Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has shared four tips on how people can stay warm without switching the heating on in response to the UK's rising energy bills.
Energy bills rose by a record 54% on April 1 after the regulator, Ofgem, lifted the cap on default tariffs to £1,971. It has left millions of householders worried about how they will afford to run their heating and looking for alternative ways to keep warm with winter yet to release its grip.
And Martin, who usually specialises in offering tips on cutting bills, has been quick to step in with some novel suggestions on how people can keep the cold at bay, with switching to a cheaper energy supplier no longer an option, reports the Manchester Evening News.
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The Good Morning Britain expert has shared an MSE 'Heat the Human Not the Home' Guide which includes tips such as wearing heated USB gloves, hand warmers, an electric gilet or an electric blanket to get warm without having to heat the entire house.
Martin said: "This is a guide I really wish we needn’t be publishing. The reason I asked Sarah (Monro) and the team to put this together is due to my overflowing email bag of desperation from people who can’t afford their energy bills.
"So don’t see this as an ‘MSE or Martin says you should do this’. It's more that we’re trying to help provide some options and information for those that may need to drastically cut down on energy usage due to financial desperation and some help for others who may want to do it out of a commitment to green issues."
Martin pointed out in his guide that it costs only £14 to buy a cheap electric blanket which in turn, costs 3p an hour to run, even in today's climate of rising costs. That equates to £1.37 per week if used for seven hours a day.
An electric gilet - a heated jacket - would cost £46 to buy and just 4p per week to run, while USB gloves would cost 4p per week to run and only £5 to buy.
Another consumer expert Jack Monroe reached out to Martin Lewis for the guide, adding: "Thank you for your vital and heartbreaking service, friend. I know this is taking a hell of a toll on you, please please take care of yourself out here. We need you now more than ever, but we need you well and fit for what’s to come."
Martin responded: "What lovely words - thanks Jack. Yes I'm feeling the pressure, but that's trivial compared to the trauma many are facing being unable to afford to live."
Martin's loyal legion of followers praised the tips, but expressed their disbelief that they were necessary in the UK, the world's fifth largest economy.
