Although winter is finally coming to an end you may think it odd to be talking about how best to keep warm, but there are still some frosty mornings ahead of us so make sure you are making the most of your heating and not wasting money or energy.

No one likes the cold in winter, and managing to keep your home warm and your energy bills low can be difficult. Follow our tips for keeping warm this winter;

Daytime

- if you set your thermostat to 21ºC you can heat all the rooms you use during the day
- if you can’t do this then at least make sure your living room is warm during the day
- ensure that you heat your bedroom before you go to bed (switiching it off when you come to go to bed) and before you wake up, setting a timer on your heating can do this for you automatically
- instead of turning your thermostat up, put the heating on a little earlier so you won't be cold if you havae to wait for it to warm up

Nightime

- the temperature in your bedroom overnight should be above 18°C
- if you use a fire or heater in your bedroom during winter, open the window or door a little at night for ventilation
- using a hot water bottle or electric blanket can help keep your bed warm

Clothing

- instead of wearing one thick layer, wear a few thin ones as this will keep you warmer
- if your are going out and it is cold put on a coat, hat, scarf, gloves etc
- leave shoes near a radiator overnight so that when you put them on in the morning they are nice and warm
- clothes made out of cotton, wool of fleecy fibres keep you warmer
- wear a pair of socks to bed to keep your feet warm

Reduce your energy bills

- close all doors, windows and curtains at night to prevent heat escaping
- only boil enough water that you need
- allow food to cool before putting it in the fridge or freezer
- don't leave apppliances on standby, turn them off