How to keep warm in cold weather when budgets are squeezed

It is more important than ever to eat and drink properly, even with little motivation while stuck at home.

Age UK says warming foods, like soup and stews, and hot drinks like tea can help keep you warm. People should try to have at least one hot meal a day and as many hot drinks as possible. Supermarket-branded tins may be cheaper, so keep a close eye on prices. Food banks, external can also help if you are short of money.

Take care not to overfill the kettle by measuring out what is needed to keep costs down. Batch cooking can also help. Don’t forget fruit and vegetables – the latter can be cooked with a steamer on one hob, rather than using different ones.

When washing up, if your hot water is too hot to wash your hands in, then your setting is probably too high so turn the boiler down. Wash clothes at 30C, not 40C.

Keep moving as much as you can between meals. That is likely to help your mental, as well as physical, health.

As tempting as it is to soak in the shower for ages, experts suggest limiting the time to four minutes. A playlist of four-minute songs, external may help.