How to stay warm in winter

• Staying warm during winter is crucial for health, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly and young children.
• As temperatures drop, energy consumption rises, leading to higher heating bills, especially in colder countries like the UK.
• Financial support, such as the Winter Fuel Payment, can help offset these rising costs, providing essential aid to eligible individuals.

Here’s some ways to help you keep warm this winter. Credit: pxhere

During the winter months, it’s not unusual for people to turn up their thermostats or wear more clothes to stay warm. This is especially true in higher-latitude countries like the UK, which typically see average outdoor temperatures between 2 and 7 degrees Celsius (36–45 degrees Fahrenheit).

Staying warm is important for your well-being regardless of your age (though the elderly and very young are most at risk). Prolonged exposure to cold puts your body under stress and can, in extreme cases, lead to serious issues like hypothermia.

When your body temperature is too low, it affects the brain, causing unclear thinking and inhibiting body movement. This can lead to poor decisions or, in the worst cases, increase the chances of getting injured or even seriously ill.

For these reasons, among others, it is vitally important that you take steps to keep as warm as you can. But, turning the heating on costs money, and in the financial crisis many nations worldwide are experiencing, you can be forgiven for thinking you can skimp on the heating a little.

But fear not; there are a few ways to get financial support to get you through the tough winter months. Let’s find out how.

Will my energy bills go up this winter?

The short answer is unfortunately yes. But why?

During winter, the outside temperature drops, meaning the temperature inside your house will match that unless you do something about it. The physics of the process is complex, but remember that energy wants to reach equilibrium whenever possible—equilibrium here means the outside temperature.

Even the most energy-efficient homes will see an increased need to add “fuel to the fire” during the winter, so unless you live in a hermetically sealed, perfectly insulated house with no windows or doors, your heating bills will rise during the winter.

While you are effectively a walking, talking, fleshy heater, even your body’s capacity to keep warm has limits. So, you’ll inevitably turn your heating up to keep warm in the winter.

Whether your home is electrical or combustion-heated (gas, oil, etc.), you’ll use more fuel than you would between spring and autumn. And more fuel means more money.

Depending on the cost of these utilities, your energy bills in winter can be considerable. Typical heating bills in the UK are in the £630-pound mark, with the lion’s share of this consumed during the winter.

For those on fixed incomes or who are retired, the increased costs can prove insurmountable, especially given recent news of cuts to winter fuel payments for the elderly.

Keeping warm in winter is challenging, but there is help if needed. Credit: Elvis Kennedy/Flickr

What is the Winter Fuel Payment?

The Winter Fuel Payment is a UK government scheme to help with the costs of heating your home during the winter for people living in England and Wales only. It was originally launched in 1997 under the then-chancellor Gordon Brown and has been paid annually since (until the current Labour government announced changes for some).

In its present form, it is only available to people born before September 23rd, 1958 (meaning you turned 66 on this day in 2024). To get it, you must also meet other criteria, such as receiving your pension, universal credit, income support, child tax credit, working tax credit, jobseeker’s allowance, or other income-related Employment and Support Allowance (e.g., ESA).

The scheme provides between £200 and £300 to help keep you warm in the winter of 2024 and 2025. The amount you get depends on when you were born and also takes into consideration, as the government explains, “your circumstances” between September 16th and 22nd, 2024.

In most cases, unless you were born before the 23rd of September 1944, you’ll receive £200. For those born before September 1944, you’ll be eligible for the higher £300 payments. Payments are made per household; if you live with a partner, the older two of you will be used to assess the 1944 cutoff.

You may also be eligible if you live abroad or are in a care home, so check if you haven’t received it. The money you receive is tax-free and will not impact any other benefits you may receive.

You don’t need to do anything to apply for it and should get a letter from the government in October or November with all the details. You’ll receive the funds in your bank account in November or December if you are eligible.

