THE weather is officially freezing – but can you keep warm without putting the heating on?
Hand warmers can be a great way to keep chilly fingers cosy, even if you’re outside or sitting in a cold room.
And the best can help you cut down the amount of time your heating is on, cutting energy bills.
Reporter Rosie Taylor tested out seven different hand warmers, from simple budget options to hi-tech devices.
Here is what she thought of them:
This hand warmer from Amazon comes with a convenient carry strap and pouch.
It looks sleek but quite chunky – like a desktop computer mouse – and it was relatively heavy.
It heated up within a few seconds of turning it on and quickly became almost too hot to touch.
It says it has three heat settings, 45C, 50C and 55C but I found the lowest one was too warm to use without gloves.
You can also use this as a phone charger, but the instructions don’t make clear how this works.
For just £16.99, this is one of the cheapest rechargeable hand warmers I tried, but it did the job of getting hot very well.
Score: 7/10
This Ocoopa hand warmer had a slick design and was small and light enough to easily fit in my hand.
It came with a useful carry strap and bag, as well as an adaptor to turn it into a phone charger (but it only works for phones with USB C ports – it didn’t work with my iPhone 13).
As a hand warmer, it heated up almost instantly and the low setting was not too hot against my skin.
But it was slightly annoying that it only heats up in the middle and the edges stay cold.
At £24.95, I felt this was better than the more expensive products I tested.
Score: 9/10
These instant disposable hand warmers from Mountain Warehouse looked a bit like a big teabag once they were out of the protective plastic packaging.
I had to knead them for a couple of minutes to get them to warm up – and they didn’t heat up particularly high (the maximum temperature is 39C, according to the packet).
But they kept their warmth for ages.
If you’re out and about, these would be useful for some instant warmth without having to charge anything.
But it’s a shame they are disposable and have to be thrown away after use.
Score: 6/10
This Lifesystems product was two hand warmers in one.
You can use the two halves joined together (they connect using magnets) as a large handwarmer or you can easily pull them apart into two halves, so you can have one in each pocket.
The hand warmer heats up in a matter of seconds and the low setting is safe to use against skin, inside your glove or pocket.
But the magnetic side doesn’t heat up, so they only warm on one side.
It is also water resistant – useful if you get caught in a rain or snow shower – and works as a phone charge when the warming setting is off.
This was the most expensive hand warmer I tested, but you get a lot for your money.
Score: 8/10
These double handwarmers from Ocoopa looked great and were a cool shade of green.
Although they came with a carry pouch and strap handles, I found it impossible to thread the handles into place.
Like the Lifesystems dual-palm hand warmers, these are two separate devices held together with magnets.
They warm within 10 seconds and are really easy to slip into a glove or pocket as they’re so small.
They’re ideal for warming cold fingers – but would be less useful for someone with big hands.
Score: 8/10
The VQ hand warmer had a pretty design and looked a bit like a tiny old-fashioned radio.
It was big and chunky, and definitely the bulkiest of all the hand warmers I tested.
I liked that it had an LED display showing exactly how warm it was getting in degrees C – but this also revealed how slow it was to heat up.
It took several minutes to get warm.
By the time it reached 30C, it was taking around 25 seconds to heat up by one degree, so I gave up before it got much warmer.
It looks good, but it may well work better as a power bank than a hand-warmer.
Score: 4/10
These Animal hand warmers are essentially old-fashioned fingerless gloves but with a soft fleecy lining.
They were comfy but a little bulky because they were so thick.
Unlike hand-held hand warmers, I didn’t need to hold anything to keep my hands warm while using these, so I could carry on with tasks like using my phone or typing.
But they didn’t stop my fingers from getting chilly.
There was nothing hi-tech about these gloves – which cost more than some of the rechargeable hand warmers.
But they were great for instant, effortless warm hands.
Score: 6/10
There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill.
Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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