Whether it be first year in accomodation or a flat that you rent in the following years, during the cold Edinburgh winter, houses can get a little chilly.
To protect yourself against the flu, snivels, and any other potential colds, not to mention the general drudgery of feeling darn right miserable come these foreboding months, it is important to stay warm. Despite the temptation to turn on a portable heater or an electric blanket, these options can be both expensive and inefficient. Here are some easy money-saving methods to keep the homestead, and you along with it, nice and toasty this winter.
Use your time wisely when it comes to using your central heating. Whether it be making the most of your boiler timer or timing your campus visits strategically, time is of the essence when it comes to keeping warm. Setting a timer for your heating can not only save your pennies but can also save you from feeling like you’ve woken up in the Antarctic.
Be sure to set the heating for a 5 am start to let the house warm sufficiently before you rise and then, have it restart by the early evening, just in time to embrace you like a warm hug when returning home. In the meantime get yourself to class, and then after why not visit the library, or any other campus hang-out? Daytime means fully optimizing on the ‘free’ uni heating that your student fees have technically already payed for.
Insulation is also key asautumn/winter draws ever closer. As one of the oldest cities in the UK, Edinburgh’s architecture, particularly that of the Old Town, is blessed with beautiful townhouses and terraces galore. However, these period features, no matter how pretty they look with their spacious rooms, high ceilings and massive bay windows, leave something to be desired in terms of effective insulation. Single glazed windows are perhaps one of the biggest banes of student and non- student renters in Edinburgh.
Standing next to a closed bay window in my house can feel akin to standing outside and their thin panes of glass mean a breeze can be felt even from indoors. Luckily, many of these old properties come complete with the old-fashioned shutters and boy do they help! As a 19th century answer to double-glazing, these can be your best friend come winter. So to keep the heat in, why not keep the shutters firmly closed both night and day? And to embrace your inner grandma and combat that dreaded draught once and for all, try closing doors behind you to trap heat in the communal areas of the house or the bedrooms.
You could even throw in a sausage dog draught excluder or order some insulative tape on amazon and stick it over those particularly draughty spots where the chilly air leaks in.
Keeping a hot water bottle handy is also a simple and more energy efficient way of staying warm when you’re sat at home. When it comes to unwinding in the evening or staying up late to finish that last minute deadline, be sure to keep a hot water bottle by your side. This is a great way to stay cozy and besides it costs next to nothing to boil the kettle. Hot fluids are also a must as drinking a steaming cup of tea can warm you up from within. Of course make sure you dress appropriately – that means big woolly jumpers, thermal underwear and bed socks.
Practicality knows no bounds when it comes to an Edinburgh winter. So be sure to follow these easy and effective steps to making winter more bearable and enjoyable, and even environmentally friendly and energy efficient.
Image Credit: Pxhere