Brrr, it's cold out there. Straight through the trousers, time-for-the-ski-socks cold. Anywhere with heating is a blessed haven - home, the office, even the 24-hour garage.

Unless, of course, the heating isn't doing its job and your goose pimples remain, even when you're sitting at the kitchen table. If that's the case, the likely explanation is that your property is leaking heat because of poor insulation.

Most of us know by now that improving insulation not only makes a property much warmer, but cuts down on heating bills. The most avidly marketed are cavity-wall insulation, loft lagging and, of course, double glazing.

That's all very well if you live in a postwar property, with cavity walls to be filled, a loft space to be lagged and windows that are easily replaced; it's not so good if, like hundreds of thousands of Scots, you live in a stone-built flat or house with rattling sash windows that are expensive to double glaze.

Nearly a fifth of Scots live in traditionally-built properties and Historic Scotland has been researching ways of making them more energy-efficient. Windows have been top of the list, as 37% of traditionally-built homes have no double glazing. About twice as much heat is lost through a single-glazed window as a good double-glazed one.

But there is plenty that can be done to banish window draughts, short of having expensive bespoke double-glazing. Last week, at a Historic Scotland conference in Edinburgh, a team from Glasgow Caledonian University unveiled the results of tests they've been doing on traditional single-paned sash and casement windows. They proved that alternative methods do work, allowing for greater heating efficiency without detracting from the architectural character of a building.

They found that the best option was secondary glazing, a slot-on, slide-off internal pane, often made from plastic. It reduced heat loss through the window by 63%. But if you don't like the idea of secondary glazing, there are other options. If you have timber shutters and they're painted shut, get them moving again, because these alone can reduce heat loss through the window by 51% - if you insulate the shutters by putting felt into the panels and then covering with plywood, heat loss can be reduced by 60%.

A Victorian-style wooden roller blind of heavy linen hung inside the window recess will reduce heat loss by 28%, a lighter modern plastic roller blind by 22% and curtains hung outside the recess by 14%. These might not sound like great improvements on their own, but combining them will give you the best insulation of all. The Glasgow Caledonian team found that using secondary glazing, or blinds and shutters combined, got heat loss through windows down to the standards required to meet Scottish Building Standards in new homes. Not bad.

Obviously, solutions such as shutters, blinds and curtains are only an option for night-time hours, but as temperatures drop at night, they're still worthwhile.

Great Universal and Littlewoods online are both currently selling thermal-backed curtains at sale price; or, if you already have blinds or curtains, you can always buy thermal lining and sew it on.

And don't forget your front door. If your letterbox is not lined with brushes or an internal flap, then pick one up next time you're in a DIY store (remember to measure the size of your letterbox first). By blocking off a breeze in the middle of your hallway, it will make a significant difference. Then, if you have room for one, think about putting in a long thick curtain, which can be pulled across the door when it's closed. That'll see off those goose pimples.