There's a cold snap hack that you need to know about if you want to save a wad of cash this winter season.
The UK is expected to experience glacial temperatures this weekend and excitingly (or not, if you hate being chilly) The Met Office has announced that snow is on the way soon.
But as the thermostat drops, many of us will avoid putting the heating on due to ever-rising energy costs.
Earlier this week, Ofgem announced that from January the average home’s gas and electricity bill is expected to rise by around £94.
On top of the price cap increase, residents have the festive season to contend with.
Advert
For many, that means spending hard-earned cash on presents for partners, Christmas dinner, and holiday-themed activities.
So if you are strapped for cash and are feeling the pinch, there’s a genius way to stay warm this winter that shouldn't cost you the earth.
As per The Sun, a fool-proof way to keep you toasty without putting on the heating is by investing in an electric blanket.
Using an electric blanket in the bedroom should help cut bills, and this genius hack has been approved by an energy expert.
Advert
USwitch’s Ben Gallizzi said: “Having it on for 30 minutes a night costs just 10p a week.”
You can even pick one up for under £50 on Amazon.
Not only will an electric blanket keep you snug in your duvet, but you can also throw it over you while watching your favourite festive film on the sofa.
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis and his team have also approved the use of this genius technology.
They recently explained on their site that plugging in a heated blanket would definitely stop you from reaching for the thermostat so often.
Advert
However, using an electric blanket isn’t the only way you can save money on electricity.
Gallizzi said: “There are plenty of cheap and easy ways to shave hundreds of pounds off your energy bills.”
Defrosting your freezer on the regular can apparently save you up to £150 a year.
Elsewhere, it’s been said that filling your kettle with the actual amount of water you need for a cup of coffee could knock off £11 annually.
Advert
As per the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances, opting to heat up food in a microwave rather than an oven can save you £60 a year.
And drying your clothes on an airing wrack instead of loading up the tumble dryer can save you £55 annually.
Elsewhere, Lewis also recently shared a recommendation that is ‘far, far cheaper' than putting the heating on.
Speaking on his podcast, Lewis advised listeners to invest in a dehumidifier instead of turning up the thermostat.
He said: “Many dehumidifiers have different wattages, the one I checked out was 200 watts (w).
Advert
"Once we know it’s 200w and we know a kilowatt (kw) is 1,000w, which is how electricity tends to be priced, we know this is a fifth of a kilowatt.
"And you pay roughly 34p per kw per hour. A fifth is 7p so you’re going to pay roughly 7p per hour to run a dehumidifier at 200w assuming it uses full power the whole time.
"Which is generally far, far cheaper than putting the heating on."
Well, you heard the man!
Ella Scott