How To Keep A Poorly Insulated Student House Warm
We’ve got cheap ways to heat your student home so you don’t freeze before your deadlines.
Stuck in bed because it’s cold? Yeah, excuses.
But, really, it’s cold isn’t it? And it surely can’t be much warmer in student housing. Known for being notoriously freezing, student houses will have you clinging onto your housemate trying to retain some heat.
And of course, there is always one that is strolling around in a pair of shorts while the icicles form on the window… we simply do not question it.
If you’re unfortunate enough to be stuck with a poorly insulated student house, there’s not much you can do to it without the landlord getting someone to pack it up with insulation or add another radiator into the rooms (is that a thing? IDK, I’m not an engineer).
Luckily for you frosty lot, we’ve got some ways to keep your house warm in winter, as well as keeping yourself warm, if you can’t manage warming up the four walls.
Wipe the frost off your lashes and read on to heat up.
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How to keep house warm in winter
Keeping a poorly insulated house warm in the winter is not easy at the best of times, but especially not if you’re a student. You barely have any control over the student house you’re in, and landlords aren’t always on your side, either.
Unless your landlord is top of their game and will help insulate their property, here are some tips for you on how to keep the house warm in winter.
P.S. If you’re looking for student accommodation at the moment but feel like it’s out of your depth, we’ve got what to ask when viewing student houses so you can be comfortable in making the right choice.
Clingfilm
Clingfilm is already an essential part of any student kitchen, so for this hack you can hopefully just scour the cupboards.
Apply a layer of clingfilm over a (cleaned!) window that is slightly wet and press out the air bubbles. Finished! Warmth incoming.
Give radiators space
It’s all well and good if you’ve got the heating on and the radiators are dialed up to the max, but if there’s clutter and all sorts blocking the radiator, you won’t get a lot of heat from it.
Give. Your. Radiators. Space. The heat from the radiator needs to spread through the entire room. If a sofa is blocking it or your clothes airer is preventing the heat from flowing, then the room is going to feel a lot cooler than it should.
Aluminum foil on radiators
You’ve all likely used aluminum foil to help with your cooking, but it can also help with increasing the warmth of a room.
Place a sheet of aluminum foil down the side of your radiator (between the wall and radiator) so the heat can bounce off the foil and into the room.
If you love drying your clothes on the radiator, I’m sorry to inform you but you should probably stop. It can add to the moisture of the room and may even damage your clothes if you’re not careful.
Instead, we’ve got the best energy efficient heated clothes airers and drying racks for you to check out.
Draughts
A draughty house is a cold house.
Draughts happen when the air outside seeps into your home through gaps like the letterbox, bottom of doors, windows, etc. You’ll be able to tell where it’s coming from as there will be a slight breeze or a cooler area than the rest of the room.
Draught excluders like this weighted draught excluder from Dunelm are placed at the bottom of the door. It helps minimise the amount of air entering your home and should keep it warmer.
Oven
No, we’re not suggesting you pull a Sylvia Plath with the oven in your student house. But, there is a way you can use it for more than just cooking your dinner.
Once you’ve finished cooking in the oven, don’t just close it and disappear — leave the oven door open for a bit to let the warm air filter out into the room and the rest of the house. It saves money as it’s already utilising the power used.
However, make sure your oven is electric, because doing this with a gas oven can lead to carbon monoxide leaking into the home.
Dehumidifier
You’ve reached peak adulting if you invest in a dehumidifier.
Damp homes are often cold ones, and we all know that student houses and damp are conjoined at the hip.
A dehumidifier will suck the moisture out of the room and then warm the air slightly before pushing it back out. It’s a godsend for drying your clothes indoors without a dryer.
Igenix IG9813 Dehumidifier — Currys
How to keep yourself warm in a cold room
Now that we’ve told you how to keep a poorly insulated house warm, you should hopefully start to feel yourself defrosting slowly. If not, we’ve got how to keep yourself warm in a cold room.
Electric blanket
Electric blankets are probably one of the best things invented since sliced bread. They don’t cost much to run, and they’re the ideal investment to help tide you over the winter or whenever you’re feeling down and need some comfort.
They won’t heat up the whole room but they’ll keep you snug while you’re sleeping or if you keep it over your lap while you’re studying.
Try this luxury fleece heated blanket from Dreams and use our Dreams student discount to get 10% off your basket.
Hot water bottle
A hot water bottle is going to be your best friend. Not only are they cheap (it’s time to raid your local Primark) but it will take you from freezing to cosy warm within a few minutes.
Whether you’re perching it on your lap while watching Netflix or sleeping with it to help warm you up, a hot water bottle is one of the most affordable ways to make your house a bit warmer. Not to mention, who’s to say you can only have one?
We love this Teddy Bear long hot water bottle from Dunelm — less than £15, it might not be the cheapest hot water bottle but thanks to its length and Teddy Bear material, it’s going to keep you warmer for longer.
Duvet
If you find that your duvet is a little on the thinner, flimsy side, then it might be time for an upgrade for winter.
The higher the ‘tog’ of the duvet, the better. So, opt for a 15 tog (one of the highest) to give yourself extra warmth and cosiness; like this Slumberdown Warm Winter nights 15 tog duvet from Debenhams.
Some duvets are also advertised as ‘winter duvets’ which are thicker and often filled with a warmer filling than average duvets.
Use our Debenhams student discount for an extra 10% off.
Dressing gown
A dressing gown is a student staple. Whether you’re splashing out £30 on a more expensive one (which is a really good investment) or grabbing one for a tenner, once you start wearing a dressing gown around your house you’ll wonder how you ever got by without it.
Acting like a winter coat but for indoors, a dressing gown is perfect for chucking on when you’re feeling Baltic.
This fleece hooded dressing gown from Marks and Spencer is lovely and cosy, you won’t ever want to take it off.
Use our Marks and Spencer student discount for an additional 15% off your purchase.
Bills racking up from the cold? Download our Student Beans app and register to unlock home and utilities student discounts this winter.
