Keeping warm in Winter

Keeping warm is important as you are more likely to catch cold or flu in winter. The cold weather (below 8C) can also cause other serious health problems such as heart attacks, stroke, hypothermia and pneumonia. It also increases the risk of accidents and falls.  The cold can also have an affect on those with mental health conditions

Ways to Keep Warm

It is important to keep warm in the winter. Keep warm with hot drinks and hot food. Wear warm clothes and shoes, and aim to keep your home between 18 °C and 21 °C (or 64 °F and 70 °F ). People over 65 years are at the most risk from the impact of the cold along with people with medical and health conditions or disabilities.

Being cold may make you feel more depressed, so staying warm may reduce the winter blues.

To help you to stay warm you should:

• Dress appropriately – wear several thin layers of clothes, rather than one thick layer.

• Keep physically active – moving about is a good way of keeping warm, as sitting still can cause your body temperature to drop. You should spread out your activities throughout the day so that you are not sitting down for too long.

• Eat well – Drinking hot drinks and eating hot meals will help to keep your body temperature up, so have at least one hot meal a day and have hot drinks throughout the day and before bedtime. Keep a flask of hot drink beside your bed in case you wake up feeling cold.

• Prepare your home – It is important that you have a stable comfortable temperature in your home over a 24-hour period. This may be cheaper than turning the heating up during the day and turning it off at night. Make sure your home is properly insulated and have your heating system checked. Keep your bedroom at 18C all night if you can – and keep the bedroom window closed

For further information on what you can do to stay warm, including applying for grants to keep your home warm, read this keeping warm and well advice.

Help to heat your home

There are various options available to help you heat your home, including:

• Winter Fuel Payments – government payments to help you pay for your gas and electricity and keep warm in winter
• Cold Weather Payments – are made to help you keep warm over extended cold spells of weather.
• Energy Services, Newcastle City Council – provide advice, information, access to grants towards cavity wall and loft insulation, central heating and other energy efficiency measures.

See Help with heating problems and how to pay for them for more information.

Other Useful Information

• Keep Warm Keep Well – booklet from Public Health

Last updated: November 26, 2018