This cheap heating buy saves me money every day

I only bought one thing in the Black Friday sale last year. But it was undoubtedly the best purchase I made all year. It’s kept me warm and comfortable every single day since it arrived and has saved me a huge amount of money.

No, it’s not the cat. That’s something I would never advise anyone to buy unless you like being clawed awake at 4am – in which case, please have mine.

It’s a plug-in Dreamland heated throw I picked up at a discount. And its price is as low now as it was on Black Friday. Its RRP is £94.99, but you can buy it from Dreamland for £59.99. It’s also available from Amazon, but at the time of writing, it’s £69.99 there.

The version I picked is a mustard velvet with a chevron pattern, but there are various materials and designs available from a number of online retailers.

The most budget-friendly one I found is a plain velvet in black or pink, which is £39.99 from Currys, but there’s a big selection on Dreamland’s Amazon store including faux fur and even a Stranger Things-branded blanket.

Here’s why it’s worth it.

First off, it’s a 150W blanket, which costs me a maximum of 4p an hour to run on my current tariff – but likely much less. You only need it on a low setting to stay toasty, even in a cold room, so its actual energy consumption will be much lower.

In January, I was even able to request a refund from my energy supplier as my energy use over winter was much less than the company’s extortionate estimate.

It also claims something called “Intelliheat”, a horrible portmanteau word devised to explain the fact that it’s responsive and adjusts to your temperature. This is very difficult to substantiate as Dreamland doesn’t explain exactly how it works, but I can say that it’s never overheated, even when I’ve used it for hours.

The blanket has six heat settings and even on the coldest days, I haven’t needed to turn it up past three. Plus, there’s a timer for one, three or nine hours, so I know I’ll never accidentally leave it switched on when I go out, and I can even set it for an hour for the cat when I go to bed (I’m not a monster, even if he is).

The control pad is extremely simple to use. There are two buttons, for temperature and timer, and a power switch. The controller, cable and plug can be unclipped from the blanket when you want to throw it in the wash. It’s apparently tumble dryer-safe too, although I’ve never tested this.

Dreamland’s heated blankets are Kema-Keur safety tested (a safety standard showing that low-voltage electrical products comply with European requirements) and come with a two-year warranty.

For more ways to stay warm until spring, see our round-up of the best portable and plug-in heaters we’ve tested.