your home; it’s also about what you consume.

Age UK suggests hot meals and drinks to help maintain body heat:

• Opt for warming foods like soups and stews.
• Drink plenty of hot beverages like tea and coffee – only fill the kettle with what you need.
• Heat water to a lower temperature if your kettle has temperature controls (or knock it off just before it boils if you have a regular kettle).
• Pour any extra heated water into a flask to keep it hot throughout the day so you can use the kettle less.
• Look for supermarket-branded items to save money.
• Batch cook meals to not only save time but also keep you warm (slow cookers are great for this – some councils are giving them away for free).

Warm spaces

There are well over 4,000 ‘warm banks’ in the UK – community areas which you can visit to stay warm. Community centres, libraries, churches, arts centres and community cafes all offer use of their space, with many also providing a free cuppa and wifi.

Use the Warm Welcome Spaces website to find one near you.

Extra support

If you’re worried about your energy bills, you might be able to get a helping hand with costs.

Energy supplier grants

Most energy companies set money aside to help people who are really struggling.

Read more about the additional support available with our guide.

Cold weather payments

Some households are eligible for automatic cold weather payments when temperatures drop to a maximum of 0C.

It’s a one-off payment of £25 that’s made for every seven days of freezing temperatures.

If you get any of the following, you’re eligible for the payment:

• income support
• income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
• income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
• pension credit
• support for mortgage interest
• universal credit

Household support fund

The household support fund (HSF) helps those who are most severely affected by the cost-of-living crisis by providing extra cash to help cover the essentials.

You don’t need to be receiving benefits to get a helping hand.

Each council decides who’s eligible and how the fund is spent. Most councils decide to distribute it through cash payments or vouchers.

You can apply for help from the HSF by asking your local council before 31 March 2025 – details of local councils can be found on the government website.