Cheap gadgets mean big savings on buying costs and if you can find cheap gadgets that can also cut the cost of energy bills, wouldn’t you be happier?
With winter approaching and energy woes on our minds, everyone is looking for the best and cheap alternatives to keeping their homes warm enough until winter ends and we all want to chip in to reduce the odds of power shortages. Everyone wants to stay warm without depleting all their money.
Alternatives to heat appliances may include wood burners, electrical heaters, and open fires but these pose a risk so you will need to be careful when deciding on what to use. These can easily spark fires that can spread fast if in contact with other household items.
But according to MailOnline, there are safer ways to keep warm without the fear of accidents. And these warming gadgets are also energy savers; they will not add anything to your heating bill.
It’s good to remember though that how much each household spends on heating depends on your usage and your household size.
These warming gadgets can be found in a variety of stores so make sure you take your time to look around before you buy so you can purchase the cheapest ones.
Here is a list of which items to look for before winter arrives:
Heated beanie hat
Think cosy and warm with this woolly hat that you can plug in and keep your head warm against the cold. The woolly beanie hat can be plugged into a laptop so you can stay warm as you work or use a USB portable charger though a separate charger may be needed.
You can find heated beanie hats on Amazon with most starting at $18.99 with a matching scarf (also heated) and both individually warm up to 50C.
But if all you want is the heated beanie it will likely cost you less, compare prices with other sites such as PriceRunner if you’re a bit unsure where to search.
Before buying make sure you check running costs details – how much it will be used will affect the cost.
Mug Warmer
Boiling the kettle is costly, we all agree. An easy way to keep your cup hot and nice is this mug warmer and all you have to do is slide it under your mug.
Running a kettle for five minutes costs about 9p and if you end up doing that every day for the whole year you are losing about £32.76 but if you boil your kettle more than once a day then it’s more.
Depending on where you make your purchase it will likely cost you about £10-15 to buy a mug warmer and you will need to just plug it in after. Before the purchase doesn’t forget to double-check on running costs.
The mug warmer should be able to save on heating bills more than a kettle though that will also depend on how you use your kettle and how often in the long run.
To start saving, fill your mug with water before pouring it into the kettle so you only boil and pay for what you will use.
According to Uswitch you only save a few pence with mug warmers but over a year it all adds up.
Electric lunchbox
You don’t want to eat cold food and your first option will likely be the oven but the electric lunchbox is the best alternative to reheat your food.
Ovens are big consumers, though the cost may vary depending on the model. Uswitch notes that an electric oven powered at 0.97 kilowatts will roughly use 36p if used for 30 minutes.
So it will cost about 18p to use an electric oven for 30 minutes while an electric lunchbox can keep your food hot for a long time without adding on to your bills.
You may find them for about £20-30 minus the running costs and should be plugged in.
On the other hand, cheap slow cookers and air fryers are also available.
Heated desk
These come with an inbuilt heater to keep your legs warm though they are not cheap in most stores. Because prices vary, use comparison sites to find out different prices before buying.
For example, a Miniöko desk from Okoform.com runs close to 260 watts and costs £349 and if you pulled a nine-hour shift using the desk it will cost you 70p only.
You can work out the cost of energy using this simple equation:
Cost= power (kilowatt) x cost of one kWh (pence) x length of time (an hour, or eight/nine-hour shift)
Heated body warmer
Other heating alternatives out there are dangerous while the heated body warmer is safe and can be worn throughout.
Even fire experts are concerned that people may end up using “anything that will burn” to keep warm with high chances of people grouping around heaters increasing danger.
Portable heaters are becoming popular but dry clothes and being too close to one pose high risks to humans.
Heated body warmers on the other hand can keep you warm throughout the day with no risks at an average cost of £10. Don’t forget the cost may go up if you add delivery and running costs.
Microwavable slippers
Keeping your feet nice and warm can be done with microwavable slippers that you can purchase at £14.99 on Amazon.
According to MailOnline putting the slippers in the microwave can cost 0.6p and can cost 3p a day if you reheat them every two hours.
How else can you save on energy bills?
Another alternative way to save your bills minus cutting down on using energy-draining appliances is to also turn these “vampire devices” off from standby. ‘
An air dryer can replace the tumbler dryer and you can cut down £60 from your water bill by reducing your shower time by just a minute.
