Winter may be the season to get snug and cosy, but at what cost? When your ugg boots, dressing gown, beanie and gloves aren’t cutting it in your home, you’re likely to power up the air con or pop on a heater, right? But in this crazy time where inflation has hit our purses hard, there has to be other ways to stay warm…

Lucky for you, I’m a huge fan of being resourceful when it comes to cutting costs in my own home! So let’s take a look at some of the fabulous ways you can keep your home heated this winter!

Insulation matters

 Roof, wall and floor insulation is essential if you want to get serious about heating your home or keeping it cool in the warmer months. You could use reflective foils in warm climates, as these reflect heat from entering the house to begin with, while bulk insulators such as glasswool batts have a thermal barrier that resist heat.

Deal with draughts

It is said that roughly 40% of home energy is used to heat or cool homes, but an estimated 25% goes to waste. Why?

Because when your window and door frames, chimneys, floorboards, or even your attached garage is not properly sealed allowing air to get in from the outside, your warm (or cool air in the summer) escapes your house.

One way you can navigate this for the smaller cracks and openings is to install a brush strip that will block any breezes trying to sneak into your home. It’s affordable and super easy to apply, so I highly recommend it!

Use curtains to your advantage

If your windows aren’t double-glazed, you may be losing up to ten times more heat through each single pane of glass than if it were an insulated wall of the same size. Folks, that’s a lot.

If you’re renovating, definitely invest in some good quality double-glazed windows. Unable to go down that track? Go to your local curtain shop, hardware store or material merchant and buy or create your own layered curtains to help hold the heat in while keeping the cold draught at bay.

From the ground up

Does your home boast a tiled floor throughout? I ask simply because underfloor heating works best in tiled spaces, and is a brilliantly efficient way to keep your entire home toasty and warm without the uncomfortable cold spots in every room.

Underfloor heating is best installed at the same time as your major renovation, rebuild or when adding-on to your home with an extension. Remember, you need a licensed tradesman to help you with this installation!

Lamp of luxury

Have you been unlucky enough to find mould growth in your home or garage? Fret no more, because there’s this great appliance that allows you to get nice and cosy at a flick of a switch and avoid those mouldy walls altogether.

A heat lamp/extractor fan/light combo is an excellent way to introduce light to your room, crack up the heat, and clear moisture from the air to prevent the unpleasant growth from occurring in the first place.

But remember, this is an appliance you must be hardwired by a licensed electrician. No cutting corners: it’s for your own safety, guys!

Heated towel rack

Using less electricity than most incandescent light bulbs at only 60W usage, a heated rail in the bathroom will warm your towels, and even dry them if hung damp.

While they aren’t the most effective at heating a large space, they at least do the job when you’re hopping out of the shower on the cold wintery night, and straight into a dry and warm towel.

While some heated towel rails come in a handy plug-in style, many need to be hardwired by an electrician, so keep this in mind when purchasing your perfect rail.

 So there you have it. Kitty’s 6 tips to keeping you warm in the winter, without racking up your electricity bill!