Now that the cold(ish!) weather has arrived, it’s all too easy to give in and crank the heating up to keep out the chill – if you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that I’m quite into all things eco-friendly, so I’ve been trying to save energy and resist reaching for the thermostat. When the folks at British Gas got in touch to see if I’d like to join in with their energy saving campaign, I jumped at the chance; I had to come up with a winter hack that would help keep out the cold without turning on the heating – watch the video below to see my top tip!
There are absolutely loads of ways to keep out the winter chill at home, including my other top five tips:
1. Layer up with t-shirts, jumpers, cardigans and even hats and scarves; I have a deep love for good knitwear, so this is never too much of a chore for me! If you’re extra cold, add wrist warmers for your hands and crack out the thermals to keep the heat in.
2. Hot water bottles are invaluable – I sometimes have one on my lap and one on my feet. You can find some really lovely hot water bottle covers in the shops at the moment, or if you’re the crafty type, you could knit, crochet or sew your own.
3. Blankets, blankets,blankets. Sit on them, sit under them, wrap them round your feet and snuggle them across your shoulders. There’s no such thing as too many blankets!
4. If you’re lucky enough to have an open fire or log burner, light it up. Ever since we stayed at Bryncyn in Wales, I’m a massive convert – nothing beats wriggling your toes in the heat of a real fire. I’m hugely envious of anyone who has one, because the closest thing I’ve got is a three-wick candle!
5. Invest some time in buying or making draught excluders to put around doors, and heavy curtains to surround the windows. If the drafts and cold air can’t get inside in the first place, you’ll find keeping warm much easier.
If you’re looking for more inspiration on ways to banish the cold this winter, check out my ‘warm and cosy’ board on Pinterest; full of steaming mugs of tea, thick blankets and some pretty fab knitwear. For more information on the full range of services from British Gas, check out their website, and keep an eye on the hub for more videos full of top winter hacks.
Follow Victoria Haynes: The Owl and the Accordion’s board Warm and Cosy on Pinterest.
Many thanks to British Gas for collaborating with me on this post, and for inviting me to be part of their campaign. Pass the tea!