How Tenants Can Stay Warm in Winter & Cut Heating Bills

Winter shouldn’t mean freezing indoors or surprising energy costs — especially in a rental. With the right approach, you can keep your home warm, protect the property from cold‑weather damage, and manage energy use without overspending. Here’s a practical tenant guide you can start using today.

 

Use Your Heating System Efficiently

Getting more from your existing heating setup helps you stay comfortable without waste:

• Set a consistent thermostat temperature. Aim for around 18–21 °C when you’re home — this range is warm enough to feel comfortable but not wasteful.

• Program your thermostat. If your system has a timer, schedule heat for mornings and evenings so you aren’t heating an empty home.

• Avoid turning heating completely off then cranking it back up. Maintaining a steady moderate temperature can be more cost‑effective.

 

Cut Heat Loss with Draught‑Proofing

Cold air sneaking in makes heating work harder and increases bills. Stopping draughts is one of the most effective steps tenants can take:

• Seal gaps around windows and doors with weatherstrips or foam draught excluders. Even simple DIY strips can noticeably reduce heat escaping.

• Use draught excluders at floor level — especially under doors.

• Don’t overlook small areas like keyholes, letterboxes, and gaps around frames — these are common sources of cold air coming in.

 

Make Smart Habit Changes

Small behavioural tweaks add up:

• Use thermal curtains or blinds. Heavy, insulated window coverings trap warmth inside in the evening and harness free solar heat during the day.

• Open curtains on sunny winter days. Letting sunlight in naturally warms your rooms before dusk.

• Keep internal doors closed. If you’ve heated the living room, keeping doors shut helps retain that warmth rather than letting it spread to unused areas.

• Rearrange furniture. Pull sofas or furniture away from radiators — blocked airflow means less heat circulates around the room.

 

Manage Condensation & Moisture

Cold weather often brings condensation issues that can damage walls and promote mould. Controlling moisture helps both comfort and property care:

• Use extractor fans when cooking or showering and close doors to keep moisture contained.

• Open a window briefly afterward to let moist air escape without losing too much heat.

• Avoid drying clothes on radiators. Doing this raises moisture levels and makes heating systems less efficient.

 

When to Contact Your Landlord

There are times when practical tenant actions aren’t enough, and landlord involvement is essential:

• Report heating system issues (e.g., radiators that don’t heat properly or boiler faults).

• Point out persistent draughts or insulation problems that DIY measures can’t fix.

• Ask about insulation improvements — better insulation dramatically reduces heat loss and bills when installed properly.

 

Properties should be comfortable and efficient to heat when reasonable steps are taken. If you’ve done what you can and still struggle to stay warm, it’s appropriate to raise the issue with your landlord.