Staying wam
Staying warm in winter is particularly important to keep your body strong and fight off viruses and infections.
Hot drinks: Have plenty of hot drinks, including one before going to bed. Keep a flask handy if your mobility is limited.
Eat well: Try to eat at least one hot meal a day, cook up hearty, warming meals, such as stews and soups and cook in batches to keep extra portions in the freezer. Not eating enough and becoming underweight is bad for your health, especially in winter, as it makes it harder to keep warm and fight infections. So, while a balanced diet is ideal, eating anything is better than eating nothing.
Keep moving: If possible try not to sit still for more than an hour, movement generates heat and helps to keep you warm. If walking is difficult, you can do chair based exercises whilst sitting or holding onto the back of a chair. Even moving your arms and legs and wiggling your fingers and/or toes can help you keep warm and well.
Keep your home warm: Keep your home to at least 18°C, especially the rooms where you spend more time. Have your heating system checked annually and consider installing thermostatic valves on radiators in the rooms you use the most. Keep the rooms you spend most time in warm. It might seem obvious, but make the most of individual radiator thermostats and keep the temperature higher in the rooms you are in most. Also make sure you’re not heating rooms you don’t use – you may just want to keep the heating low in these rooms, or turn it off all together. Check your pipes are adequately lagged and your roof is properly insulated. Close the curtains at dusk to keep the heat in. Lower temperatures increase the risk of flu and other breathing problems and can raise your blood pressure. When you’re older, your blood pressure takes longer to return to normal once you get cold, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The colder your home, the higher the risk to your health.
Wrap-up warm, especially outside: Wear layers of cosy clothes to trap warmth. If you’re sitting down, wrap up with a shawl or blanket. You could even pop your feet up on something, as the air’s cooler at ground level. When outside make sure you keep your hands and face warm. As well as wearing gloves and a hat, always wrap a scarf around your face when you go out in cold weather, even for short intervals. This helps to warm up the air you breathe in. Keep your feet warm, as with your hands and face, cold feet can trigger a potentially dangerous rise in blood pressure. Choose shoes (possibly boots) with non-slip soles and a warm lining, or wear thermal socks. Several thin layers of clothing will keep you warmer than one thick layer, as the layers trap warm air between them. Start with thermal underwear, warm tights or woollen socks.
Keep warm overnight: If you struggle to stay warm in bed, try wearing warm clothes and, if it’s particularly cold, thermal underwear and bed socks – even a hat can really help you keep warm. Use a hot water bottle, heat bag or an electric blanket to warm the bed – but never use a hot water bottle and an electric blanket together. Check if your electric blanket can be kept on all night or whether it’s only designed to warm the bed up before you get in. If you have any continence difficulties, talk to your doctor before using an electric blanket. You should get your electric blanket checked every three years by a trusted electrician.
Help with keeping warm
Warm Home Discount Scheme
This scheme will reopen from October 2025. It is a one-off £150 discount off your electricity bill. If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. The money is not paid to you.
There are different ways to qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme depending on where you live. Your electricity supplier can tell you how you’ll get the discount if you’re eligible.
If you live in England or Wales, you should qualify if you either:
- Get the Guarantee Credit Element of Pension Credit
- Are on a low income and have high energy costs
If you live in Northern Ireland, there is an alternative scheme - find out about the Affordable Warmth scheme here.
Note: You can still qualify for the discount if you use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter.
Winter Fuel Payments
Winter Fuel Payments will be reinstated for all pensioners in England and Wales this year. Northern Ireland has confirmed that pensioners will receive payment in line with England & Wales. This is paid automatically to those born before 22nd September 1959.
If you or your partner receive Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit only one person will be paid the whole Winter Fuel Payment. If you don’t receive these benefits, it will be split between the qualifying members of the household.
You can receive between £100 and £300 towards heating bill for winter 2025/26.
If you have over £35,000 of taxable gross income the payment you receive will be recovered later through the tax system. If you know your income will be above £35,000 and you want to you can opt out by calling the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160 or complete the online opt out form before 15 September 2025. You'll need your National Insurance number.
Priority Register Service
With the weather turning colder it is worth reminding Shine members that you can use the Priority Register Service. This is a free support service that energy suppliers offer if you rely on your energy supply for medical needs.
You will need to contact your own supplier to get on to the register. To check if you are eligible and find out other support services, please click the link below:
Support with Household Emergencies
Power Cut 105: Ring 105 to report or get information about power cuts in your local area. This service is free, and you will be put through to a local network operator for help and advice. You can call from most landlines and mobiles or use the website: https://www.powercut105.com/
Floodline: If your area is prone to flooding, you can sign up to free flood warnings from Floodline. They provide a 24-hour service that provides warnings by phone, text or email: 0345 988 1188.
Further information for Northern Ireland and Wales:
If you live in Northern Ireland, further information on much of the above can be found at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/cost-living
If you live in Wales, you can find more information at https://www.dewis.wales.