It’s always a concern after Christmas, the cost of everything, especially the energy bills! Trying to keep the house warm during the winter months while also trying to curb your spending is difficult. There are the normal methods of keeping your house warm in the winter months, such as installing double glazing, high-quality aluminum windows, or paying out a lot of money for insulation, or a brand new heating system. But apart from these approaches, what can be done cheaply to keep your house warm?

Tin Foil

This is one way to prevent heat loss from radiators, especially radiators that are attached to external walls. By using heat reflective aluminium foil behind the radiators, this will reflect the heat back into the room instead of letting the heat disappear through that external wall. You can buy foil specially designed for this purpose, but it can be costly if you need to buy lots. So you could invest in good quality kitchen foil instead. However, this is not as effective.

Single-Glazed Window Film

Double glazing is one of the most effective ways to keep heat in your home. However, it is incredibly costly, but if you can’t afford it, there is a special film that you can put across single-glazed windows which imitates the same effects, however not as well as double glazing. It’s effective enough that has been given it’s own day – just check out this article: https://www.nvwindowfilm.com/wisconsin-governor-tony-evers-proclaims-april-30-2023-as-national-window-film-day/.

You can attach the film to the window using double-sided tape, and then by applying heat, such as from a blow dryer, you can fix it on. The only negative to this is that if you needed to open your windows, you would have to break the seal. But if you need to apply the film during the winter months, it is unlikely you will need to open the windows, but you can purchase smaller packs for smaller windows.

Using Thicker Curtains

This is one of the older methods to help you prevent heat from escaping. A good, cheap option is to use curtains with a thermal lining, the thicker,the better. However, if you cannot afford new curtains, you can line them with material like fleece, or even PVC shower curtains! If you have issues with single glazing then placing curtains over single glazing doors will help prevent draughts also.

Draught Excluders

You can make your own draught excluders such as by using a pair of tights and stuffing them with old socks, or you can invest very cheaply in the old fashioned “sausage dog” draught excluders. If you have big letterboxes or dog flaps, then finding basic materials to create some insulation, such as bits of blankets, can be fixed using some adhesive.

Other small tips include putting shelves above a radiator to help stop hot air rising, shutting unused rooms to prevent the cold air moving to the rest of the house so you can contain the heat, and also setting timers on your heating. You don’t need to leave your heating on all day, having it on for a small period of time, long enough so that regenerates a convection current should be enough to keep the heat in.