Severe cold snaps can remain intense despite global warming. Polar vortex disruptions regularly bring extreme cold to Europe, sometimes more abruptly than before. Preparation relies on two levers: reducing heat loss and optimising heating.
Cost indicators: (€) low · (€€) moderate · (€€€) significant investment
Core strategy: Heat primarily one living room per person to 19–20 °C. Keep other rooms at 16–17 °C. This saves 10 to 15 % on energy bills with no real loss of comfort.
Short term — act now
Houses and flats
- Draught excluders under exterior doors and between heated/unheated zones (€)
- Heavy thermal curtains at windows — draw them at dusk (€)
- Radiator reflector panels between the radiator and the wall (€) — up to 10 % savings
- Programme heating: 16 °C at night and during extended absences
Houses
- Check window seals: apply silicone sealant if you feel draughts (€)
- Inspect ventilation grilles: never block them, but make sure they are intact
Medium term — plan over coming weeks
- Thermostatic radiator valves (€€) — room-by-room control, quick payback
- Programmable or smart thermostat (€€) — automatically adjusts temperature to your schedule
- Insulate the front door — seals, threshold, draught lobby if possible (€€) — an often underestimated heat loss point
Long term — planned works
- Loft / roof insulation (€€) — the first project to tackle; payback typically within 3–5 years
- Double or triple glazing (€€€) — prioritise north-facing windows and the oldest frames
- Wall insulation — external (EWI) or internal (IWI) (€€€) — combined with roof insulation, it addresses most heat losses
- Air-to-water or ground-source heat pump (€€€) — 3–4 times more efficient than electric panel heaters
- Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery — MVHR (€€€) — recovers 70–90 % of heat from extracted air; essential when heavily insulating
Heating accounts for roughly two thirds of a home's energy consumption. Insulation is the foundation of any lasting strategy.