Keeping Warm
Winter can make existing health conditions worse and can also make us more vulnerable to respiratory and other serious illnesses. People over 65 or with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk.
Sitting in a cold home for a long time can put pressure on your heart and circulation – the ideal temperature in your home is 18C – 21C (64 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit).
It’s important to stay protected against a drop in temperature as cold weather can affect your body’s ability to fight off viruses and infections. By keeping warm, you can help yourself stay well this winter.

What can you do to keep yourself warm?
Keep moving. Try not to sit still for more than an hour at a time. Even a little bit of activity now and then can help you maintain strength and mobility.
Eat and drink well. It can sometimes be difficult to keep up the motivation to prepare meals. But it’s good to try and keep to a routine where you can. Eating hot meals and drinking hot
drinks regularly will help keep you warm.
Wrap up well. Wearing plenty of layers is the best way to keep warm in winter. If you’re heading out, make sure you take some extra layers, even if you don’t need them immediately – the temperature can drop significantly when the sun goes in.
Wear Thick Socks or Slippers. Keeping your feet warm during the day and through the night will make your whole body feel warmer. For an extra cosy feel, slip on a pair of ultra-warm wool or thermal socks.
Use electric blankets, heat pads, footwarmers but be careful, only use your electric blanket as instructed and get it tested every three years, never use a hot water bottle with an electric blanket.
Supported by Solihull Council, Age UK Solihull provides a local Winter Warmth Helpline and emergency help. Primarily aimed at older people, those living with disabilities or long-term health condition, carers and families with young children.
- Information and advice.
- Emergency heaters if your heating breaks down or isn’t keeping you warm.
- Finding a tradesperson for emergency repairs.
- Boiler/heating repairs and servicing.
- Provision of electric blankets, duvets and blankets to vulnerable residents.
For advice and support please ring the Winter Warmth Helpline on 0121 704 8080, 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday.
Advice and help with your energy bills
Solihull Council has partnered with energy experts Act on Energy, to help you reduce your energy bills and make your home warmer and more energy efficient.
For advice, tips and support, including energy saving tips, pre-payment meters, energy debt, home heating repairs or improvements and energy efficiency grants please contact the free Act on Energy advice line on: 0800 988 2881, 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, or email: advice@actonenergy.org.uk.
Contact your supplier if you are struggling to pay your bill or you are in debt. The earlier you contact them, the better. They can help with debt payment plans and help you with managing your ongoing payments.
Some also have hardship funds to help people.
Priority Services Register
The Priority Services Register is operated by energy suppliers to help people in vulnerable situations.
If you are eligible for this scheme (e.g. over the state pension age, long term medical condition or disability) contact your own energy supplier to be added to their list.
What can you do to keep your home warm?
It’s important to regularly put your heating on to stop your pipes from freezing and because it can be more expensive to keep starting up and stopping your heating. Here are some tips from Act On Energy which can help to make your home as warm as possible, whilst reducing your energy use and saving money:
1. Turn your thermostat down by 1 degree. Most people won’t notice the difference –
and an extra jumper can always help. The ideal room temperature is 18-21 degrees but do consider if this is warm enough for anyone who has a vulnerability. Do it now before you need to switch the heating on. This could save you up to 10% a year on your bill.
2. And while we’re on heating….set your timer to come on 15-30 minutes before you need it and switch off 30 minutes before you leave or go to bed.
3. Switch to low energy lightbulbs. LEDs use about 90% less energy than standard bulbs. They are more expense to buy – but last up to 12 times longer. Turning off lights in rooms when you don’t need them could save about £25 a year.
4. Wash your clothes on the lowest heat setting. 90% of a washing machine’s energy is used to heat up the water. Reducing your number of washes by one cycle a week will save about £34 a year. Tumble dryers use a lot of energy so whenever possible dry your clothes outside on a line.
5. Switch appliances off ‘stand-by’ – this could typically save about £65 a year.
6. Insulate a hot water tank – it will pay for itself within 6 months.
7. Reduce your shower time – it’s easy to lose track of time so try setting an alarm for 3-4 minutes. You could save about £95 a year.
8. Thick curtains help to keep the heat in. Keep them tucked behind radiators and pull them at dusk to avoid heat escaping through glass.
9. Draught proof your home – check doors, letterboxes, windows, loft hatches and floorboards. Move furniture away from radiators to let warm air circulate.
10. Be savvy in the kitchen – only boil the amount of water you need when you need it. When filling the kettle like this you could save £13 a year. Keep a lid on it – trap the heat in your saucepan. Use the dishwasher only when it’s full – and reducing use by one cycle a week could save £17 a year. Turn the oven off a few minutes’ earlier and use residual heat to finish cooking. Using a microwave will also be cheaper than using the oven. Defrost your fridge and freezer regularly for maximum efficiency (and while we’ve got you…keeping a fridge or freezer door open for just a minute means it’ll take three minutes to cool down again).
Here2Help
Solihull MBC has a Here2Help section on its website containing lots of information to help people including support available to help with the cost of living, services to help people stay safe and well and support for carers.
Here2Help
To compliment this SMBC have produced a booklet promoting some of the services available Here2help booklet 2024