How to Keep Your Home Warm Without Turning On the Heating

As cold, windy, and rainy weather sweeps across the UK this autumn, many people are searching for ways to keep their homes warm without turning on the heating. Energy prices are rising, which makes heating a home more costly than before. Families and experts have shared easy, low-cost tips to help people stay comfortable through the chilly months. However, experts warn that elderly or vulnerable people should always make sure they are warm enough and should not risk their health to save money.

One of the simplest ways to stay warm is to wear the right clothes indoors. The British Heart Foundation suggests wearing several thin layers instead of one thick layer, because thin layers trap heat better around your body. Natalie, 29, says she switched to thermal leggings and tops from the supermarket and says it made a big difference. Eating hot meals like stews and pasta bakes can also help warm you up from the inside.

When it comes to sleeping warm, there are several easy tricks to try. A winter duvet with a tog rating of 10.5 or higher can keep you cosy, and some supermarkets sell them for under £20. Rebecca, 44, from Hertfordshire, sleeps with a blanket underneath her mattress, a tip passed down from her grandmother, which she says stops cold draughts coming up from below. Others place a blanket above the mattress but under the bedsheet for extra warmth.

Hot water bottles and electric blankets are also great tools for staying warm at a low cost. NHS Scotland advises letting boiled water cool for a few minutes before filling a hot water bottle and never holding it against bare skin. Electric blankets can cost as little as 2p to 8p per hour to run at their highest setting. The London Fire Brigade reminds people to unplug electric blankets before getting into bed and to replace them every 10 years.

Keeping heat inside your home is just as important as creating warmth. Closing doors traps heat in the room you are using, and hanging curtains or blankets over doors adds extra insulation. Rebecca recommends opening curtains on sunny days to let sunlight warm the room, then closing them at sunset to keep that heat in. Soft furnishings like rugs can also help keep floors and rooms warmer.

Gaps and draughts are a big cause of heat loss in the home. You can block gaps around door frames with draught excluders, or save money by using rolled-up towels or socks stuffed into a pair of tights. On windy days, experts suggest checking your whole house for draughts and sealing them with foam strips or sealant. Vents and extractor fans should never be blocked, as they keep the air healthy inside your home.

Using your heating smartly can also help save money on energy bills. You can bleed your radiators to make them work more efficiently, and turning the heat up in small steps helps avoid wasting energy. Moving furniture away from radiators lets heat flow more freely around the room. You can also use kitchen foil behind radiators to reflect heat back into the room, since about 35% of heat from radiators is lost through walls.

Energy bills are expected to rise sharply in January, with the average household bill predicted to go up by £276 a year. Around 9.4% of households in England were living in fuel poverty in 2025, according to government figures. Rodney Winchester, 65, from Thetford, says he is extremely worried about rising costs and fears he will not be able to afford to keep warm. He says the situation is very scary, and that he has already had to cut back on food spending.