An energy supplier is giving away free electric blankets to keep customers warm as gas and electric bills soar to an all time high. Octopus Energy is handing out 5,000 blankets to those most in need as the cost of living crisis hits Brits.
According to Uswitch, it would cost 28p to use an electric blanket for an hour a night - over a week that would cost you £1.96. The actual amount will vary depending on your tariff, which blanket you use and how long you use it for, reports The Mirror.
Heating just a blanket for one or two people should prove more efficient than trying to heat an entire room or house if you want to reduce costs. Octopus had 5,000 blankets to give out and said "stocks are very low". To receive their free blanket customers can use the company's online assistance tool which may also help with any other questions they have.
The blankets will be prioritised for those in the most financial need, depending on how many Octopus has left. Bills have rocketed for millions from the start of this month and the new financial year, with a national insurance tax hike, unprecedented fuel costs and inflation.
But the biggest hitter by far has been the increased price cap on energy bills which saw regulator OFGEM up the cap to £1,971 from April 1. The move means that the average household energy bill in the UK will go up by nearly £700 annually.
Experts have warned it will push millions into poverty and forced to choose between heating and eating.
