You've ensured that your loft is properly insulated. You've even got cavity walls. Your house is double glazed and the seals are still intact on the glass. There's a buzillion blankets around the house - in bedrooms and the living room. You've got thick socks, you've got long socks, you've got long thick socks plus slippers. Woolly or fleecy jumpers are coming out of your ears. And you don't want to do it, you don't want to have to eat into what little budget you have and turn on the central heating or set-up the night storage heaters, because it's not a real cold snap.

The Thrifty Choice

Then don't turn up your heating. Instead be thrifty and get your hot water bottle out and use it when you're sat in front of the telly or lying in bed. So long as the hot water bottle you use isn't beginning to show signs of wear and tear, it's a safe option for helping to keep yourself warm. You can't really use them when you're standing up, but they are great for cuddling up with.

In the Bedroom

In centuries past, before gas central heating, let alone proper plumbing, had been invented people would use bed warmers to pre-heat their bed before they got in. This stopped them from getting cold during the night. So what's the point in heating your entire bedroom when, once your under your duvet, it's underneath there where the heat counts. Simply: there isn't much point in heating your bedroom before you go to bed if all your body heat is going to be lost to the bed. Instead take a tip from centuries past and use a readily available bed warmer, that doesn't even need hot coals, before you climb into bed. Get out your hot water bottle and be warm.