Rooms will stay warmer on cold nights using 1 bathroom item

The relatively mild weather in recent weeks is finally starting to give way to chilly temperatures and with rain, cloud and strong winds becoming more frequent, it’s a sure sign that winter is coming.

The Met Office is forecasting largely cold and grey conditions this weekend, with some mist and fog in parts that will take a while to clear. Temperatures are expected to be around 9C to 11C under persistent cloud on Saturday, while some southern areas could be a few degrees lower, and some patchy rain is forecast for nothern England and southern Scotland overnight, with conditions set to be chilly overnight.

The noticeably cooler weather means it’s time to dig out the cosy pjs and thicker duvets, and switch the central heating on to keep you warm in the wee hours. But if you’re keen to avoid running the heating too much, there is a cheap way to help rooms stay warm in bouts of cold weather that won’t add to your energy bills.

The key to locking in warmth is to make sure you aren’t letting heat escape through gaps and cracks around doors and windows – and you can do this using a common bathroom item: a towel.

A rolled up towel can serve as an effective homemade draught excluder and it won’t cost you a penny to use, so it’s a good option if you’re trying to keep heating bills low.

Simply get a clean, dry towel from your bathroom cupboard and tightly roll it up into a cylinder shape, before wrapping the ends with a rubber band or a bit of string to hold it in place.

Then place the rolled towel against the bottom of a draughty door or along a windowsill and it will help to prevent heat from escaping, effectively keeping rooms warmer at no extra cost.

The tip is backed by the British Red Cross, which recommends it as a cost-effective way to lock in heat without using the central heating.

In its online advice, the charity said: “We tend to lose a lot of heat through gaps around windows and doors. Reduce draughts by lining your windows with rubber seals and use a homemade draught excluder by doors – this could even be an old towel, tightly rolled.”

As well as blocking out draughts, another easy, cost-effective change is simply to switch your duvet to a higher tog rating. This will help to keep you warm on cold nights when temperatures drop overnight and it means you aren’t unnecessarily cranking the thermostat and adding to your energy costs.

In general, a duvet with a seven to 10.5 tog is good for the autumn season, while a tog of 12 or higher is designed for the winter months.

Josh Branigan, Furniture and Home Interiors Expert at Bedkingdom, said: “Daytime temperatures can stay surprisingly mild well into autumn, which is why many people put off changing their duvet, but it’s the overnight temperatures that matter most.

“Once nights are regularly dropping into single figures, a summer duvet often won’t hold enough warmth to keep you comfortable until morning. The coldest part of the night tends to be the early hours, so if you’re falling asleep comfortably and then waking up cold at 4am, that’s usually a good indication your duvet isn’t doing enough.”

Josh added: “Bedrooms are often recommended to sit at around 16 to 18C for comfortable sleep, so if yours is regularly dipping below that once autumn sets in, particularly in older homes, north-facing rooms or bedrooms with large windows, warmer bedding will make a noticeable difference.

“A simple room thermometer can help you judge this more accurately than guesswork, and a higher tog duvet is one of the easiest ways to stay warm without turning up the thermostat.

“Switching to a higher tog duvet is one of the simplest ways to make your bedroom feel warmer and more comfortable as the seasons change. Rather than going by the calendar, pay attention to how you’re sleeping, whether you’re waking up cold, and how warm your bedroom feels at night. Getting the timing right can make a real difference to how well rested you feel through the colder months.”