Oct 30, 2023
Winter is coming … and it ain’t going to be cheap.
Klaire de Lys has been preparing for it for five years, in which time she says in a TikTok she hasn’t turned her heating on. The British TikToker describes herself as “trying to thrive in the current cost-of-living crisis” and created a series of videos on how to stay warm if you can’t afford central heating.
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“The whole point of this series isn’t to just get through by the skin of your teeth,” de Lys says. “I actually want people to be able to be comfortable and not utterly miserable during the winter.”
In England, that’s not easy when gas and energy bills cost an average of £152.83 (around $185) per month for a two- to three-person household, according to British Gas. A U.K. consumer research group, Which?, even discovered that nearly half of surveyed households didn’t turn on the heat last year because it was too expensive.
Heating bills in the U.S. may not be as high as the U.K.’s, but staying warm this winter will still cost you — especially as the tail end of hurricane season looks like it will once again push up gas prices this year. So how can you stay warm without freezing your bank account?
Get rid of mold
One thing that de Lys emphasizes as a big reason why homes get cold in the winter is something you wouldn’t think about: mold.
Mold grows because of moisture in the air, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mold thrives in damp places and will bring more moisture into your home. Not only will this keep your house cooler in the winter, but can hurt the integrity of your home’s structure and harm your health.
If you want to inspect or renovate your house to make it more heat efficient, you may want to check out the home renovation subsidies available to you, courtesy of the Biden administration. You may just be able to make your home warmer for much less money this winter.
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Wear lots of layers
"Get some wool socks now," de Lys advises in her video, acknowledging that layering up is a big heat hack for her family.
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From fingerless gloves to thick socks, generating your own warmth can be helpful if you decide to keep the heat on, but at a lower temperature. The U.S. Energy Department says that lowering your heat temperature by seven to 10 degrees can save you 10% on your annual heating and cooling bills.
De Lys recommends wearing natural fibered layers, like cotton. She says this allows sweat to release and keeps moisture off your body and clothes so you can trap heat more easily. If you want to shell out some extra money, you can invest in a Merino wool sweater to be even more cozy and warm.
Light candles
One of de Lys’ top tips is “candles, candles and more candles.” She says that even little tealights can provide massive relief in the wintertime without heat.
You can buy packs of 50 tealights at your local dollar store for very little money. Just make sure they burn for six hours (not one) so you’re getting your money’s worth, de Lys advises.
Candles are especially useful if you’re only turning on your thermostat during off-peak hours, which usually occur in the early morning or late evening on weekdays and all day and night on the weekends. If you work from home, you can burn your candles during the day and put the thermostat on to sleep.
An affordable heating bill doesn’t need to dampen your wallet. Even a few small changes can make a big difference.
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Sabina Wex is a writer and podcast producer in Toronto. Her work has appeared in Business Insider, Fast Company, CBC and more.
