Winter is coming, and that paired with the rise in gas prices can be a cause of stress for many of us as we prepare for the colder months. It goes without saying that staying warm in Winter and preparation for that is key. Finding ways to keep yourself warm both inside and outside of the house can be a godsend for this time of year.
Being exposed to too much cold can be detrimental to your health. Breathing in cold air lowers body temperature and raises the risk of chest infections, heart attacks and strokes, so wrapping up in a scarf can be a very important step in the get ready process on a wintery day to decrease the amount of cold air you are breathing in.
Think about your health
There are many ways that you can maintain good health through the Winter months that don’t just include keeping warm.
Get You Seasonal Flu Jab
Flu and Covid-19 can be life threatening, more so during the Winter months as flu season is underway. It is important that you take the necessary measures so that you are protecting yourself, protecting your family and the people you care about. Flu season is from October to March each year and getting your flu vaccine each and every year is so important for your health and the health of those around you. Most surgeries start offering the vaccine from September or October ahead of flu season.
You’re entitled to get your flu jab free of charge if you’re aged 50 or over, if you’re a carer, you have certain health conditions, you live in a residential care home, or you’re a close contact of someone who is immunocompromised. It’s one of those things that’s easy to put off but the vaccine can take up to 10 days to take effect, so get it done soon as possible.
Ways to stay warm this Winter
There are a multitude of ways to stay warm as the winter months approach and we want to share just a few ways that you can help yourself to keep warm. From warm blankets to warm beverages.
ips to save money whilst keeping warm.
The rise in energy bills can be a real point of anxiety for people and so there is a rise in ways to redirect the focus away from heating the home and instead heating the human itself. This means there are a multitude of creative ways that you can keep yourself warm whilst also avoiding popping that heating on! Here are a few we came up with:
Electric blankets
This can be a great way to save money whilst keeping that heating off this Winter.
Money saving expert Martin Lewis previously shared a guide to help ‘heat the human not the home’ amid the energy bills rise. He has done the math's and under his guidance a cheap electric blanket (costing $14) costs approximately 3¢ an hour to run. That equals a cost per week of $1.37 if used for seven hours a day. A great way to heat the human and not the home.
Oil heaters
Oil-filled heaters are up to 99% energy-efficient because they directly convert all the electric energy into heat energy with barely losses. They are also a great way to ‘spot heat’ a home as you can select the room you want to put one in and heat it, without having to warm up the whole house.
Hot water bottles
Hot water bottles are a really cost effective way to heat yourself up and quick. It costs approximately 21p to boil the kettle and fill your hot water bottle which can be effective in providing a solid couple of hours of warmth.
Portable hand warmers
Portable hand warmers are great for when you are out and about outside of the home and are very cost efficient in the process. Costing as little as one pound for a pack of two, they do not require electricity in order to run and can be effective for up to 10 hours. Slip one in each pocket before you leave the house and you will be good to go!
Slippers and socks
Your feet are one of your body parts that controls the cooling and warming of your body through special blood vessels. The ground is also something that can steal heat from your body much more effectively than air. This means a fluffy pair of slippers and the right pair of socks can be an absolute godsend when inside your home to keep your feet off the floor and toasty warm. Likewise, a nice thick pair of socks when leaving your house can also be essential.
Use Draft stoppers
Using draft stoppers can drastically decrease the amount of cold air entering a room and can be used to stop warm air leaving too. This means you can select which room you want heating and essentially seal the warm air in. It can also be a great thing to place by any external doors to stop the cold draft from outside entering your home.
