"Making tweaks to your décor and home furnishings is really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reducing bills, but every little helps, and there are very small things that can help keep heat indoors"
Google searches for “How to make a room warmer” and “How to keep warm without electricity” have seen 120% and 967% increases respectively in the last three months alone.
Aside from clothing changes you can make such as layering up with jumpers and socks, the way you furnish your home could also help to make your rooms warmer.
With this in mind, Joshua Hammonds, marketing manager at Hammonds Furniture, has put together tips on what décor could help keep your home warm, and possibly save you money on your bills too.
Hammonds also spoke to money saving expert, Matilda (@amillennialsaver on Instagram) to find out just how much these changes could save you this winter.
Thick curtains
Windows are a key area of heat loss, with 18% of a home’s heat loss occurring just through windows.
Aside from thick double glazing, another way that we can prevent our homes losing heat through windows, is through our choice of curtains.
Swap out your blinds or any sheer, lightweight curtains for some that are made from a heavier material.
Curtains made from materials such as wool or velvet, or thick drapes with a thermal lining, will be able to restrict the airflow in your home and stop your rooms losing heat.
According to money saving expert Matilda, curtains can keep up to 4% more heat in your home than blinds, and so, opting for thicker curtains can be even better. Make sure you close them at night as this can reduce your home’s heat loss by 15-17%.
Draught excluders
Any rooms that you’re heating will struggle to retain heat if you have gaps underneath doors that allow air to pass through the home.
You should close doors to stop most of the air following from room to room, and then invest in a draught excluder to sit at the bottom of the door and block any gaps. You can also use draught seals and tapes for any windows that may be leaking heat.
This is a quick solution for any gaps you spot around your doors and windows, and with searches for draught excluders 235% year on year, and 33,000 people searching for these handy tools each month, you certainly won’t be the only one giving these a try.
In fact, Matilda also advises that this easy tactic could save you up to £45 per year on your energy bills.
Thick rugs
It is estimated that you lose 10% of heat via your floors, and so insulated floors are a way to retain warmth in your home. Laying down carpet on any floorboards is a great way to reduce heat loss but this can be expensive.
However, a quicker and cheaper fix for your home is incorporating a rug into your décor. They will help keep your room warm and are a great way to make a space feel cosier in the winter months too.
Blankets and throws
A smaller change you can make is bringing more blankets and throws into your home. This is a popular method of staying warm as the weather cools down and is something that a lot of people are likely to try as searches for blankets are up 22% in the last month, and there are now over 40,500 Brits searching online for blankets each month.
Having a blanket or throw on your bed or sofa will make your space feel cosier but is also a practical way of keeping you warmer when you need an extra layer of heat. Opt for thicker blankets made from wool or cotton fleece if you’re looking for the warmest option.
Heated blankets can also be a way to bring more heat into your home. This can typically cost 5p per hour to run on full power. However, Matilda suggests having these heated blankets on a lower setting for longer, rather than having them on full blast for 20 minutes. Overall, these can be a cheaper alternative to turning on your radiators.
Move furniture away from radiators
If you have put your heating on, make sure that nothing is in the way of the heat moving through your room.
Placing furniture against radiators will actually block the hot air from circulating in your rooms properly and could mean that items close to the heater will absorb the warmth first. According to Matilda, this simple trick of moving furniture from in front of radiators could save you on average 10% of your energy bill.
Switching your lighting
As a further energy saving tip, Matilda also suggests swapping your lighting over to reduce your energy consumption.
Opting for energy-efficient or LED lights can ensure you’re spending less on your electricity or going for battery powered fairy lights can be a way to create cosy and ambient lighting in a room without impacting your bills at all.
Matilda commented: "It’s a terrible situation right now as we go into the colder months, with the majority of us worried about how to heat our homes, and it’s clear that many are looking into all possible options for reducing bills.
"Of course, making tweaks to your décor and home furnishings is really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reducing bills, but every little helps, and there are very small things that can help keep heat indoors - therefore helping us cut down on our energy consumption.
"We’d encourage anyone considering trying these swaps to make sure that the cost of the items doesn’t outweigh any potential savings in bills.”
