Winter is coming along with higher prices to pay for gas and electricity. The price has shot up over the past year leaving many fearing their next bills.
Despite Prime Minister Liz Truss announcing measures to limit the rise many are still concerned about staying warm and putting a hot meal on the table when the weather cools. So it could be time to take a look as some other money-saving measures to bring down the cost.
And there are a whole string of suggestions which could help make valuable savings. These range from the more costly heaters to cheaper USB heated insoles recommended by Martin Lewis.
And while you probably won't want to get everything on the list there are a few options to help with everything from heating and drying clothes to cooking. Here are several items which can be bought now so you are prepared when the temperatures fall, reports The Birmingham Mail.
These 10 items are all available now. And all have been tried and tested by our writers.
USB heated gloves
Upfront cost: £14.99
Cost per hour: Less than 1p
Where to buy: Amazon
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis recommended USB heated gloves in his ‘ heat the human not the home ’ guide published in April. They cost about 4p per week to use.
The gloves are simple to use, simply plug the USB into your laptop, which then splits into two wires leading to each mitten. Inside each mitten is a heating patch attached to the inside with velcro.
The insides heat to around 40 degrees celsius and heat both the palm of the hand and the knuckles. You can read the full review here.
USB heated insoles
Upfront cost: £11.99
Cost per hour: Less than 1p
Where to buy: Amazon
These were another feature in the ' heat the human not the home ' guide, again costing less than 1p per hour and less than 4p per week. They plug into a plug, laptop or powerbank and split into two wires leading to each insole.
The insoles can be cut to size, and are only about 4mm thick. They're soft and comfortable, you can read our full review when we gave them a go.
Heated Airer
Upfront cost: £95
Cost per hour: 6p
Where to buy: Dunelm
A heated airer costs 9p per hour compared to a tumble dryer which uses nearer £1.30, and often needs longer than an hour to run. Though an expensive upfront cost, you'll find yourself saving money in no time.
Dunelm's a handy site when shopping for energy saving appliances as it often lists the cost per hour. Liverpool Echo reviews writer Emily Sleight said about hers: "I honestly haven’t looked back since purchasing this airer, I never saw the fuss with the product until now. It’s so easy to get my washing done, and the fact that it doubles up as a heater is a bonus.
"It may seem a bit steep for £100, but I truly believe in the long run it’s going to save me a lot of money, and it’s such a handy product."
Hot Water Bottle
Upfront cost: £9.99
Cost per hour: 3p
Where to buy: Amazon
The only cost energy cost which comes with using a hot water bottle is boiling the kettle, and that will cost around 7p from October 1. Bearing in mind a hot water bottle will last at least two hours, that only adds up to a maximum of 3p per hour.
Though you can buy hot water bottles for as cheap as £9.99 from Amazon, there's nothing quite like The White Company faux fur hot water bottle, costing £35.
Electric blanket
Upfront cost: £59.99
Cost per hour: 5.72p
Where to buy: Lakeland
An electric blanket is pretty energy efficient and warms the whole body, working out much cheaper than turning the heating on. It's perfect for if you're working home alone and cannot quite justify turning on the heating just for you.
Lakeland is currently running a sale with a bestselling electric blanket down to £59.99 from £80.
Dehumidifier
Upfront cost: £37.99
Cost per hour: 1.2p
Where to buy: Amazon
Unknown to many, a dehumidifier can actually be an energy efficient method of drying clothes. They're intended for mould moisture but also work for standing next to clothes airers.
They're perfect for helping to dry clothes without the need of expensive heating or tumble drying. This Amazon one only costs little over 1p per hour, compared to a tumble dryer which costs around £1.30.
Damp trap
Upfront cost: £9.98 for five
Cost per hour: N/A
Where to buy: Amazon
Kind of like a non-electronic dehumidifier, damp traps absorb moisture and can be placed next to drying washing to speed the process along. They're certainly not as effective as an actual dehumidifier, but they certainly help and are a much cheaper option.
You can buy a pack of five on Amazon.
Air fryer
Upfront cost: £99.99
Cost per hour: 80p
Where to buy: Ninja
Air fryers are the cheaper way to cook, with electric ovens reaching the heady heights of £1.14 per hour as of October 1. With the Ninja air fryer you can air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate, so there's very little you can't cook. They also take a lot less time to cook food than an oven thanks to its rapid hot air circulation system, so not only do you save energy on wattage but also time taken.
George Foreman Grill
Upfront cost: £18 - £42
Cost per hour:
Where to buy: Amazon
George Foreman grills use 88% less energy than a conventional oven grill according to its website, costing 84p per hour from October 1. They can be used to cook anything from sausages, chicken and steak to cheese toasties, vegetables and fried eggs.
They heat up 160% quicker than an oven, are easier to clean and can be stored vertically in any kitchen. The grills have non-stick coating. They're also much healthier thanks to the angled design and fat drip tray at the bottom. You can read a full review here.
Slow cooker
Upfront cost: £29.99
Cost per hour: 8.48p
Where to buy: Amazon
A slow cooker is about the most energy efficient cooking appliance you can use, and even as of October 1, they'll only cost 8.48p per hour. A good slow cooked meal only needs three to four hours on high, plus you can use cheaper cuts of meat. You can cook pretty much anything in one, including casseroles, pasta dishes, lasagne and chillis.
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