OCTOPUS ENERGY IS GIVING OUT FREE ELECTRIC BLANKET - HOW TO APPLY AS SUPPLIER GIVES UPDATE

The devices are on offer to help people who live alone avoid paying needlessly to heat their entire homes when only they need to stay warm. An electric blanket can be a more cost effective way to stay warm and is ideal for those who have mobility issues, according to the supplier.

Octopus Energy said in an update on their website on January 27: "We have a limited amount of electric blankets to give away, so we have to prioritise those in greatest need.

"If you are struggling with your bills, please do contact us, as there are other ways we can help.

"If you can, do think about buying an electric blanket yourself: they tend to cost around £60 and our research shows the typical home could save £300 by using an electric blanket to keep warm rather than always heating the whole house."

An analyst with the supplier calculated it costs around £4 a day to heat a whole home whereas an electric blanket can heat a person for just two to four pence an hour.

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Those with medical issues who feel the cold more, or who are more likely to get ill, may also find an electric blanket to be a useful tool, according to Octopus Energy.

The supplier purchased 7,000 blankets last winter and offered them for free to customers who Octopus deemed would benefit from them most.

Customers who received a blanket saved between 10 percent and 20 percent on their in the winter months after getting the device.

This adds up to a saving of some £300 over a year, the supplier concluded. The group asked those who can afford to buy one themselves to do so rather than getting one for free.

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A post on the Octopus website reads: "We only have 10,000 blankets to give away, and need to prioritise customers who'll benefit most: the elderly, and those with mobility issues or other medical conditions that mean they're more impacted by the cold.

"These blankets start at around £40 and can save you £300 or more, so they're really worth the investment.

"If you can consider buying one yourself, please do - there might be someone else out there who truly can't afford to buy one."

The blankets are from Dreamland or Cosi Home but they can also be purchased from providers such as Amazon, Curry's, Argos or Dunelm.

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The offer is for one electric blanket per household, and the supplier will look at the health of a customer's account and their personal information in their application, to assess if they need a blanket or not.

People can apply for the scheme on the Octopus Energy website. Applicants will hear back from the supplier in around a week.

Tips to get the most out of an electric blanket, it should be used as a throw to cover a person's body, rather than as a mattress topper.

The blanket should be heated at the highest setting for several minutes and then turned down to a medium setting for longer use.

The blanket should not be folded as this may impair the heating functionality. A person may find the heat appears to be patchy but it works by creating a halo of heat around the user.

The connector should be positioned at a person's feet and kept unobstructed so it doesn't overheat.

Children should not be left on their own with the blanket. The blankets should not be used by children under the age of three.

It's recommended to keep a home above 15 degrees celsius to prevent mould from developing. Anyone who has a query about the blanket can contact [email protected] or [email protected], depending on the manufacturer of the blanket.

2023-02-03T18:24:27Z dg43tfdfdgfd