£10 Home Bargains gadget keeps the heat in – cold rooms no more

Energy bills still sting, and British homes leak warmth like sieves. A small, low-cost fix is gaining quiet fame on the high street: a £10 Home Bargains gadget that plugs the draughts that creep under doors and around frames. Not flashy. Just effective. The kind of thing you notice most on a cold night.

It was one of those late-afternoon greys, the kind that seems to seep through the letterbox. The hallway felt like a wind tunnel. I could feel a thread of cold air licking my ankles, sneaking under the front door, turning the whole place into a fridge by teatime. In the basket sat a simple bit of kit from Home Bargains — the **£10 draught-stopper** everyone in the queue had an opinion on. No wires, no app, no waiting for payday. I slid it under the door, nudged it flush against the gap and stood still. The hallway went quiet, the air stopped moving. It was almost eerie. Then I felt it: the house exhaled.

Meet the £10 gadget that traps warmth you’ve already paid for

Think of it as a soft plug for the worst gap in your home: the line of daylight under a door. The Home Bargains gadget is essentially a twin-foam draught excluder that slides under the door leaf, hugging both sides at once. It looks unassuming, like a narrow bolster pillow with a job to do. Push it into place and that thin river of cold stops. The living room warms quicker. Radiators don’t feel like they’re fighting a losing battle. It’s the sort of fix you feel more than you see — the quiet absence of a chill, the way your toes stop curling.

We’ve all been there: rationing the thermostat while boiling the kettle for “free heat”. A couple in Stoke messaged me a photo of their hallway thermometer: 15.8°C before, 18.1°C after fitting the excluder and a short strip of peel-and-stick seal on the frame. Their cat abandoned the radiator shelf and reclaimed the doormat. Another reader in Glasgow swears the kit knocked 20 minutes off her usual heating-on time. These aren’t lab trials, they’re real-life nudges. The Energy Saving Trust says simple draught-proofing can shave tens of pounds off a typical bill each year. Maybe not glamorous — but deeply British in its practicality.

Here’s why it works. Warm air loves a pressure difference; it rushes to the coldest, clearest exit. The biggest exit in many homes isn’t a window — it’s the gap under the front or back door. A door sweep stops that conveyor belt, so the heat you’ve paid for lingers, mixing and mellowing the whole room. Add a couple of metres of self-adhesive rubber around the frame and the seal gets tighter. The physics are boring and brilliant: slow the air, reduce convection, keep surfaces warmer so you feel warmer at a lower thermostat setting. *It felt like putting a jumper on the house.*

How to fit it in ten minutes, no faff

Set the door on its latch and measure the full width. Slide the draught-stopper under so the twin tubes sit snug on both sides of the door, then trim the foam to size if it’s a universal fit. You want gentle friction, not a wrestling match. Close and open the door a few times to test the glide. If you’ve got the version with peel-and-stick end tabs, press them down firmly on the inside. For extra points, run a metre or two of self-adhesive seal along the frame where you can see daylight, especially near the latch. That’s it. Warmth stays. The hallway hushes.

Common mistakes? Fitting it too tight so the door scuffs and you give up after a day. Leave a hint of give and it’ll glide nicely. Don’t block trickle vents or air bricks — they’re there to keep moisture and gas appliances safe. If you’ve got a letterbox, add a brush flap rather than taping it shut. Moisture creeping on windows? Crack a window for ten minutes after cooking or showers. Let’s be honest: nobody does that every day. But even a couple of times a week keeps the balance — warmer rooms, fresher air, no damp vibes.

There’s also the renter factor. Landlords don’t want screw holes, you don’t want a chat about “alterations”. The beauty of this gadget is its reversibility: it slides out in seconds and leaves no mark. A Manchester reader told me she kept hers when she moved flat.

“I clicked the heating on and the room actually kept the heat. It’s boring and brilliant,” said Jess, 29, who swears her gas meter calmed down.

And if you like a tidy checklist, here’s a fast lane to a cosier evening:

• Under-door draught-stopper: slide, trim, glide test.
• Self-adhesive seal on frame corners where you see light.
• Brush cover for letterbox and keyhole cap if it whistles.
• Heavy doormat inside to trap cold coming off tiles.

What this tiny fix says about winter at home

These small wins stack. **Keeping warmth in** isn’t just thrift; it’s control. You lower the thermostat half a notch without feeling short-changed. The radiator clicks off earlier. The room feels even, calmer, less twitchy at the edges. It’s not a renovation, it’s a habit — one of those “I can sort that today” jobs that changes a week’s mood. You start noticing other tiny leaks: the shiny gap at the window latch, the bare floorboard seam by the skirting, a chilly draft from the loft hatch. One fix begets another.

And yes, there’s the cosy factor you can’t measure with a smart meter. A dog stops camping under the blanket. You stop watching TV in a hoodie and woolly hat. The thermostat number matters less than the feeling around your shoulders. That’s when you realise it’s not just about bills. It’s about a home that holds you instead of nibbling away at you. **Cold rooms no more** is a promise you make with a tenner and ten minutes, then back up with small, human tweaks as the nights stretch out.

What caught me most was the silence. Doors stop rattling when the wind kicks up. The letterbox flap doesn’t clap at 2am. You walk into the hallway and it’s neutral, not nagging. The house feels… finished. And for a gadget you can grab between flour and lightbulbs at Home Bargains, that’s a neat little miracle. Share it with a neighbour. Try it on the back door. Test the kitchen door that always felt like a cold mouth. It’s not wizardry. It’s edges and gaps and a simple line of foam doing a simple job well.

FAQ :

• What exactly is the £10 gadget?A soft, twin-foam draught excluder that sits under your door and blocks cold air from slipping in. Many stores stock versions; Home Bargains’ seasonal aisle is where readers keep finding it.
• Will it fit my door?Most are universal: you trim the foam to your door width. They work best on standard internal or front doors with a clear under-gap and level floor.
• Does it actually cut energy bills?Stopping draughts means rooms hold heat longer, so your heating can run less. The Energy Saving Trust reports that simple draught-proofing can save households money each year, especially in leakier homes.
• Is it okay for renters?Yes. It slides in and out without screws or glue. Pair it with peel-and-stick frame seals that remove cleanly when you move out.
• What about condensation or ventilation?Don’t block vents needed for safe airflow. Keep trickle vents open and give steamy rooms a quick burst of fresh air after showers or cooking to keep moisture balanced.