With London still reeling from its encounter with that cold, white stuff yesterday and much of the UK braced for frozen conditions, keeping warm has suddenly become big on our list of priorities again.
Follow the jump for some steps you can take that should lead to a drastic reduction in your usage of electricity, gas and other fuels while you keep toasty warm. Adopting just one or two of them will make a difference...
1. Get yourself a sausage dog (or snake, or other suitably-shaped) draught excluder:
you'll be amazed at how much heat stays in your house this way. You could buy one, or if you're feeling particularly resourceful, why not make your own? Remember also that other openings in the house will let cold air in: letterboxes and badly-fitted windows should be looked at and fixed if necessary.
2. Put reflective kitchen foil behind your radiators.
This has been shown to save £5-10 per year through energy reduction, as radiators fitted close to outside walls sometimes lose heat to the outdoors, rather than heating your home. The foil will direct the heat inwards, and require you to use less energy. You can buy specially designed radiator foil, or even a radiator booster that will help throw out more heat. But kitchen foil works just as well, and is cheaper.
3. Wrap up warm
I almost didn't include this tip on the basis that it's such an obvious point. But that doesn't stop a lot of people from loafing around the house in short sleeved vests with no socks on in my experience, so you can never over-state the case for this one: wear warmer clothes! Central heating does not have the same effect as warm clothing, since it often makes you feel sluggish and de-hydrated, while warm clothes can be removed. And winter warmers don't have to be bulky and unflattering; if you don't have enough warm clothing you like, take the opportunity to go shopping now and bag some of the stylish and flattering fitted knitwear on the shelves at the moment. You can afford to spend a bit more on it if it's going to reduce your bills!
4. Get active
Winter is a good time to up your exercise regime. As well as staving off the winter blues, it will keep you generating your own energy and you'll find it easier to resist the thermostat. Make sure you're eating well and taking in lots of good calories.
5. Look into getting greener heating at home
A more long-term solution that's more expensive up-front but ultimately pays off is investing in greener energy any central heating you do use. The two main ways of doing this are replacing your current heating system with a new one, such as electric radiators, or 'fire belly' wood stoves. You could also switch energy suppliers, so that your electricity and/or gas is being generated by greener methods. Here are a few suggestions:
Our own Katie Lee demonstrates her electric radiators from Kalirel, a greener way of heating that she's found very effective. You can watch the video demonstration here.
Another option is getting a wood burner. These provide a lovely natural fire glow as they heat your house, but need to be stocked up regularly with wood.
Good Energy, uses 100% renewable sources such as wind and solar power to provide energy for its customers. It's not the cheapest option available, but it is by far the greenest. Like many hippyshopper readers, I'm thinking that this year may be the time to make the switch to this service, but need some real life testimonies before making that investment.
Switching to a greener energy supplier is a good idea whatever heating solution you opt for. Ecotricity is probably the best known green electricity supplier, sourcing much of its energy from wind power. You can apply online here.
British Gas offers a great package called Zero Carbon. Sign up for this option and British Gas will buy more green electricity, over and above our legal obligation, which in return increases investment into green energy production in the UK.
From: BEST OF 2008: Eco-friendy and sustainable shoes