Heating your whole home — or even a room — can be expensive in the depths of winter.
And if you’re renting, making big changes to warm your space might not be an option.
Heating the humans inside can be cheaper and more effective, and there are simple way to go about it.
We asked three experts for their tips on staying cosy without blowing up your power bill.
Get your woollies on
You may have been told to “put more clothes on” when you complained about the cold as a child.
It might sound basic, but making smart choices about the fabrics and fibres you wear can make a real difference to how warm you are, according to Cheryl Wilson, a former associate professor in clothing and textile science at the University of Otago in New Zealand.
“If we’re thinking about warmth, what we want to focus on is the air that is trapped in the [clothing] system,” Dr Wilson says.
If you’ve got woollen clothing available, that’s your best bet for keeping warm inside, Dr Wilson says, as wool has “lots of fibrous extensions” that trap air.
Wool also has another superpower — the ability to absorb water.
“We are all secreting moisture [vapour] all of the time,” Dr Wilson says.
“Deep within the molecular structure of the wool is a matrix. Water will bond with the matrix and is held inside the fibre.”
The wool is great at trapping warm air to insulate your skin. (Unsplash: Ryo Kawasaki)
It means the water is locked into the fibres and can’t make you feel wet or cold.
When the water is absorbed into the matrix, it also releases heat that can help keep us warm.
And if the fabric gets warm enough later, the water is released as vapour.
“So what we’ve got there is a really smart buffer for any changing environmental conditions,” Dr Wilson says.
If you don’t have wool, Dr Wilson says go for fabric that imitates the air-trapping qualities of wool, such as fleecy polyester.
“You’re always looking for the thicker fabrics, and the multiple layers, and brushed effects,” she says.
Dr Wilson says layering your clothing will also help trap extra layers of air, which will help keep you warm.
Dig out your beanies, gloves and socks (even for bed)
It might feel silly, but wearing a hat inside — and in bed — can help prevent heat loss through your head, which is where the body concentrates much of its warmth, Dr Wilson says.
“If it’s really cold … and your head is poking out on the pillow, you should actually be insulating the head too,” she says.
Dr Wilson also recommends keeping your hands and feet warm with gloves and socks, as your extremities can be up to 20 per cent colder than your core when it’s chilly.
She says these can be worn to bed too as an extra layer of insulation.
“If you want to stay warm in bed, it doesn’t matter what you look like,” she says.
Heated blankets and throws
Heating expert Chris Barnes from consumer group Choice says heated throws, heat pads and electric blankets can help keep you — rather than the whole room — warm while you watch television or read.
They are widely available, and prices range from $40–100.
However, the saving is in the usage, as “they’re pretty cheap to run”, Mr Barnes says.
Jenny Edwards, a scientist working to create energy-efficient and cost-effective homes, agrees these simple plug-in appliances can be “incredibly effective”, but warns they should only be used as instructed and that fire risks should be front-of-mind.
Optimise your bedding (and your tucking technique)
As with clothing, Dr Wilson recommends woollen quilts for their superior air-trapping and moisture-absorbing properties.
Down quilts are another good option because they trap air extremely well, she says
Dr Wilson says polyester quilts will also trap air, but won’t absorb water the way wool will, so they can get damp from the body’s moisture vapour.
Not all quilts are created equal when it comes to keeping you warm. (Unsplash: Victor Ballesteros)
“What you’re trying to do is manage those environments that are around the body by choosing things that will help you remain dry, will trap air and will buffer any environmental changes,” Dr Wilson says.
When it comes to sheets, she recommends choosing cellulose-based fabrics (e.g. cotton) that are thick and brushed.
“If you’re looking at a variety of different fibre types … look for the ones that have been brushed or have those fibrous extensions because they will contribute to the insulation of the product,” she says.
(The same principles apply to the throws and knitted blankets you use to keep warm in your lounge room.)
For this reason, flannelette sheets (which are made from cotton) are a good option, she says.
“They’re usually brushed to create that lovely soft exterior, so that extends the fibres on the surface,” Dr Wilson says.
“They’ll be thicker than other sheets and it’s going to be warmer.”
Dr Wilson says with flannelette and other brushed fabrics, less of your skin is directly in contact with the cool sheet when you first get into bed.
“The brushed surface affects the fabric-to-skin contact, and it will feel warmer, but it will also be warmer [because the fibres trap more air],” she says.
“You might argue … the difference between a summer sheet and a flannelette sheet is going to be very small, but all of these [bedding] components add up.”
How you make your bed can also impact how warm you stay overnight.
Dr Wilson says research has shown that loose tucking provides better insulation than tight tucking.
“If you think of a tent arrangement, the tight tucking pulls the bedding close together, [and] reduces the air spaces from layer to layer,” she says.
“Loosely tucked enables the bedding layers to actually separate slightly and introduces more [spaces for warm air].”
And the order of your bedding layers is important too.
Dr Wilson says put your heavier layers on first and your puffy doonas on last, “aiming to maintain air spaces and air in the doona”.
