How to Stay Warm at Home Without Putting the Heating On

Oct 12, 2026 Keplin Editorial Team

Cosy living room with a heated throw and hot water bottle on a sofa to stay warm without the heating on

The thermostat is one of those things everyone in the house has an opinion about. But since heating accounts for more than half the average UK energy bill, finding smarter ways to stay warm is worth the effort.

Central heating warms the air in every room, whether or not anyone is in it. That works well when the whole house is occupied. But most people spend most of their time at home in one or two rooms, and heating the whole house to make those rooms comfortable costs considerably more than just warming the person sitting in them.

A heated throw running for an evening costs a matter of pence. A ceramic fan heater on its lowest setting costs around 24p an hour. The principle is the same across all four products below: put the warmth where it's needed rather than everywhere at once.

Product	Running Cost	Best For
Ceramic Fan Heater	24p/hr (low) – 53p/hr (high)	Warming a room fast
Electric Heated Throw	~8p for 8 hours	Sofa evenings
Faux Fur Hot Water Bottle	Cost of boiling a kettle	Bed or desk, no plug needed
Electric Foot Warmer	Under 3p/hr	Cold feet while working

The Ceramic Fan Heater: For Warming a Room Quickly

It's 7pm. You've just got home, the living room is cold and you want it warm now rather than in twenty minutes. The boiler takes time. A ceramic fan heater doesn't.

The Keplin Ceramic Electric Fan Heater uses a PTC ceramic element that heats up faster than Oil-Filled Radiator or Convector Heater. Three modes give you some flexibility: 2000W high for taking the chill off quickly, 900W low for steady background warmth once the room is up to temperature, and fan-only if you just want air circulation without the heat. The adjustable thermostat cycles on and off to hold your chosen temperature rather than running at full power the whole time.

On low, the running cost comes out at around 24p an hour. On high it's around 53p. For a room you're sitting in, that's a straightforward saving over running the whole central heating system.

This model has a carry handle and a 1.2m cable, so it moves between rooms easily. Available in black and white, rated 4.6 stars from over 130 reviews. Let's be clear: it's a good spot heater for a desk or small seating area, not a solution for heating a large open-plan space. Browse the full heating range for more options.

The Electric Heated Throw: For Sofa Evenings Without the Heating On

If the heating went off an hour ago and it's not cold enough to justify turning it back on, a heated throw is made to fill that gap. Running it costs around 8p for eight hours. For anyone who spends long evenings on the sofa, the difference across a winter is worth paying attention to.

The Keplin Electric Heated Throw Blanket plugs in, wraps around you and keeps you warm without heating the room at all. Nine heat settings up to 55°C, flannel on one side and sherpa on the other, and a timer you can set between one and nine hours so it switches itself off. It's also machine-washable at 30°C once you've disconnected the controller which is a nice bonus.

At 160 x 130cm it's a comfortable size for one person. Available in a range of colours including blush pink, beige, black and more. Two-year warranty, reflecting how long this throw is built to last.

The Faux Fur Hot Water Bottle: For Simple, Low-Cost Warmth

Not everything needs a plug. A hot water bottle is still one of the cheapest ways to stay warm, and the faux fur version is considerably more pleasant to hold for long periods than bare rubber. If you want warmth without anything to plug in or charge, this is the most straightforward option on the list.

The Keplin Faux Fur Hot Water Bottle is a 2-litre natural rubber bottle fitted in a double-stitched faux fur cover - removable and machine washable. It comes in a variety of colours and even shapes with a long plush that you can keep around your shoulders. Keeping a cover on your hot water bottle keeps the rubber off direct skin contact, which is where most hot water bottle burns occur.

The running cost is essentially just the electricity to boil a kettle. A well-filled bottle stays warm for a few hours which covers most of bedtime or a long stint at the desk. A couple of things worth knowing: fill to two thirds maximum, let the water sit for a minute after boiling before filling, and replace the bottle every two years.

The Electric Foot Warmer: For Cold Feet at a Desk

Cold feet tend to be the first thing to go and the last thing that gets properly sorted. If you work from home through the colder months, your feet are losing heat to the floor long before the rest of you feels it. A heated throw doesn't quite reach that far down. A fan heater blows past them. A foot warmer puts the heat exactly where it's needed and keeps it there.

The Keplin Electric Foot Warmer has four heat settings, a 90-minute auto shut-off and overheat protection. Flannel fleece on the outside, sherpa lining inside, and the inner sleeves are removable and washable. It has the perfect size to tuck neatly under a desk and costs under 3p an hour to run.

The auto shut-off is a great feature for everyday use. Slip your feet in, set it going and get on with your day. It'll turn itself off without you having to think about it.

4 Free Habits to Stop Heat Escaping

Targeted warmth products do most of the heavy lifting, but a few habits help too.

1. Keep curtains closed after dark. Up to 25% of heat loss in a typical home escapes through windows, according to the Energy Saving Trust. Closing them at dusk keeps the warmth already in the room from escaping.

2. Use draught excluders. Cold air coming under doors drops room temperature faster than most people expect. An excluder at the base of an external door or at the foot of a door to an unheated hallway makes a real difference.

3. Heat the person, not the room. A layer, a hot drink and one of the products above keeps you comfortable at a lower room temperature than you'd otherwise need. That's a habit worth building.

4. Use sunlight when it's there. On a clear winter day, south-facing windows let in passive solar heat. Keep curtains open while the sun is out, close them before it sets.

FAQs About Staying Warm in the UK

Is it cheaper to use a heated throw or turn the heating on?

For one or two people in one room, a throw is significantly cheaper. Running it costs around 8p for eight hours. Central heating for the same period costs considerably more and warms rooms nobody is sitting in. The saving over a whole winter is meaningful for anyone who uses a throw regularly instead of reaching for the thermostat.

How much does a ceramic fan heater cost to run?

On its low setting, the Keplin heater costs around 24p an hour (at time of writing). On 2000W high it's around 53p. The thermostat brings the actual cost down by cycling off once your temperature is reached, so it rarely runs at full draw the whole time.

Is a hot water bottle safe to use in bed?

UK safety guidance recommends using it to warm the bed before you get in, then taking it out. Sleeping directly against one increases the risk of burns because skin sensitivity drops during sleep. Always use a cover, fill to two thirds maximum with water that's had a minute off the boil. Replace the bottle every two years.

What's the most energy-efficient way to stay warm without central heating?

A hot water bottle costs almost nothing to run beyond a kettle. A heated throw costs around 8p for eight hours. A foot warmer costs under 3p an hour. A ceramic fan heater on low costs around 24p. All four beat running central heating, and using a couple of them together covers most situations without needing the boiler at all.

Do heated throws use a lot of electricity?

No. Most run between 60W and 100W depending on the setting, compared to a 2000W fan heater or a whole central heating system. Running one for a full evening costs just a few pence.

What temperature setting should I use on a fan heater?

Start on high to bring the room up to temperature, then drop to low or let the thermostat take over. Most people are comfortable sitting still at around 18 to 21°C. Setting the thermostat to hold that and letting the heater cycle on and off uses less energy than running it on a fixed setting continuously.