THE cost of using central heating this winter is painfully high but there are a range of gadgets that promise to help you stay warm for less.
I have put seven of these energy-saving devices to the test, including an electric blanket and radiator reflector.
It come as energy bills are expected to rise again in January.
So I have been looking for cheaper ways of warming up.
There are many devices designed to do this for pennies, and while I wasn’t sure how much difference they would make, now is the time to try.
Here’s how I got on…
I was excited to try an electric blanket for the first time.
The Comfort Control version I tried from Silentnight, £20 from Amazon, has three heat settings. One is gently warming while three is very hot.
The temperature control is positioned near to your shoulder meaning you can easily adjust it if you need to.
I was amazed at how toasty I felt at level three.
My kids also jumped in and refused to leave.
I’d happily turn the heating off for the evening and spend the night tucked up with my electric blanket.
Heating a 24 kWh boiler such as mine for an hour costs around £1.68, according to calculations from energy comparison firm Utility Bidder.
On the other hand, this blanket operates at 1p an hour on a low setting. So spending even a couple of hours on the blanket could save £3.34.
It was very warm, but the downside is you can’t move about much when using it.
Silentnight’s Supersoft Thermal Mattress Cover, £9.99 from Aldi, was like sleeping on a giant teddy.
It is thick, fluffy and snug, but wasn’t a patch on the electric blanket.
I didn’t observe a noticeable change in temperature but I felt more cosy in bed.
If you don’t want an electric blanket in bed, this could work as a step up from ordinary bedding.
When your radiator is on it gives out heat out of both sides, which means if it is fixed to an external wall some of the warmth will escape through the side of the building.
These Radiator Heat Reflector strips, £9.99 for six from Screwfix, help stop losing heat outside.
It’s so easy to stick them on the back of a radiator as they are magnetic and can be cut with scissors to fit.
As it happened, they were the perfect length for my radiator.
Once on I noticed the radiator became hotter more quickly, which meant the warmth spread around the room faster.
Therefore, my heating automatically turned itself off more quickly than usual. A great result.
The Energy Savings Trust estimates radiator reflector panels could lower your heating bills by £25 a year, so it’s a no-brainer to use them.
You can also use tin foil if you want to save more upfront cash.
This device was a revelation. My winters’ nights on the sofa will never be the same again after I discovered the magic of a heated throw, which is similar to an electric blanket but bigger.
The version I tried was the Teddy Electric Throw, £40 from Dunelm, and felt like a long comforting hug.
It wasn’t as hot as the electric blanket but took the edge off the winter’s chill and felt very pleasant.
I don’t think I’d switch the heating off completely while using it, but I’d definitely feel comfortable turning down the thermostat by a degree, which experts say can save 10% a year on energy bills.
It’s a winner for me, and I also think these would make great gifts for elderly relatives to use at night.
My uPVC back door opens directly into my living room.
It’s really cold to the touch, a bit like having an ice block in the corner of the room, and the crack lets in a constant stream of draughts from outside.
My Aldi draught excluder only cost £1.99 but to my surprise it made a noticeable difference. With only using the gadget the temperature in the room by one degree without changing anything else.
As it’s approaching Christmas I also tried the “Groovikert” festive-themed Santa draught excluder, £19.99 from Robert Dyas, which did just as good a job and also lent some cheer to the room.
For the higher price there was not a noticeable difference in warming the room.
If you spy one of these in the shops, it’s worth picking them up to cover external doors, as they do help a room keep its heat.
I also experimented with another type of draught excluder, one which hooks around the bottom of internal doors.
The Internal Door Foam version – £12.99 from Robert Dyas – did keep draughts out of the living room, but it also made the door harder to open and close, which can be annoying with a big family moving around the house.
A less mobile person, however, might appreciate the extra snugness it gives.
When I got the foot warmer, £4.99 from Aldi, I didn’t realise how attached I would become.
Living in a house full of cold hard floors means my feet often feel like ice.
This device is effectively a hot water bottle with pockets to put your feet in.
And the heat seems to go through your body.
It costs 1p to boil a kettle of water for filling the hot water bottle, and the heat keeps me warm all morning for about three hours, without the heating on. A fantastic rate of return.
It works especially well if you wear something like an Oodie or similar robe which insulates your body heat.
Now I use my foot warmer whenever I sit at my desk at home, and often in the evenings on the sofa. You could argue a normal hot water bottle does the same job but the pockets are great for keeping your feet snug in the right position.
I’m getting one for all my older relatives for Christmas.
When we moved seven years ago, I chose some light pretty curtains for the spare room solely based on the colour.
I didn’t think about temperature, and never thought to swap them to a heavier set in the winter.
But after switching to the Chenille Thermal Eyelet Curtains, £60 from Dunelm, I felt there was less chill and draughts in the room after they were closed at night, especially when sleeping near the window.
Suffice to say I won’t be swapping them back for the summer curtains.
ENERGY bills remain relatively high leaving many worrying over the thermostat.
Energy experts have revealed the exact temperature to set it at so that you can save cash and still keep warm.
When it comes to your thermostat, the Energy Saving Trust recommends you should set it to the “lowest comfortable temperature”.
For the majority of us, this is between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius.
It’s just the right balance between keeping your home warm, and keeping those energy bills as low as possible.
If you have your thermostat set at a higher temperature you can probably afford to turn it down and still keep cosy.
Of course, there are exceptions like anyone who is in ill health, and there is support available to cover extra costs.
Just by turning down the temp by a single degree, you could save as much as £100 a year.
If you cut it by more you will obviously make even bigger savings.
The Energy Saving Trust also says that you don’t need to turn your thermostat up when it is colder outside, the house will still heat up to the set temperature.
