ONE household tweak could save you £870 this winter and keep you nice and toasty.
Experts have advised that purchasing a heated blanket compared to heating the whole house could save you hundreds over the next few months.
Switching to a heated blanket could save you up to £840 this winter[/caption]
As the UK heads into the colder months, households are preparing for another increase in energy bills.
This increase comes at a time when families are turning on their heating more frequently, putting added pressure on already stretched household budgets.
Amid rising energy costs, Updraft, experts in helping people manage their consumer credit, advised how one small change could make a surprisingly large impact on household bills: using a heated blanket for cosy evenings instead of central heating.
They calculated that running a heated blanket for five hours costs around 64p (or £77 over winter).
By contrast, keeping a gas boiler on to heat the whole home for the same period can cost nearly £8 for just one evening (or £947 over winter).
That means households could save around £7.25 per day simply by swapping to a heated blanket – which you can buy from Dunelm for £32.
Over a 120-day winter, those daily savings add up to approximately £870, providing warmth efficiently while dramatically reducing energy bills.
Aseem Munshi, Founder of Updraft, said: “Some people underestimate how quickly energy costs add up.
“Even small daily expenses, like leaving a boiler on for a few extra hours or using multiple appliances at once, can multiply over weeks and months.
“When price caps rise, these costs become even more visible.
“That’s why people often notice a sharp difference in their bills in winter.
Using the blanket instead of heating the whole house can make a difference to bills[/caption]
As the UK heads into the colder months, households are preparing for another increase in energy bills[/caption]
“It’s not just one appliance or one day, it’s the cumulative effect of energy use over time.
“Understanding this makes it easier to see how targeted, simple swaps that are maintained throughout the winter months can have a surprisingly large impact on overall spending.”
OTHER TRICKS
There are many things you can do to keep yourself warm without the heating, from wearing extra layers, to using a hot water bottle.
And one product from The Range, will boost your home’s insulation, keeping it nice and toasty, for no extra cost.
Priced at just £10.99, the Dreamscene Pencil Pleat Blackout Pair Of Thermal Curtains, are super easy to hang up, taking just minutes to install.
The £10.99 Dreamscene Thermal Curtains from Dunelm can help insulate your home[/caption]
The clever curtains trap heating inside your home, using multiple layers of dense fabric, reducing drafts and acting as an insulator.
In the summer, the curtains block heat from entering the room, and they can even reduce noise as well.
Available in a variety of colours, from silver to pinks, the curtains go with any aesthetic, so you can get one for every room in the house.
They come in various sizes and widths and can be machine washed at 30C.
Another cheap way to keep toasty is to invest in an electric blanket, which cost as little as 1p to run.
The Slumberdown Sleepy Nights Electric Blanket has three clever heat settings, to keep you as toasty and warm as you like.
5 ways to keep your house warm in winter
Property expert Joshua Houston shared his tips.
1. Curtains
“Windows are a common place for the outside cold to get into your home, this is because of small gaps that can let in air so always close your curtains as soon as it gets dark,” he said.
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth as it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
2. Rugs
“Your floor is another area of your home where heat can be lost and can make your home feel chilly,” he continued. “You might notice on cold days, that your floor is not nice to walk on due to it freezing your feet.
“Add rugs to areas that don’t already have a carpet, this provides a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
3. Check your insulation
Check your pipes, loft space, crawlspaces and underneath floorboards.
“Loose-fill insulation is very good for this, and is a more affordable type of insulation, with a big bag being able to be picked up for around £30,” Joshua explained.
4. Keep your internal doors closed
“Household members often gather in one room in the evening, and this is usually either the kitchen or living room,” Joshua said.
“This means you only have to heat a small area of your home, and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
5. Block drafts
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and letterboxes, as they can let in cold air if they aren’t secure.
