There is so much to love about old houses. Their original features and the built-in character that comes with them is often one of the main attractions, as is the solid construction techniques that were used to build them – quite different from the often flimsy finishes found in modern developments.
However, there are also some downsides – in particular how cold they can be to live in once winter hits. My own home is 110 years old and, once summer is done and dusted, it can feel unbearably chilly to spend time in – even with the central heating running full blast. What this means is not only that hot water bottles and blankets become a part of my daily outfits, but also that our heating bills skyrocket. I am desperate to find a way to heat the house without turning the heating on too often.
This year I am looking into how the original residents of this house would have kept warm in winter, with no central heating. I am hoping that by using some of their methods, life here will be a little less freezy and our bills a little less eye watering – if you too want to shrink your bills and rely less on your central heating, I’m hoping we can both learn from their techniques.
1. I’m hanging heavier curtains and thermal blinds
I keep talking about doing this but haven’t actually got round to it. Since switching the blind in my son’s room to a thermal design, the difference has been notable. Now I am in the process of ordering thermal blinds for our living room bay window (a huge source of heat loss thanks to the original single glazing) as well as in my daughter’s bedroom which is mid-makeover anyway.
I am also going to hang a thick, full length curtain at our front door which is a particularly draughty affair. The elderly lady we bought the house from had no central heating and had a velvet curtain hanging in this very spot. We swiftly took it down, but over the years I have realised just why it was there. Our hallway easily doubles up as an extra fridge when needed.
‘Drawing heavy, lined curtains as soon as it gets dark acts as a barrier, trapping heat inside the room,’ explains Christine Matthews, heating appliance expert at Gr8Fires. ‘This is a very effective and often overlooked trick.’
Shop thermal curtains
Luna Brushed Blackout Pencil Pleat Curtains
These classic pencil pleat curtains will not only block out all light, but they also have nifty thermal properties that help keep heat in. They come in a range of sizes and a whopping 20 different colours.
Eyelet Blackout Thermal Curtains
The ‘three-pass lining’ design of these curtains means that they are perfect for any space where you want to keep heat in and daylight out. They come in eight different colours and have a smart modern eyelet design.
Velvet Thermal Curtain with Hidden Tabs
Available in eight bold colourways, these super soft velvet curtains will add a sense of luxury and visual warmth at the same time as keeping out the cold. The hidden tab is a nice touch as is the fact that they are machine washable.
2. Getting into the habit of closing doors
I always find it a bit creepy to go around closing doors as I go in and out of rooms, but keeping doors closed can make a huge difference in how warm a space feels, and is an important way to save energy at home. Open plan layouts were not as common in the past and before we set about renovating and extending this place, it was made up of several smaller rooms which made keeping each warmer far easier.
Not only will closing the door to a room keep the heat in but, in the case of my own home, it also keeps cold draughts out. The living room, in particular, benefits from this technique here. The aforementioned arctic entrance hall leads directly into the living room and with the door open, a frosty breeze blows on in.
Two tips here. Firstly, look into how to zone an open plan space to help it feel warmer and, secondly, if your internal doors are not particularly snug in the way they fit their frames (common in older houses), consider using draught excluders beneath them to really feel the benefits.
3. Upping the number of rugs around the house
There is a reason why our ancestors favoured the use of heavy rugs around the home – they really can help keep things feeling warm and cosy. When we moved in, there were no carpets anywhere. Instead, there were enormous room-sized threadbare rugs everywhere – a wise idea given that none of the floors were insulated.
‘People made the most of whatever heat they had by keeping it in,’ picks up Michael Zohouri, founder at Pyramid Eco. ‘Furnishings were more suited to containing heat. People used heavy curtains to block draughts and rugs to help insulate floors. Wall hangings were also much more common to reduce cold coming through external walls.
‘If you’ve got bare floors, lay down a thick rug to provide some more insulation,’ continues Michael. ‘Floors account for a surprising amount of heat loss in older homes, and it just makes the space feel warmer. If your feet are warm, you feel warmer overall.’
