One of the UK’s major energy suppliers is giving away electric blankets for free to some of its customers to help with rising energy bills amid the cost of living crisis.
Octopus Energy is offering 10,000 of the blankets to those most in need this winter, with its 3.1 million customers invited to fill out a form in order to apply. This comes as the average annual energy bill cap rose from £1,971 to £2,500 at the start of the month.
Using an electric blanket is said to be a good alternative to turning the central heating on for those looking to keep toasty while keeping costs down. Research from Sleepsaker showed that an electric blanket can cost half as much as putting the heating on.
READ MORE: DWP £900 Winter Fuel Payment - when it will be paid and who is eligible for the support
From Monday, households signed up to Octopus Energy will be able to fill in an online form to apply for a blanket. They will be given to those who need them most, likely to include the elderly and those with medical conditions that require them to keep warm, The Mirror reports .
Octopus ran a similar scheme last winter, in which it gave away 8,000 blankets. This year, those who don't qualify for the electric blanket will be able to apply for one of the supplier's 50% discount codes for a Dreamland electric blanket and mattress topper - 5,000 of which are available.
The energy firm said that the free blankets helped to reduce the average customer’s bill by 19%. Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief product officer at Octopus Energy, said that heating the person rather than the entire home “can save hundreds off a customer’s bill” and that they “hope these blankets can be a real difference maker”.
She added: “Octopus is doing everything we can to help customers through the crisis. Our electric blankets scheme was just one of the measures we’ve taken to help.”
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