Heating expert shares five simple tips to keep your family warm at night

Jody Coffey

The colder weather has well and truly arrived.

There’s no denying that the temperature dip lately has us all reaching for cosier pyjamas, hot water bottles, and extra blankets to keep warm, especially at night.

And while in those moments of cold, we’ll do just about anything to warm ourselves, heating costs are where most of us draw the line due to being so high.

However, experts have shared some cost-effective tips that will keep the people in your house cosy as we weather the weather, and they’re ones that wouldn’t usually come to mind when you think of staying toasty.

Speaking to The Irish Sun, energy experts at the home-shopping website, Studio, firstly recommend rearranging your furniture. That’s right, you read that correctly.

Not exactly a tip that conjures images of warmth but an effective one all the same.

“Make sure your bed is positioned away from windows and doors to avoid any drought. You also want your bed to be as close to the room’s radiator as possible without obstructing it, as this will impact the overall temperature of the room,” they explained.

“Allow enough space for the radiator’s heat to circulate so that the entire bedroom is nice and toasty at night.”

Next, Studio says we should all be opting for a ‘warm but versatile’ duvet, adding that the ‘thickest’ option doesn’t always mean more warmth.

They advise that we should be looking at a duvet that is between a 10.5 to 12.5-tog, as it is the most approbate for ‘both the coldest and the mildest of nights throughout the season’.

To ensure a warm and snuggly sleep, their next nugget of advice is to get a flannel or fleece bedding, as it is the warmest material for even the coldest of weather.

“These thick alternatives are effective insulators, and not to mention cost, keeping you warm and comfortable,” they said.

Their fourth pro-tip is to try out using an electric or weighted blanket as they are more energy-efficient than turning on the heating.

“An electric blanket is significantly cheaper to run than keeping your central heating on which runs up the electric bill by heating rooms not in use overnight,” the experts explained.

“Many electric blankets also come with self-timers, so you can set them to be on for just an hour or two while you drift off.”

Lastly, reseal your windows at some point over the coming weeks before the coldest of the weather hits.

They explained how to go about doing this, and said: “Using a silicone-based caulk or sealant,” they explain, “you can reseal your windows yourself and save cash on hiring a professional to boot.”

This will help keep draughts of condensation away, which could be causing a coolness in the house overnight.