The weather is definitely getting colder but, having done my meter readings ready for the increased energy pricing at the beginning of the month, I am doing everything in my power to avoid turning the heating on until absolutely necessary.
As someone who works from home this mainly means sitting at my desk in an Oodie but with my desk set up in the corner of the coldest part of the house - the living room - this week has seen me get close to cracking and reaching for the thermostat to give it a blast.
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But a new smart heater has become the unexpected saviour that means, for now, my heating remains firmly off. The Duux Threesixty is a small but mighty heater that, at first glance, looks more like a smart speaker than a traditional fan heater.
All sleek curves and in unobtrusive tech white - although it also comes in subtle grey - it stands at a petite 29cm high and is best placed on a table top, shelf or window ledge, although I realised quickly with it doing exactly what its name suggests and heating from all sides the best thing to do is put it in the middle of the room as otherwise you're losing half the benefit by heating the glass of your window.
I put it on the coffee table, where I was soon able to put it through its paces. If you don't have the time or inclination to faff about with apps you can turn it on using buttons on the front and be up and running quickly but, be warned, you're not going to get the best out of this gadget.
While putting it on a coffee table meant there was a trailing cable that looked a bit unsightly for testing purposes, I think it'll be where it stays permanently at which point I'll take some time to tuck it away safely. But in the meantime I was pleased to see the heater cuts out if it's knocked over - perfect for when children, or pets are running through.
The Threesixty talks to both Alexa and Google Home devices and also works through its own app. The best and most useful functionality comes when you use that, so the first thing to do is to take some time and set it up properly.
Having tried out the firm's Dyson dupe smart fan during the heatwave I already had the app installed which meant connecting the heater to my Wi-Fi and setting it up was relatively straightforward.
Using the app you can turn it on and off and even specify a particular temperature you want to get the room to, at which point it will automatically turn off.
When my hooded blanket wasn't doing the job and there was a chill in the room, this was actually an incredibly useful piece of functionality. I was able to use the gauge on the central heating controls as an independent way of checking the temperature and it tallied to show the heater was working correctly, heating the room from 11 degrees to 19 in a speedy 20 minutes or so.
Duux says that the Threesixty will heat a 30m2 room twice as fast as a standard heater and while I wasn't able to confirm that exact timing (as I don't have one) it was notable how a quick blast of full power heat from the 1800W machine quickly made the room feel cosy.
The other really striking thing about the heater is how quiet it is. There is a gentle hum, but it's nowhere near as noisy as other fan heaters I've used which sound almost like hairdryers. I was able to use it without the noise being distracting or meaning I had to turn up my TV or video call volume to hear them over the heater.
Keeping the Threesixty at a steady 19 degrees, which is what our central heating is usually set at, means that for now at least it's on for less than an hour at a time and - keeping the doors closed - the warmth stays in long enough that I don't need it on for extended periods.
The heater has two settings, and at current pricing depending on which one you choose it costs between 20p and 61p an hour to run. While I wouldn't be happy having that on for extended periods of time alongside my heating, it's brilliant for using at points where heating the entire house feels like a waste of money. So I can keep my heating timed to go off during the day when everyone but me is out of the house and instead use this to give me a quick blast of warmth as and when I need it.
Right now in practical terms what that means is I've gone another day without turning the heating on at all - and long may that continue. The Duux Threesixty smart heater has a recommended retail price of £99 and is available through Amazon (although it's currently sold out), Currys and Very.
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