I plan on trying one of these dining room rug ideas for our open plan dining room snug space where we have engineered oak floors, one in the hallway with its toe-numbing slate flooring and a few upstairs in the bedrooms where, although we have carpet, I think it will just add another layer of warmth.
Shop cosy rugs
Luxury Deep Pile Pure Wool Rug
Made from 100% wool, this luxurious rug manages to be super-soft underfoot while maintaining a flat finish that makes it perfect for high traffic areas. Ideal for covering draughty old floors, it is also naturally water repellent.
Available in 13 rich, jewel-inspired shades, this shaggy rug is made up of 7cm long strands of yarn for a beautifully soft underfoot feel. As well as warming up a space it can also help with soundproofing making it ideal for upstairs bedrooms.
Jess Heavyweight Chenille Rug
This is one heavyweight rug, with a rich, cosy dense chenille top layer that has fantastic thermal properties. It comes in this moody forest green or a subtle neutral and, at 160cm x 230cm, offers good coverage too.
4. Addressing the draughty front door
Back to the front door – a massive source of heat loss and one of the main spots where freezing cold winds come whistling into the house. The radiator in the hallway where the front door lies has also stopped working in the last few weeks so I really am trying to keep it warm without central heating right now.
While I have already been adding draughtproofing around the windows, I have yet to address the door – adding draughtproof strips, like this draught excluder tape (£4.99 from Amazon), is on my imminent to-do list.
‘You need to stop as much heat escaping as possible,’ explains Michael Zohouri. ‘So that means blocking draughts and insulating the parts of your home where warmth is most easily lost. Anywhere that cold air is getting in – add draught excluders at the bottom of internal doors, draughtproof the front door and seal gaps around windows, as well as your letterbox and keyhole.’
5. Embracing the concept of ‘heat zoning’
One big tip we should all be taking from our ancestors is the way in which they focussed on heating the spaces they were actually in as opposed to the whole house, gathering together to make the most of that warmth.
‘One of the easiest ways to save is to change your heating habits,’ says Christine Matthews. ‘If most of the household is spending an evening together in one room, consider using a space heater, or a freestanding portable wood-burning stove to heat just that space for a few hours. This ‘zonal heating’ approach can keep the family warm without having to turn on the central heating for the whole house which can lead to substantial savings.’
‘Homes were built with smaller rooms that were easier to warm up and contain the heat in,’ points out Michael Zohouri. ‘Open fires were the main source of heat, so families often stayed in one room together to conserve warmth. And the way people dressed indoors was more suited to winter too. You’d have more thick, heavy clothing.’
6. Getting into the habit of lighting my log burner earlier
The log burning stove that sits at the heart of our open plan kitchen diner kicks out lots of heat once it gets going and is one of the most efficient ways of heating up our home. However, unlike homeowners of yesteryear, I tend to leave it until my teeth are chattering to light it up when I should really be getting in there early and letting it get the space nice and warm for the day ahead.
‘Light it properly to get a hot, efficient fire going quickly,’ picks up Christine Matthews. ‘And use a stove fan (a small, heat-powered fan that sits on top) to circulate warm air further into the room.’ You can pick a stove fan, like this one, up from Amazon for around £10.
‘Additionally, always burn dry, well-seasoned wood,’ continues Christine. ‘Wet wood wastes a huge amount of energy evaporating water instead of heating your home.’
FAQs
How did Edwardians heat their homes?
My house was built at the end of the Edwardian housing era. It is a cottage in a very rural area. As such, the original occupants would not have had any kind of central heating (although some grander Edwardian properties may have benefited from early cast iron radiators).
Edwardians were still relying heavily on open fires and stoves, usually fuelled by coal, and our own home featured two open fireplaces, once of which we now use for a log burner.
Other ways they would have stayed warm would have been to hang thick curtains over windows and doors, laid hefty floor rugs and used bed warmers (early hot water bottles.) They would also have worn thicker layers of clothing indoors than we do now.
The lady who lived in our house before us (and had done for 50 years) was relying on electric heaters to keep warm, moving them around the house with her. As someone who works from home, I have often wondered about buying one of these heaters to try to keep a little warmer myself, but how much does it cost to run an electric heater and would I be better off just using the above methods instead? Take a look at our guide.
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