Ways to keep warm without putting the heating on

OK so I’ve just moved into my own flat and now that I’m paying my own bills I’ve noticed that I’ve turned into a bit of a scrooge with the heating! What makes me worse is that I have a pre-paid meter, which means I have to top it up before the heating comes on. And let me tell you something, it’s surprising  how quickly that money gets used up!

It’s nothing like topping up your mobile with £10 every month, oh no! Ten pounds in my Gas meter lasts about 5 days. To be honest it’s not the money that motivates me to reduce my heating bill, it’s the cold windy trek to the shops to top it up that bothers me.

I have in fact managed to reduce my gas expense my refusing to turn on the heating, which either shows how resourceful I am or that I previously had the heating on far too much.

So anyway, here are some top tips on keeping warm:

• Wear more clothes

Simple but effective. Now you can implement this method to varying degrees depending on how enthusiastic you want to be. You could put on a jumper or you could wear  all your clothes from your wardrobe.  However, wearing all your clothes may increase the amount of washing you have to do, which with counteract the savings on the heating. Personally I recommend wearing a housecoat/dressing gown.

• Use a blanket

When watching television you will be sitting still for a long period of time, this could get chilly. So snuggle up with a blanket. I recommend one that fits the colour scheme in your living room, this way you can drape it over your sofa for easy access without it looking out of place or messy. It is also worthwhile investing in one of those blankets with sleeves because then when you get up from the sofa to make a come of tea, your blanket can come with you.

• Buy a hot water bottle

Yes they may be slightly old fashioned but it doesn’t matter because they are super at warming your bed! Again this method can be implemented to varying levels. Feel free to buy lots of hot water bottles and place them round your house; the sofa, your bed, the bathroom, every chair in the dining room. It’s your home no one will judge you.

• Do exercise

Exercise keeps you warm, it gets the blood pumping, and it’s great for your long term health. With most people owning a games console these days this method isn’t hard to implement for even people who don’t like exercise. Just buy one of those exercise games and follow the instructions. It depends how cold your home is, but I would recommend 30 minutes of exercise. If you get cold again simply jump about more. This method may not be appropriate for people living in a flat. If my upstarir’s neighbour was jumping about all night, I would not be happy!

• Eat something

Yes sounds strange but you have to cook your dinner first. When you have the cooker /oven on it’ll heat up the kitchen area of the house, just hang out in there all night, two birds one stone!

• Leave.

If the above methods fail and your house is still so cold you can see your breath then leave. Instead go to visit your friends and relatives. That way you’ll be able to stay warm without spending any money. Plus your friends will think your super sociable, just make excuses when they want to come visit you.

So there we have it, my top tips on keeping warm without turning the heating on! Let me know if you have any more tips.

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