April 11th, 2022 by Shauna Hammond

The Global Energy Crisis

As you may be aware, we are currently in the midst of a global energy crisis that is causing a great deal of concern for many people about the rising costs of energy, with recent estimates predicting average households could be paying up to £700 increase for energy annually.

This impending rise has created an environment in which we are all looking for ways to try and cut down our energy consumption to save as much money as we can. There are many small changes you can make to help reduce energy consumption in your own home, including unplugging items, not in use, turning the heating down, and wearing extra layers. Another great way to try and cut down on energy usage is to switch to focusing on heating the individual rather than whole spaces with the use of heated throws and electric blankets – this is something we will explore in more detail throughout this blog. 

(More information on the energy crisis and tips to cut costs can also be found here)

Using Heated Throws or Electric Blankets to Save Money 

There are many benefits to purchasing a heated throw or electric blanket for your home. Heated throws not only look nice but they can be used almost anywhere around the home providing there is a power supply. This means that they can be used to keep you warm while relaxing on the sofa, in bed or for those working from home they can even be used to keep you comfortable and warm at your desk. Electric blankets, while they cannot be moved around the house are also a great investment for your home, they offer higher temperatures so are ideal to keep you and your bed nice and warm throughout the night. But how does using these items help to save energy and cut costs in the long run? Let’s find out.

Low running costs

Ultimately the main way that heated throws and electric blankets can help to cut the cost is simply that they just cost so little to run, especially in comparison with other heating sources. Electric blankets and heated throws, often regardless of brand, make or model cost as little as 2p per hour to run (this can vary depending on your supplier) in comparison with alternative heating options such as gas or electric radiators and heaters which can cost on average between 60-80p per hour to use after the impending increase. 

Uses electricity instead of Gas

While this may seem like an obvious thing to point out, the advantage of this is that the energy crisis revolves largely around gas prices and supply and while gas is required to produce electricity, it’s still more readily available than gas and not subject to quite the same price increases. So, as well as being cheaper to run they will allow you to cut down on gas usage.

Heat the individual

Living in England, we are all aware of the temperamental weather conditions and even as the summer approaches this doesn’t always guarantee warm days as such having radiators and heaters run all year round is fairly common. However, a lot of energy is often wasted when heating whole areas as heat can escape due to drafts and open doors while energy is wasted elsewhere in the home heating whole rooms that are sitting empty. Not to mention the sheer cost involved in heating a whole house. This is why it is worth shifting the focus to heating the individual instead of trying to heat whole rooms in an attempt to save energy, and that is where heated throws and electric blankets come in. The heat from these is much more targeted, as they transfer the warmth directly to the body through direct contact rather than waiting for the ambient temperature of a room to warm up. Better yet the heat provided from these is almost instant, so it also cuts out any time spent waiting for the room to reach your ideal temperature, so you can get warmer quicker which can cut down the usage time. This also means energy is not being wasted heating other rooms in the house that do not necessarily need heating at that time.

Timers and Temperature control

Electric blankets and heated throws have come quite far in recent years and you will find that most models now have more sophisticated temperature control and built-in timers. This offers you more control over the temperature to get it just right for you, what’s more, many models now offer options to select which parts of the electric blanket you would like heating and at what temperature such as feet and the upper body, so this means you can rule out having to put on the heating when your feet get a little bit chilly, you can just flick on the foot warmer of your blanket and get comfortable. The timer also allows for you to decide exactly how long you want it on without the need to turn it off, so not to worry if you fall asleep while using it, so they will automatically shut down so it will not result in any excess energy being used.

Tips for implementing Electric Blankets and Heated Throw to cut costs

On an evening when it comes time to unwind and relax on the sofa, why not try switching off the heating and use a heated throw instead to keep you warm and cosy. Most heated throws have a plush fleece lining so they are very comfortable to wrap up making them perfect for snuggling into the sofa while saving money on the heating. Or If you like to read or watch TV at night to relax, why not call it a night a little earlier and enjoy doing this from the comfort of your bed. You can add an electric blanket to your throw, turn it on and have it heating the bed ready. This will ensure you can stay warm all through the night, and with the help of the timer, you don’t even need to worry about staying awake to turn it off as it will turn off exactly when you want it to.

Now that we’ve covered the benefits that are offered by electric blankets and throws and with such a huge difference in running costs it’s not difficult to see how you could benefit from investing in one and making some small changes to your normal routine. Even if you were to make the change for only a few hours on an evening, every little saved can make a huge difference.