16 ways to keep warm without a heater

Not everyone can afford to rush out and buy a heater or install a fireplace, and there are those that want to reduce their carbon footprint and electricity bill. Whatever your reasons, there are ways to keep a home warm without a heater. Get some tips… 

To keep warm, get small blankets and throws which you can use to snuggle on the couch with.

1. Firstly, address those areas that allow draughts to enter the house. This includes attending to loose window frames, gaps around and at the bottom of doors, and loose roof tiles.

Your local Builders Warehouse stocks rubber self-adhesive weatherproofing strips that can be applied around gaps in window frames and doors. You can also get draught excluders that can be fitted at the bottom of doors. Where the putty or seal on window panes has failed, replace this with a new sealant. 

2. Get a sausage dog, a stuffed one, and place it at the bottom of doors which have largish gaps. 

3. Allow as much sunlight into your homes as possible during the daytime by removing obstructions near windows. To do this, cut down any overhanging branches or prune large bushes to let the sunshine in. 

4. Fit thick curtains or add lining to window treatments and place them on south-facing windows or rooms that receive little or no sunlight during daylight hours.

A woolly sweater will add four degrees of warmth, which makes quite a difference in a chilly home.

5. If you have a fireplace that you don't use, cover the front to block off any draughts that come down the chimney.

6. If you have an old-style air conditioner that opens to the outside, block off the exterior grills with a sheet of board or plastic. 

7. Make use of a ceiling fan if it has a reverse function. Hot air rises so a ceiling fan will circulate the warm air back into the room. 

8. Install ceiling insulation. This might cost you for the initial installation but will keep your house warm in winter and cool in summer.

9. Only open the windows to let in some fresh air during the warmer part of the day and keep them tightly closed at night. If you leave a fanlight window slightly open it will provide plenty of air circulation without letting too much of the heat escape.

10. If you’re not using a room, close the door to trap in the heat.

11. Use small blankets and throws which you can use to snuggle up on the couch with.

Add a small carpet or rug on tiled floors to keep your space warm.

12. Add a small carpet or rug on tiled floors to keep your feet warm.

13. Keep your feet warm with slippers or warm socks. They might not be fashionable but they keep you warm. Be sure to dress up warmly too. Wearing a vest or thermal underwear will keep you warm.

14. A woolly sweater will add four degrees of warmth, which makes quite a difference in a chilly home. Gone are the days when we simply turned up the thermostat, now it's time to dress up and get warm.

15. Keep warm with a hot water bottle or make your own small bean bags which you can fill with rice or beans. Heat your homemade bean bags for one minute in the microwave and use them as heating pads or bed warmers.

16. Did you know that increased humidity will make a significant difference in your comfort level? Whenever you take a shower or bath, leave the warm water in the bathtub to increase the humidity in the air.