I live in an older apartment building with pretty bad insulation. No matter how high I set the heat, the warmth never really stays,drafts, cold walls, and uneven temperatures make heating the whole place feel like pouring money into the void. This winter I stopped trying to “fix” the entire apartment and focused just on sleeping comfortably. I keep the thermostat lower at night and use a heated blanket (a model from Costway) only in the bedroom. The rest of the apartment stays cool, but once I’m in bed, that doesn’t matter much.
What I noticed pretty quickly:
The bed actually feels warm instead of the room being slightly less cold
The heating system runs far less overnight
My recent bills are about 20% lower compared to last winter, despite similar outdoor temps
It also feels more comfortable overall. Old buildings tend to get really dry with constant heat, and using heated bedding avoids that issue. I usually turn it on before bed and either lower the setting or turn it off once I’m warm.
For those in older apartments or poorly insulated buildings:
Do you rely on bedroom-only heating strategies?
Have heated blankets or bed pads worked better than space heaters for you?
Any other frugal ways you’ve dealt with insulation issues without major upgrades?
Frugal winter question: heated blanket vs heating a poorly insulated apartment
byu/Agitated_Fox2640 inFrugal
Posted by Agitated_Fox2640
20 Comments
When I lived in a place where the landlord refused to out the heat on, I used a heated mattress pad and it was glorious. That and a space heater with a fan blowing on it to circulate the warm air worked wonders
Heat yourself, not your space.
This is a saying I’ve seen a lot when it starts to get cold.
When I lived in a trailer addon, there was 0 insulation. It was a frame and plywood sheets. My heating pad kept me warm!
Down comforter one size up from the mattress for the win.
It goes on clearance at the end of the winter season at Costco every year for under 100.00 . Once you pay the initial cost, all heating is free.
These comforters keep the heat in, so even if you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, it still just as warm as when you left it! Nice!
It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
We heat with wood and it only warms the livingroom and kitchen, not bedrooms. I have a heated blanket on the bed and a heated throw where I usually sit in the evenings. This is a good system for me until we can get a new furnace.
Have you ever seen the original willy Wonka and the chocolate factory movie? The family all stayed in bed during the winter because it was warmer and cheaper than heating their hovel.
Same thing applies here lol as long as it’s warm enough your pipes don’t freeze anyways.
You can also reduce the drafts without paying too much, just little things like lining doors and window frames with foam tape or similar, plus something along the bottom of doors to block the draft, I have a thing that looks like two little pool noodles that slides under the door, or those plushie snake things.
I live alone, so I keep the thermostat way down and dress in extra layers at home. I wear comfy clothes with a down robe or big fleece pullover.
When I’m cooking, heat from the stove plus activity keeps me warm. When I’m relaxing, I cover myself with a blanket-throw. This has the added benefit of attracting the cat (yay extra warmth!).
In my home office, I keep a small oil-filled radiator under the desk. I turn it on when I’m going to be spending any significant time in there and it makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE, even on low.
I sleep much better in a cool room, under a down comforter.
I find it to be a very comfortable way to live, and don’t feel like I’m making myself miserable to save money.
EDIT: One more thing! This sounds gimmicky but I have microwaveable slippers called “warmees”. I use them solely* for bed time (I don’t walk around in them). Microwave them for two minutes and then put them on when you go to bed, for instantly toasty-warm tootsies. It’s perfect because the ONE TROUBLE I HAVE is that it takes my feet a long time to warm up when I go to bed. *no pun intended lol
A mattress pad heater has worked better than a blanket as you might kick off the blanket or spouse steals the blanket. Electric heaters use way too much electricity to leave running.
I like sleeping cold even though I insulated my house a few years ago. I use cotton flannel sheets and pajamas with a warm comforter to keep warm
A heated blanket is a great option!
Heated Mattress pad on living room sofa
You can get window winterizing kits pretty cheaply and they’re easy to install. This will greatly reduce the drafts from windows.
I also use rechargeable heated socks. If my feet are warm, my whole body feels better.
> Any other frugal ways you’ve dealt with insulation issues without major upgrades?
It works in the summer also. Put a box fan in front of you and turn down the AC by 10 degrees.
Let a 20×20 MERV-13 filter suction onto the back and you have a very effective air filter.
Im currently spending a lot of time in an rv trailer, and a heated blanket is changing my life.
Now that everyone has your bed situated, consider how to heat your body for the rest of the day/evening. I have a wrap around/zip up blanket that I wear while I am watching TV or playing online. good wool sox go a long way to keeping your feet cozy, too. A good, warm sweatsuit for when you are walking around, doing things in your home (cooking, cleaning, etc.) Don’t forget baking your meals when you can.
Heated mattress pads last longer because they don’t get twisted around. You can control the temperature better because there are 10-12 settings. They also stay on longer, so you’re not waking up cold every 2 hours because the blanket auto shut off.
I put mine under my mattress protector to save on wear and tear from washing it a bunch. Also, I put one on my couch and now I’m warm any time without wasting energy trying to keep a drafty old house as warm as I want to be.
It feels colder when the humidity is low. Boil a pot of water to raise the humidity. I put on a big pot and boil it away and it helps so much.
Use small rooms with the doors closed. Your body heat—plus the body heat of any animal or human companions—will help heat the room.
I discovered this a few years ago… I get a new electric blanket every 2-3 years since they all fall apart it seems. I’m warm, the kitties are warm and the gas company gets 1/4 what they used to get!
Would a space heater work?
If i were to do that, i would never get out of bed.