As households across the UK brace for colder temperatures and higher energy costs this winter, experts are urging families to stock up on bubble wrap as a simple, cost-effective way to reduce heat loss and lower bills.
One Brit in her 60s shared her experience from last winter, revealing how she turned to bubble wrap to insulate her home after struggling with expensive heating bills. “My house was freezing,” she said. “I can’t afford to get triple glazing, and my double glazing is 15 years old. Heating my home was costing me nearly £1,900 last winter, especially my conservatory at the back, which is difficult to heat.”
To combat the chill, she pinned sheets of bubble wrap to her curtains using pegs, sometimes layering two sheets—one behind and one in front of the curtains for extra insulation. “I had tried clear insulation before, but it kept falling off. Tape works well for bubble wrap, and I also put it on the kitchen and bathroom windows to keep the cold out.”
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Mark McShane from Boiler Cover UK supports this low-tech approach, explaining, “Leaving your oven door open after cooking lets residual heat warm your kitchen, and applying bubble wrap to windows acts as an insulator, reducing heat loss.”
Supporting this advice, WF Plastic highlights on their website how bubble wrap, commonly used in greenhouses, is an effective and affordable insulation method for home windows. They explain that bubble wrap can boost a window’s insulation rating and works well even on irregularly shaped windows where standard insulating shades don’t fit.
While bubble wrap does blur the view, it allows plenty of natural light to enter. Medium to large bubble sizes are preferred, as they provide slightly better insulation and create an appealing textured effect when looking outside. Small bubbles block the view more but still let in light.
As winter approaches, using bubble wrap on windows and around curtains offers a practical way for UK households to keep their homes warmer and their energy bills lower.