October 25th, 2021 by Sarah Miles

Worried about energy bills as we head into winter? As the price of gas continues to escalate, most of us will see the cost of our bills rising and this can be very concerning for people. Don’t worry though, because a simple item like an electric blanket can really help you manage your bills.

Why are energy costs rising?

Several factors have come together to force the cost of energy up. Much of our energy infrastructure is dependent on gas, and gas supplies are straining to meet increased demand as the world emerges from a year of lockdown. Stockpiles were already low due to a colder than average winter last year, and while normally this would be offset by wind power generation, a calm summer has meant this is not the case this year. Add this to driver shortages, meaning gas companies are struggling to replenish their supplies, and you have a spike in demand that’s causing rapid price rises. Now more than ever, reducing the amount of energy you use is crucial.

How can you lower your energy costs?

Securing cheaper energy prices is the traditional way to reduce bills but in the current climate, that’s not feasible. Therefore, if you need to keep a lid on your energy costs, the best thing you can do is reduce your consumption. This also lowers your carbon footprint so it’s never a bad thing to do.

Homefront Premium Fully Fitted Double Size Fleece Electric Blanket

Price: £85.00

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How can you reduce energy consumption?

Our main area of gas consumption is heating our homes. There are several ways you can keep warmer at home: better insulation, plugging up gaps, good boiler maintenance, smart heating systems, wearing extra layers etc. There is also a great way to stay warm that has been around for years, requires very little capital outlay, and may even keep you warmer than the central heating – electric blankets!

How do electric blankets help you reduce your energy costs?

Electric blankets, and heated throws, can help manage your heating bills for the following reasons:

Less wastage

Traditional central heating works by heating the whole house. You can limit the waste and only heat the rooms that are actually occupied but you are still paying to heat the entire space, which can be a considerable amount in a large or poorly-insulated room. An electric blanket in the bedroom or a heated throw in the living room applies heat directly to you and not the whole space. It is much more efficient, and therefore cheaper.

Economical to run

Electric blankets of old may have been perceived as expensive to run, but that is not the case with modern electric blankets. They use very little energy as they don’t need to get that hot for you to feel the benefit from them, especially under a thick duvet. In fact, it costs just pennies to run an electric blanket all night, and most find that they don’t need it on this long.

Glamhaus Luxury Quilted Fitted Electric Blanket Double Size

Price: £85.00

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Cheap to buy

Unlike many energy-efficient upgrades, such as smart heating, insulation, better windows and doors etc, there’s no eye-watering initial outlay with an electric blanket as most double blankets come in at under £80. The cost would soon be recouped by the money you would save.

Controllable heat

Having already established how efficient an electric blanket is due to its very specific application, it gets even better because the heat is so controllable. Depending on the model, you can control the temperature, when it comes on, how long it’s on for, and even where it’s on (with heated zones such as foot zone heating and dual heated areas so two people have different heat settings).

Not just for bed

Sweet Dreams XL Electric Heated Reversible Heated Throw 200 x 130cm

Price: £69.98

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You may think that electric blankets seem like a good option for staying warm in bed but that doesn’t keep you warm elsewhere in the home. This is where a heated throw comes in. Equally at home on the sofa as on the bed. You can sit on it or snuggle under it – what could be nicer than that on a cold winter’s evening?