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IT may be tempting to turn on the heating as the temperature drops, but there are plenty of ways to stay warm without.
In fact, gadgets and appliances such as electric blankets may save you cash as energy bills soar.
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On October 1, the average household bill rose from £1,971 a year to £2,500 under the government’s energy price guarantee.
The support caps the cost per unit households pay, so your actual bill could be more or less than £2,500.
How much you pay will depend on how much energy you use.
If you’re struggling to go without heating, we’ve rounded up the items to reach for first, assuming you’ve already layered up.
It could come in handy as reducing the thermostat by just one degree can save you £100 a year on your bill.
Before you buy any, make sure to factor in the cost of the items.
You should always shop around in case you can find a better deal elsewhere.
You’ll also need to factor in any delivery costs if you order online.
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1. Hot water bottles – from £3.50
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Hot water bottles are pretty self-explanatory, but for those who are unfamiliar, you simply fill the rubber bottle with warm water and hold it.
Plenty of retailers sell them, and you don’t need to spend a lot either.
For example, The Range is selling a double-ribbed version for just £3.49, while Dunelm charges £6 for one with a fleece cover.
It’s not advisable to put boiling water into a hot water bottle, as this can corrode the rubber and cause leaks.
However, you can put nearly boiling water in there – so simply fill the kettle up and leave it to cool slightly before transferring the liquid.
As of October, it costs 9p to run your kettle for five minutes.
If you do that once a day for your hot water bottle, for the four coldest months of the year, that’s just 81.9p in total.
2. Electric blankets – from £22
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If a hot water bottle doesn’t cut it, you may want to consider snapping up an electric blanket instead.
Most people use them under their sheets to heat their bed before they get in it.
Dunelm is selling one version starting at £22 for a single, while Studio charges £28 for a Silentnight version.
Based on the new price cap on October 1, it now typically costs 24p to run an electric blanket for one hour a day for seven days.
If you use it for an hour per night for the coldest four months of the year, that’s 91 nights and a total cost of £3.13.
3. Other heated wearables – from £6
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There is plenty of other wearable tech to help you stay warm this winter.
For example, you can get an oversized heated hoodie for £27 at the Onlinehomeshop, or for £29.99 on Amazon.
If you struggle with blood circulation in your hands or feet, Boots is selling USB-powered foot warmers for £20, while Amazon shoppers can get two reusable hand warmers for £5.99.
Using reusable hand warmers will cost you less than 1p per hour to run, according to MoneySavingExpert.
4. Heaters – from £23
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Last but not least, you may want to consider buying an electric heater.
An electric heater is a plug-in device that works as electricity is passed through a resistor and converted into heat.
You can get fairly cheap options, such as one at Screwfix for just £22.99 or a two-in-one cooler and heater for £32.99 at Currys.
However, it’s important to note that these will typically cost you more – both to buy and the running costs – than the above gadgets.
Based on the energy price cap from October 1, an electric heater will typically cost £1.08 to run per hour.
If you leave it on for four hours a day, every day of the week, that’s £30.24 a week.
Of course, this is the maximum you would pay per kilowatt of energy, and you’re unlikely to use an electric heater all throughout the year.