Mistakes can happen, so if you don’t receive a letter, you can check if you are eligible via the government’s dedicated website.

There is financial help if you need it for winter fuel bills. Credit: Stewart Black/Flickr

 Who Can Get the Winter Fuel Payment?

We’ve already touched on the main criteria above, but here are the key details for those wondering if they are eligible for this tax-free payment.

You must:

1. Have been born before September 23rd, 1958. If born before September 1944, you’ll get the higher £300 payment.
2. Be a resident of England or Wales (though expats can also be eligible under certain instances – more on that later in this section).
3. Receive one or more of the following (in other word’s it will be means tested):-

• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Those living abroad will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment if they meet the age criteria and receive one or more of the benefits above. You must also have moved to an eligible country (i.e., EEA country or Switzerland) of the you are in before the 31st of December 2020.

You must also have a ” genuine and sufficient link to the UK.” This means you have family ties or worked in the UK before.

How to Claim the Winter Fuel Payment

Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland

Why was the winter fuel payment cut?

In short, it was cut to save the UK government and, by extension, the public money. The current Labour government claims it will help plug what it calls “a £22 billion blackhole” in government finances.

According to the government’s estimations, of the 10.8 million pensioners (in 7.6 million households) who received it last year, only around 1.5 million individuals (1.3 million homes) will be eligible after the new changes.

According to their estimates, this move should save around £1.5 billion annually. Understandably, this move has been extremely controversial.

Are there any alternatives to the Winter Fuel Payment?

If, for whatever reason, you find yourself no longer eligible to receive the Winter Fuel Payment, there are other options out there you may want to explore.

The first avenue you could go down is the Household Support Fund from your local council. This fund is designed to help you during the ongoing financial crisis and can help pay for energy and water bills, food, and other essential items. 

Another is the Cold Weather Payments if you live in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. This pot of money can be accessed if you receive eligible benefits and can help with things like energy bills. Like the Winter Fuel Payment, these funds are automatically assessed. 

That said, the best way to keep your home warm in the winter is to invest in heat pumps, solar panels, insulation, etc.

If you can’t afford the upfront cost, grants and schemes are available. Some of the most notable include, but are not limited to:

• Affordable Warmth Grant (Northern Ireland), Boiler Upgrade Scheme
• Boiler Replacement Scheme (Northern Ireland)
• Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)
• Great British Insulation Scheme
• Home Improvement Loans (Wales)
• Home Upgrade Grant
• Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan (Scotland)
• Renewable Heating Incentive
• Smart Export Guarantee

Grants and payments aside, there are other things you can do to lower heating bills

What upgrades can I make to keep my home warm in winter?

As you can imagine, several options exist if you want to “future-proof” your home to help you save money during the winter months. Typically, these will involve improved insulation or a more efficient boiler, but there are other less obvious things you can do also to help cut costs.

• Solar panels
• Wall insulation
• Loft insulation
• Heat pumps
• Window double glazing
• Door double glazing
• Skylights (to get natural sun in)

Is there anything else I can do?

If all else fails, you can always defer back to tried and tested ways of keeping warm in the winter. Basic strategies include, but are not limited to:

• Draughtproofing
• Wear more layers of clothes
• Use a hot water bottle
• Eat healthily – warm meals, etc
• Buy thick curtains
• Move furniture away from windows and doors

Hot food is great for giving you a heat boost in cold weather. Credit: mightymightymatze/Flickr

Summary

• Energy bills are expected to rise during winter due to increased heating demands.
• The Winter Fuel Payment offers between £200 and £300 depending on age and other criteria.
• Those living in Scotland receive a Winter Heating Payment instead of the Winter Fuel Payment.
• If you’re not eligible for these payments, local council funds and Cold Weather Payments may be available.
• Home upgrades, like improved insulation and heat pumps, can reduce heating costs long-term.
• Simple, low-cost actions like wearing layers and using thick curtains can also help keep warm in winter.