Top tips for keeping warm

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Here are our 10 top tips for keeping warm without putting your heating on.

1. Warm clothes

An extra jumper, a pair of thick socks, a pair of leggings, or a base layer under your clothes can help keep you warm when the weather is cold.

A hat and a scarf can also help to keep you warm if you are very cold.

2. Hot drinks

If you have a flask, fill it with hot water after the kettle has boiled. You can use the water to make your next hot drink.

Hot drinks like tea or warm milk will keep your blood pumping around your body. They will also keep your hands warm while you hold the mug.

3. Hot water bottles

Hot water with steam rising from it being poured from a kettle into a hot water bottle.

Ask someone if you need some help to fill your hot water bottle.

Someone holding a hot water bottle to the front of their jumper.

Hot water bottles are great if you are working from home or if you are sitting down for a long time.

4. Dressing gowns

Put a dressing gown on over your clothes to help keep you warm. Wearing lots of warm layers can help keep your body heat in.

5. Move around

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Get up and move around if you have been sitting still for a while. This will help the blood move around your body and warm you up.

6. Electric blankets

an electric blanket with 3 pennies beside it.

An electric blanket costs about 3 pence per hour to run. If you have an electric blanket, you might want to check how much yours costs to run.

7. Warm meals

Eat warm meals like soup or noodles to help keep your body temperature warm.

8. Quilts and blankets

Use extra blankets and warm sheets to keep warm when you are in bed or on the sofa.

9. Blankets with sleeves

a woman sitting at a laptop with a blanket around her shoulders

Blankets with sleeves are good for keeping you warm if you are typing or gaming.

10. Windows and doors

Close your doors and windows to stop any cold air coming in.

You might want to use a draught excluder by a door or a window. A draught excluder is a long piece of metal, wood or material which you put by the edge of a door or a window.

A house with a blue arrow pointing towards a window and a red arrow pointing away from the window.

It stops the cold air coming in and the warm air from your house going outside.

How to get help

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You can get help and advice on our website at www.mencap.org.uk/COL

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If you are worried about money, contact our Learning Disability Helpline:

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Call us Monday to Friday on 0808 808 1111 

Email us at helpline@mencap.org.uk  

Fill in our online form 

Thank you to British Gas Energy Trust for funding.