Households can stay warm in autumn all night for just 1p | Personal Finance | Finance
Households across the UK can stay warm all night this autumn for as little as 1p per hour without running the heating.
Now that autumn has arrived and the colder weather is slowly starting to set in, some households may already be reaching for the thermostat to stay warm. While it may be tempting to hold off cranking the heating already, the NHS says not to allow the temperature in your home to fall below 18C, as this is the minimum temperature to help fend off nasty seasonal bugs, like colds, Covid and flu.
But running the heating can be costly, particularly as Ofgem’s energy price cap is due to increase by 2% from October 1, taking the average household bill in England, Scotland and Wales to £1,755 per year. To help cut your energy bills and save money during the autumn and winter seasons, energy experts recommend investing in an electric blanket as these can keep you warm for a mere 1p.
An electric blanket can save you money as you’re only paying to heat yourself, rather than your entire house.
The running cost will vary depending on the energy rating of the blanket, but some blankets with a 40W rating only cost 1p to run a night, which is cheaper than the cost of a daily coffee.
Experts at Uswitch explain: “Most electric blankets consume no more than 300 watts – and some single blankets as little as 40W – when on their highest setting.
“Their energy usage falls significantly when the electric blanket is switched to its lowest setting, making it possible to heat a bed for 7-8 hours a night for as little as 1p, or £3.66 a year, when the blanket is set to its minimum heat setting.
“How much your electric blanket costs to run over an extended period depends on its energy rating, what temperature you set it to, and how long you use it for each night.
“You can significantly reduce this cost by setting the blanket’s heat setting to low, having it switched on for fewer hours and not using it during the warmer months. For example, reducing your 250-watt blanket to half power, using it for just five hours a night, and only using it for 120 days of the year, would cost you 17p a night, totalling just £20.80 across four months of the year.”
Experts recommend turning an electric blanket on to full heat for around 10 to 15 minutes before going to bed and then switching it off, thereby avoiding any overnight costs to use it.
Alternatively, you could put it on a low heat setting for up to two hours before going to bed, and then leave it on a minimal setting through the night. So if you had a 40W blanket that cost 1p per hour to run, and you used it for eight hours, this would cost you 8p per night.
Of course if you don’t want to invest in an electric blanket there are some other options you can try which don’t require having to blast the heating.
One option is to place a hot water bottle under your covers just before going to bed as the heat will radiate through your bedding and keep you warm for several hours.
You can also try layering up your bedding by swapping out lightweight summer duvets for a heavier, winter-rated one, or add throws, blankets or flannel sheets which naturally trap heat better than cotton.
