Top Tips to Keep Warm

Energy bills rose once again in October due to a combination of factors, primarily high global wholesale energy prices, which have been driven by the conflict in Ukraine and increased demand after pandemic-related lockdowns. Network and wholesale costs are now the main drivers of bill increases, and the UK's energy price cap was raised to £1,755 a year in October 2025, meaning most variable-rate tariffs have increased. 

As energy costs soar, and winter sets in, many homeowners may be trying to keep the heating OFF for a little while longer in an attempt to save - more prepared to brace the chills of the season than to spend extra cash on heating homes. If you’re one of these who would rather ‘brave it out’ for a few more weeks than give the energy companies more of your hard-earned wages, here are a few tips quick and easy things you can try to keep warm without having to resort to cranking that thermostat up.

• Extra Clothing

It sounds so simple and yet many of us still don’t practise the art of ‘layering’ up on our clothing. Simply sticking an extra jumper on, wearing a vest, or putting two pairs of socks on can all add to an increase in body warmth.

If you’re static at your desk all day (as many are with remote or hybrid working) a pair of fingerless gloves or even a woolly hat can help keep your extremities toasty, and stop the heat being lost from your head (although remember to remove it for that Zoom call with your boss!)

• Eating & Drinking

Again, so simple, but food and drink are fuel for the body and keeping your body ‘topped up’ will help keep you warmer. Have you ever noticed how hot you get when you’ve just eaten a big meal? Eating regular meals, with some form of carbohydrates in, will provide slow-release energy that will keep you going and keep you warm. Likewise, if you’re starting to feel a bit nippy, a hot drink can often help.

• Stay Active

Especially if you have a sedentary desk job, staying active is key in keeping warm. It’s a known fact that exercise warms the body, so taking five minutes of every hour to stand up, stretch and do a few movements (however high impact or low impact you wish) will help stave off the chill.

• Keep the Cold Out

Often, the indoor temperature can be wildly affected by the tiniest of draughts, so make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep the wintery chill out, especially in this windy weather!

If you have gaps under doors, use draught excluders and shut your doors and windows properly.

You may even want to go a step further and insulate your windows with something like a film, to trap the air in between the panes of glass, invest in cavity wall insulation, or even loft insultation. However, these are more long-term benefits rather than quick fixes, and have some expense involved so make sure you really want to do it before you invest.

Inevitably, you will want to heat your home this winter at some point! However, the last thing needed is for you to finally flick that switch only to find that your boiler has broken, or a sudden overnight frost has frozen the pipes, thus negating all the money-saving you have done by ‘shivering it out’ for an extra few weeks!

Take advantage of our Members’ Club to ensure that you’re always on top of your boiler maintenance.