September 28th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

Now that energy prices are so high, we’re all focused on creating ways to reduce our consumption in order to manage bills better. However, using energy more intelligently in a way that delivers the best benefits, should have been a priority for a while. They say that necessity is the mother of invention so now that the issue has become more pressing due to cost, it really is time to be more mindful about energy use so that we can bring our bills down as well as be more sustainable.

Tips such as putting an extra jumper on and using draught excluders are fine but won’t get you through the winter months on their own. What you really need is a solution that incorporates a heat source that is both more cost-effective and targeted. Products like heated blankets, throws, and pads can do exactly that.

How heated blankets work

Electric blankets, heated throws, and heated pads all work in the same way. They are made of soft, heat-retaining fabric and use tiny electrical wires running through them to heat them up. Electric blankets are used on beds, commonly attached to the mattress, throws can be used on sofas and chairs (and over beds), and pads are applied directly to various parts of the body such as the feet, back, or neck.

Here are 5 reasons why using these products can help you reduce your reliance on central heating:

Low cost to run

You may be swapping gas central heating for an electrical appliance, which still uses energy, but they are cheaper to run and more efficient. Thanks to their low wattage it costs just a few pence to run an electric blanket all night (you can just imagine how much it would cost to leave the heating on all night)

Mylek Fully Fitted Luxury Double Size Electric Blanket with Dual Controls

Price: £79.99

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A complement to central heating

Use these items in conjunction with your central heating to allow you to turn the heating down or, in some areas, off completely. For example, you could keep the radiator turned down low in a living room to keep the chill from the air while the primary source of heat for you is a heated throw that you can either place on the sofa to sit on or snuggle under.

Heat people, not air

The heat produced by an electric blanket or heated throw wouldn’t warm the whole room, but it doesn’t need to, after all, your furniture and ornaments don’t need to be warm. A heated blanket targets heat directly on you, which is much more efficient than heating all the air in the room, which is how convection heating works.

MYLEK Fully Fitted Single Size Deluxe Electric Blanket

Price: £49.99

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Only creating heat that you’re using

When you consider how we traditionally heat our homes, much of the heat we produce is wasted. Unless you have a smart heating system and individual thermostatic radiator valves to control every room individually, most people simply have their heating on a timer for the whole house. However, many people spend the evenings downstairs while they heat their empty bedrooms upstairs. With a heated blanket, you get the full benefit of all the heat you’re paying to produce because it’s just heating the precise space that you are occupying. You could therefore use your heated throw in the evening and your electric blanket when you go to bed (set the timer for 15 minutes before so your bed is already warm when you get there) and ensure you are maximising every penny you’re spending.

More controllable heat

While, of course, central heating systems have thermostats, the heat produced through the house can vary widely as often there is just one thermostat that controls the heat in every room plus the size of the radiator in relation to the size of the room mean that ambient temperature in different areas will vary. With a heated blanket, the thermostat can be adjusted very precisely so you can choose your own temperature. With a dual-controlled electric blanket, you can even control the two sides of the bed individually so both people sharing a bed can set their own preferred temperature.

MYLEK Luxury Electric Chocolate Heated Throw

Price: £52.99

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