Colder evenings are creeping in, and families are hunting quick fixes that warm rooms fast without draining already-stretched budgets.
Aldi has put a timely seasonal staple on shelves: a £5.99 draught excluder in six styles, landing in stores from 14 September. It is a low-cost way to tame chilly door gaps, dress a room for autumn, and slow the flow of warm air out of your home.
What you get for £5.99
The Aldi door draught excluder is designed for everyday gaps under internal doors. It is soft, simple to position, and easy to move between rooms when needed.
- Price: £5.99
- Available: in store from 14 September
- Length and diameter: approximately 80 x 20 cm
- Fabric: 100% polyester
- Styles: Sausage Dog, Pumpkin, Cord, Velvet, Bouclé grey, Bouclé cream
The £5.99 price and six styles make this a quick, low-risk trial for cutting heat loss before the first cold snap.
The 80 cm length suits many internal doorways. Place it snug to the door on the colder side of the room. The soft fill helps press against uneven floors, which reduces draught paths around the ends and along the bottom edge.
Why blocking draughts matters
Unwanted air movement robs rooms of warmth, even if the thermostat looks sensible. Analysts at Carbon Commentary estimate that draughts can account for up to a quarter of heat loss in a typical UK home. That figure varies by property and weather, but it shows why plugging the obvious gaps pays back quickly.
Homes feel most comfortable at 18–21°C, according to energy advisers, with around 20°C often cited for households with young children.
Every degree you can hold on to means the boiler or heat pump runs less. That reduces gas use or electricity demand and can improve comfort for babies, older people, and anyone spending long periods seated.
Small fix, measurable gains
Here is a simple illustration. Imagine a household spends £1,400 a year on heating. If targeted draughtproofing cuts heat loss by just 5%, the saving could reach around £70 per year. A door snake is only one part of that fix, but it pulls weight on the worst gaps, like a blustery hallway door.
Savings vary with fuel prices, exposure, and how often doors are opened. But low-cost measures can stack. Use a door excluder with thick curtains, letterbox brushes, and keyhole covers, and the combined effect becomes noticeable.
Where to place it first
- Hallway to living room: stops cold corridor air flooding your warm space.
- Children’s rooms: helps keep a steady temperature for sleep.
- Home office: reduces draughts around your desk during long work sessions.
- Back doors: useful on the inside if you notice a steady chill at floor level.
Check for gaps you can feel with the back of your hand on a windy day. Prioritise doors where you sense a steady stream of cold air or where you spend the most time sitting still.
How it compares with other quick fixes
| Measure | Typical price | Best for | Install time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft door excluder (Aldi, 80 cm) | £5.99 | Gaps under internal doors | Under 1 minute |
| Self-adhesive foam strip | £3–£8 | Window sashes and door frames | 10–20 minutes |
| Letterbox brush | £7–£15 | Front door letter plates | 10–15 minutes |
| Keyhole cover | £3–£6 | Old mortice locks | 5 minutes |
Use a mix of measures. A soft excluder blocks the big, low-level leak. Trim strips and brushes handle the fiddly edges and flaps.
Set-up and care
Position the excluder so it touches the door, not just the floor. That closes the path of air from both sides. If your door opens into the warm room, seat the excluder on the colder side of the threshold. That reduces the draw of cold air into the heated space.
- Give it a light shake once a week to keep the filling even.
- Vacuum dust and pet hair from the fabric to maintain a tight seal.
- Polyester often handles a gentle cool wash; check the care label first.
- Dry fully before placing it back to prevent musty smells.
Will it fit your door?
Standard UK internal doors are commonly 76–83 cm wide. An 80 cm excluder sits neatly across most thresholds. If your door is much wider, centre the excluder and check for air movement at the ends. If you still feel a draught, angle the excluder into the prevailing airflow or pair two units for wide openings.
An 80 cm length covers many internal doors, but end gaps can still leak. Check with your hand and adjust the angle.
Availability and designs
Aldi plans to stock six styles, from playful Sausage Dog and seasonal Pumpkin to plain Cord, Velvet, Bouclé grey, and Bouclé cream. The patterned options lift a child’s room or hallway without looking out of place. The plainer fabrics blend with most schemes and make discreet additions to a living room.
The range is due in stores from 14 September as part of a seasonal drop. These lines can move quickly. If a style sells out, a neutral option still does the job. Function matters more than fabric in front of a leaky door.
Safety and airflow
Keep walkways clear. A door snake can be a trip hazard in busy spots or for anyone with reduced mobility. Avoid blocking air supply to open-flue gas or solid-fuel appliances. Those need ventilation to run safely. Do not place an excluder where it could touch hot ash or an exposed heating element.
- Do not use across escape routes where doors must open freely.
- Move it aside when mopping floors to keep the fabric dry.
- Check that doors latch and seal properly after placement.
How much could you save this winter?
Think about your home as a series of leaks. Each small fix reduces the workload on the boiler. If a typical household trims daily heating by 15 minutes because rooms hold temperature better, the saving adds up over a season. At current tariffs, that could be several pounds per week during the coldest months, depending on your system and habits.
Layer the basics. Thick curtains at dusk, a letterbox brush on a windy door, and a soft excluder on the coldest threshold together deliver a warmer feel for a modest outlay. Soft throws and low-cost candles add atmosphere, but the real gains come from stopping air movement at the source.
A quick plan for tonight
- Walk the house at floor level and feel for cold air with the back of your hand.
- Start with the chilliest door and place the excluder tight to the gap.
- Shut curtains fully and tuck them behind radiators if possible.
- Close unused rooms to limit the volume you are heating.
Small, repeatable habits bring steadier temperatures and quieter bills. For £5.99, this Aldi door excluder is a simple first step while you plan bigger improvements, such as sealing window frames or topping up loft insulation.
£5.99 sounds fine, but polyester door snakes tend to slide around. Does this actually stay put on smooth floors, or am I chasing it every time the door moves?