I feel like I’ve spent the entirety of 2023 wrapped in an oversized hoodie blanket moaning that the house is cold, because my family - like many others in the UK - are cutting back on our gas usage after our smart meter reading almost gave me a heart attack in December.
We’ve already taken a number of steps to try and stay warm and ‘heat the human, not the home’, from stocking up on hot water bottles, using USB gloves and popping the heated airer on for a couple of hours to warm the room while drying a wash load.
Out of emergency rather than luxury, we also had to have a new roof just before Christmas, which has certainly helped prevent heat escaping skyward at such a rapid rate. But we were still finding the house very draughty and generally cold.
READ MORE: Stacey Solomon's £10 Amazon purchase that saves stacks of space in the fridge
According to Which? draught proofing your windows and doors could save you up to £20 in energy a year, as well as making your home more comfortable to live in.
Already, we had purchased a traditional draft excluder to place behind our front door, but still a chill would escape under our living room and kitchen doors, often causing them to blow open.
To combat the cold, we ordered a pair of under door seal draft stoppers from Amazon, which cost £5.69 for two - making them less than £3 each.
The draft excluders consist of two foam tubes encased and joined together by fabric, which effortlessly slides under your internal doors to fill the gap between the hardwood floor and the bottom of the door.
They come longer than your average door and are easily trimmable to fit and sized door or window. Just make sure you measure it to the length of your door before cutting, as chopping it too short could render it useless.
We were initially worried the excluders might scratch the flooring, but it’s actually extremely lightweight and soft, so we’re in no danger of that happening.
Immediately we noticed a difference in the overall temperature of the house, and when we settled down to watch a film at night, we didn’t feel compelled to reach for the thermostat or fill the hot water bottle.
As well as keeping out the chill, the double-sided draft excluder also adds an element of sound proofing, which is perfect for the kitchen door as it dampens the sound of our washer and dryer.
Others who tried the Amazon draft excluders also found they prevented the cold air circulating in their home, keeping them warmer while saving money on the gas bill.
One shopper said: “I am very pleased with my purchase. The door seal does exactly what it should. It looks nice and neat. Love the fact it moves nicely with the door and stops the cold air from both sides of the door. I want more! Probably order more.”
Another added: “This is perfect, the porch door we have installed this on is dark wood so it actually looks really good. It moves with the door so there's no faffing about with a loose draught excluder and since it's trimmed to fit it fits perfectly. Over the moon with this and I have already recommended to others.”
A third commented: “Great product for me, exactly what I needed. Draught excluders are ok if people remember to replace them when they're going in and out through doors. None of that with these as they sit under the door and move with it.”
While a fourth said: “Saves money on heating and looks durable so far, two months after buying. Slides nicely over the floor whilst blocking drafts, and looks good.”
You can buy the £5.69 draft excluders on Amazon here.
READ NEXT:
Boots giving away free makeup to shoppers who spend £15 online
Aldi shoppers rave about ‘gorgeous’ candle that’s £275 cheaper than Jo Malone
Shoppers love ‘warm’ £8 Amazon buy that’s ‘tons better’ than M&S
Shoppers can get ‘unlimited’ coffee for £12.50 in January with money-saving deal
Sign up to our Happy New You newsletter and make a fresh start in 2023
