If putting the heating on fills you with dread, and you’d much rather heat the person than the home, then it may be best for you to try this Martin Lewis-approved product…
As the temperatures drop, staying warm when you’re on the go can be increasingly difficult. When the mercury goes lower than a certain point, even jumpers and coats don’t seem to help, and you need a little extra something, as you wish you could be in bed with your electric mattress topper on full blast. Plus, with snow forecast potentially for next week, you’ll need all the help you can get.
I tried a Martin Lewis-approved trick to keep warm, as the money saving expert hailed the use of USB hand warmers, even sharing the handy device on his own website.
He shared it costs less than 1p per hour to run, and now just £12.50 to buy from Boots – so what’s not to love?
At the time I purchased a handwarmer, I bought mine from Amazon for £15. Sadly, this exact model is no longer in stock; however, there are now even cheaper alternatives to make it even more accessible for people.
My hands and feet are always the first things to get cold when temperatures drop, and while it’s super easy to shove on some fluffy socks or slippers, I really don’t fancy wearing gloves in the house. How will I text my pals?!
The device comes with a USB lead to charge it up, an instruction manual, a velvet storage bag, and a little lanyard so you can wrap it around your wrist should you so wish.
After I unboxed it, I immediately charged it up for about ten minutes by sticking the cable into my iPhone charger adaptor, and then it was ready to be used.
After briefly reading the precautions in the manual, I noted that it said ‘when warming your hands when the temperature is too high, you need to put the warmer in a velvet bag to avoid burns,’ and this gave me hope for how hot the warmer could get, as I was previously sceptical about how much heat the tiny device would actually emit.
To turn it on, you just need to press the small button, and there are different temperature settings to choose from depending on how cold you’re feeling.
I assumed the highest temperature must be really strong if they recommend you use the velvet pouch with it! Turning it on, I was apprehensive, but it immediately turned red and sprang into action.
On setting one, I was pleasantly surprised – it heats up incredibly quickly (literally from the moment you hold the button down) and immediately made my hands reasonably warm. I was pleased that there was a higher setting; however, I found that the first one didn’t make me feel cosy all over.
With that said, it certainly did make some difference to my overall temperature whilst I was holding it. I must say, the hottest setting is certainly where the magic happens – I was blown away at just how much heat actually radiates from the tiny little pebble. There was no discomfort or burning, and I found it very toasty after holding it for a while.
Martin Lewis is definitely right when he says that in the first instance, you should try to heat the person and not the home.
What’s the point in having the heating blazing while you’re sitting in shorts and a T-shirt? You may as well save your hard-earned cash for something else.
I’d be less inclined to switch the heating on as much with this device nearby, as it does get really hot – if everyone in your household had access to one, then you can move it around to the part of your body that needs an extra bit of warmth.
According to OVO Energy, at the start of 2024, the average UK energy bill (not including standing charges) was £1,626. This means the typical cost of heating a home is likely over £600 a year.
This means that if you favour this little device over whacking the heating on at least sometimes, you could save some serious cash.