Vicky Parry
11th Nov 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Over the last few years, we have had to get pretty creative to avoid putting our electricity on as much. Energy prices have been astronomical so staying warm over winter has become paramount, but not breaking the bank even more so.
With this in mind, I took to the internet to see what hacks people are suggesting to stay warm and decided to try them all on the coldest day and night of the year so far.
These were my findings.
Warm Yourself From the Inside
This is one of the best bits of advice out there. As soon as food hits your tummy your temperature rises and you become far more comfortable. Enjoy hearty, warming comfort foods like stews, soups, and carb-rich meals, as these can help you feel full and cozy, which may improve sleep and keep you warmer. To test this I decided to make some soup. I have a Daewoo Soup Maker which makes making soup SO easy.
If you have ever used a soup maker then you will know what a game changer it really is. For the Daewoo one, I put the raw ingredients in and it cooks them and then blends them to your chosen consistency. So, before you head out with the dog, or whilst you work, the soup maker makes a delicious lunch for you. It is the easiest and most delicious and warming lunch and such minimal effort; I use mine every few days. Then, the warm soup filled belly takes the edge of the coldness and lasts for at least an hour.
Eating regularly can also help and we take a look at warming foods here.
Warm Bath Before Bed
An oldie but a goodie. If you take a warm bath before bed, it is suggested that your temperature will rise enough to then stay warm. I tested this one with no heating on (to really give it a try) and found that whilst it did warm me up better than a cup of tea, it didn’t last that long.
Move Your Body
If you have ever seen rugby players play in the snow then you will have asked how this isn’t absolute agony on their skin. And I am told that whilst it stings, once they start running about they warm up suitably. For this to work you have to keep moving. One tip I saw again and again on Reddit was to keep moving. One person said every time they felt they were getting chilly they get up and do star jumps, another said they use an exercise bike. So whilst this is a very effective method – after a long day at work and modern life sapping all of your energy, getting up and doing star jumps every ten minutes felt a bit relentless to me and not at all sustainable whilst I tried to sleep.
Hot Water Bottle
Sometimes all we need is something warm to cuddle.
Energyguide.org.uk has calculated that it costs around £4.50 to run an average sized gas boiler.
According to the Citizens Advice website, it costs an average of 7p to boil a full kettle. That will fill a normal sized hottie and one of those long thin ones you may have seen. (Remember you should always let the water cool down a little bit before filling a hot water bottle and never fill it completely full.)
You can buy a cosy long hot water bottle from Dunelm for just £14.
Wilko sell a basic hot water bottle with cover for £4.99.
Hot water bottles stayed warm for hours and were lovely to warm a cold bed to climb into. The long one was particularly good as I could hug it and the full length kept me warm from shoulder to hip!
Wear Warmth
There are so many options on the market for this tip. I have an Oodie which I absolutely swear by – if anything you can be TOO hot in that, it’s so effective! I was also kindly gifted a Daewoo Heated Hoodie and let me tell you – this is hands down my winner. Recently my dog has taken to wanting the toilet in the middle of the night (don’t ask but it has a lot to do with Hedgehogs), in winter, getting out of your cosy bed and standing under the moonlit sky at 2am is brutal and this is the only item that has made it bearable. It can be charged really quickly (like 5 minutes) with a USB and has three settings. I can say, hand on heart, it is so snug. I struggle with aches when I get cold so it is a godsend and this out of all the methods I have tried – made me feel the most comfortable the quickest.
We have our electric blanket guide here.
