Keeping Warm And Saving Power

Keeping warm and saving power may seem like a contradiction. After all, we need to use a bit of power to get a bit of warmth in our homes. So how can you save on power - and on carbon emissions - and still keep yourself from catching hypothermia or walking around your house dressed for the ski slopes?Well, actually, come to think of it, putting on an extra jersey or vest might help. If you know it's going to warm up later or that you're not going to stay in one particular room for long, then there's not much point spending all that money and energy to heat the whole room up.

It is easier to heat yourself up rather than the room. You can find plenty of stylish pullovers, so you don't have to sacrifice style for comfort. If you don't want to wear a pullover (or want something more) then make your light summer T-shirts and tank tops double as winter singlets - these tend to be softer against the skin than some woolly vests or polypro underthings, and you'll save a penny or three if you don't have to go out and buy new stuff.

Still feeling cold in spite of pulling on another layer or two? Now, stop and think before turning on that electric heater! You have a number of options before switching on.

Is it sunny outside? Then pull the curtains and let the sunshine in. Sunshine provides free heat and light, and if your home is designed sensibly, you will have at least one room that gets a decent amount of sunlight. Make the most of this free heat - don't shut it out with curtains. The real trick here is to remember to shut the curtains when the day is done to trap the heat in. To do this properly, you need decent thick curtains, not flimsy little net things. If the sun hasn't got to where you're working at the moment and you can't take your work elsewhere, you can (a) open up the doors and windows so the heat from the sunshine can work its way gradually to you, (b) use a hot water bottle until the sun gets to you - make yourself a nice hot cuppa at the same time to make the most of the hot water. This latter suggestion sounds a bit loony, but I can guarantee it works, having had more than my share of chilly home offices.

The next question to ask is how damp it is in your house. Water takes a fair amount of energy to warm up - which is why we cool off with water and sweat on a h