As the UK prepares for a weekend of powerful winds and heavy rain, the nation has collectively remembered that autumn exists and that heating costs money. With energy prices climbing, the BBC has dutifully rounded up tips from families and experts on staying warm without immediately surrendering to the thermostat - because apparently we're all playing a game of thermal chicken now.
The British Heart Foundation recommends layering thin clothes rather than donning one thick item, a strategy that traps heat and also makes you look like a fashionable onion. Natalie, 29, has swapped her indoor wardrobe for supermarket thermal leggings and tops, reporting it "made such a difference." Amber Waring, 27, from Devon, meanwhile eats stews and pasta bakes and dances around the kitchen with her toddler while cooking - a tip that combines cardio, dinner, and heating in one mildly chaotic package.
With the clocks going back this weekend, thicker duvets are back on the menu; supermarkets sell winter versions for under £20, and you're advised to look for 10.5 tog or higher. Rebecca, 44, from Hertfordshire, sleeps with a blanket under her mattress to stop draughts, a trick she says was passed down by her nan, who "swore by it." Others swear by placing a blanket above the mattress but under the bedsheet, presumably because there are as many blanket placement theories as there are Brits.
Hot water bottles can pre-heat a bed, but do check the expiry date. NHS Scotland guidance says to let kettle water cool for a few minutes before filling, fill only two-thirds, squeeze the air out before capping, and never hold it against bare skin. Electric blankets, says Emily Seymour, energy editor at Which?, are "one of the cheapest ways" to stay warm - Which? testing found they typically cost 2p to 8p an hour at the highest setting. The London Fire Brigade advises unplugging before bed unless the blanket has a thermostat control, avoiding simultaneous hot water bottle use, and replacing it every 10 years.
Close doors to trap heat, and drape curtains or blankets over them for extra insulation. Embrace daylight: Rebecca suggests opening curtains when it's sunny so the sun heats the room, then shutting them at sunset. Lianne Macfarlane, 40, from Cheshire, recommends leaving the oven door open after cooking to warm the kitchen - though not if small children are about, unless you enjoy a side of hazard with your heat.
Rugs and other soft furnishings help too, says Seymour. If you have a fireplace, lighting a fire can be cheaper than heating the whole house - Elin Davis, 30, from South Wales, says her log burner is more economical than central heating, though she notes "logs can cost quite a bit these days." Draught excluders around door frames do the job, and you needn't buy them: towels or socks stuffed into a pair of tights work fine. Seymour also suggests hunting for other draughts on windy days and sealing them with foam strips, sealant, or chimney draught excluders - but never block extractor fans or purpose-built ventilation.
For single-glazed windows, Sophie Burr of National Energy Action suggests secondary glazing or thermal curtains, or, for the budget-conscious, bubble wrap. Don't keep windows shut all the time, though - Seymour warns ventilation is needed to prevent damp. And "I wouldn't recommend not having your heating on at all," she says, citing health risks and frozen pipes.
Use heating wisely: check for off-peak prices, bleed radiators, raise the temperature in small increments, and move furniture blocking radiators. Radiator foil - or homemade kitchen foil - reflects heat back into the room, says Burr, noting about 35% of radiator heat is lost through walls. Cora Harrison, 34, from Wakefield, heats only the rooms in use and keeps the heating low during holidays to avoid mould or burst pipes; some radiator valves have a snowflake symbol for frost protection. Lowering the flow temperature of a combi boiler can also cut bills, and a boiler service engineer can do it for you. Free warm spaces - libraries, community centres, sometimes with free hot drinks - can be found online or via the council.
Household energy prices are set to soar in January, with a typical bill expected to jump by £276 a year, according to a forecast last month from Cornwall Insight. That 16% predicted increase would be the biggest rise in four years. Emily Jeremy, project manager at Manchester South Central Foodbank, says rising bills are "particularly concerning for people with kids, people with health conditions and the elderly." Government figures show an estimated 9.4% of households in England lived in fuel poverty in 2025.
Rodney Winchester, 65, from Thetford, who spoke via Christians Against Poverty, says he's "extremely worried" about rising prices. Health conditions mean he must keep the heating on all winter, but he fears he can't afford it. "It's so scary," he says, adding he's been cutting back on food and keeps getting ill in the cold. StepChange recommends checking eligibility for support like the Warm Home Discount and Winter Fuel Payment, and contacting your energy supplier, which may agree an affordable repayment plan or discuss support schemes.