People could embrace a tip from the 1800s to lower their heating bills in 2025
People could be wasting their money on central heating if they aren’t also considering something that the Victorians figured out to keep the cold at bay. This easy-to-fit method won’t add a single penny to your bills – and it could help save a lot in the long run.
It can be tempting when the bitter weather bites to simply crank up the thermostat, and whilst this might pump the room full of heat for a little bit, it could eventually seep straight out of the house if people aren’t careful, wasting the cash they just spent. People have also been bringing back some Martin Lewis-approved tips, tricks and tools to help with the battle between staying comfortable and spending cash on rising utility biils
As winter gradually gets more bitter across the UK, people will want to make the most of their home heating system without facing a giant bill at the end of the month. People could resort to other methods of staying warm – like personal heating gadgets and other home ‘hacks’, but there’s a simple solution that our ancestors did back in the 1800s that could be just as effective in 2025.
According to analysis by SEO agency IMSR, Brits may already be struggling with payments, as online searches for terms such as ‘Help with energy costs‘ have risen 80% in the UK. On average, the energy bill for a typical household in the UK from October to December 2025 is an estimated £1,755 per year, or approximately £146 per month, according to Ofgem.
To combat this, a traditional method could trap heat indoors, meaning households spend less on heating, as the thermostat is not cranked up to maximum. Heating experts at Plumbworld say the simplest “Victorian fix” is hanging heavy door curtains.
Bringing back what the Victorians called portières, people hung these across draughty internal doorways and behind the front door. They were partnered up with a basic draught excluder at floor level, which effectively sealed in the warmth that was produced in the home.
Victorian radiators are nothing compared to modern appliances that most Brits will have had switched on at some point over the last few weeks, as temperatures truly dropped across the country, so every step was taken to make sure homes were not left freezing.
In a modern home, a fabric barrier would trap the warmth you’ve already paid for in the rooms you’re actually using. And, once you’ve picked a perfect curtain, it doesn’t cost anything to run this ‘home hack’ – no fancy gadgets and no tools necessary to install one, making it renter-friendly as well.
Approximately 9.6 million UK households are living in poorly insulated homes, which are prone to cold draughts. This figure comes from an analysis of the English Housing Survey by the Institute of Health Equity and Friends of the Earth UK
Heavy curtains can cut window heat loss by roughly a third to two-fifths, according to Salford University Energy House tests on modern glazing. That reduction in heat escaping translates into a small but noticeable lift in room temperature – typically around 1 or 2°C in the heated space, especially during evening cold snaps.
Experts at Which? have previously claimed that going around your home and making sure the property is properly draught-proofed can help make your home feel ‘warmer straight away’. It can help pinpoint problem areas that you should address to keep as much heat indoors as possible.