November 15th, 2021 by Sarah Miles

5 ways that electric blankets can help you cut your energy bills

Energy prices spiralling out of control combined with the growing urgency for us all to cut our consumption in the fight against global warming, it’s never been more important to take measures to reduce energy usage. There are a number of ways you can reduce energy usage and still stay warm, but did you realise that one of the most efficient methods is to turn to electric blankets and heated throws?

Here are 5 reasons electric blankets can help reduce your energy bills:

Directly targeted heat

Just as it’s wasteful to boil a full kettle when you only want one cup, central heating is the same principle but on a huge scale: you heat all the air in an entire space when you only really need to warm the individuals in it.

An electric blanket or heated throw uses direct heat, so you feel more benefit with less heat generated. You can then turn the central heating right down to a level that just takes the chill from the air, or even turn it off completely.

Homefront Fully Fitted Double Size Electric Blanket

Price: £64.99

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Extremely controllable

Electric blankets and throws do much more than simply turn on and off. They have thermostats so you can vary the heat, they have timers so you can determine when they come on and go off, they have zones so you can just warm your feet or operate the two sides individually, and some can even be controlled from your phone! This means you can adapt the heat very specifically so it’s really efficient.

Electricity, not gas

While climate targets require us to cut down on all forms of energy, gas as fossil fuel is particularly harmful and, at this time, is the energy source that is under the greatest pressure and rising in price. Just as with cars, electricity is a greener and cheaper alternative. By switching to heat sources that are electricity generated rather than gas, you can do your bit. Obviously, electric blankets and heated throws run on electricity.

Low running costs

Clearly, there is no point switching to electricity if appliances guzzle it and your electricity bill rises instead. That’s no problem with electric blankets as they cost just pennies to run and are by far one of the most economical ways to generate heat at home.

Low purchase cost

Many measures to reduce energy consumption and conserve heat are expensive – insulation, double glazing, renewable energy systems etc. Electric blankets are very cheap in comparison (you can get a good one with plenty of functions for less than £80) so you can recoup your investment in a very short time.

Homefront Premium Fully Fitted King Size Luxury Fleece Electric Blanket

Price: £94.99

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What is the energy crisis and why did it happen?

The energy crisis that we find ourselves in has come about due to a number of different factors all coming together at the same time to strain gas supplies. One of the main uses for gas in domestic properties is heating – even if you don’t use gas heating, electricity providers use gas stockpiles to generate power. These stockpiles have been severely depleted following a long, cold winter last year, strained further by the global economy waking up after a year of on-and-off lockdowns, and – after a calmer-than-usual summer – wind power generation hasn’t been able to pick up the slack.

This is a global issue and not one that looks likely to be resolved any time soon. Gas prices look set to rise sharply over the winter and we could be in this position well into next year. Therefore, it’s important to put measures in place now, in order to maximise savings and benefits.