A typical family will have to fork out £2,500 a year in energy bills after the latest price cap rise on October 1 but many people are saying they can't afford this and won't put the heating on. With winter just around the corner, Octopus Energy is offering free electric blankets to its UK customers to help them stay warm during the cost of living crisis without having to use the central heating.

She continued: "Our electric blankets scheme was just one of the measures we’ve taken to help."

"And given the overwhelmingly positive feedback last year, we knew we only had one option – to make it even bigger."

"Heating an individual rather than a whole home can save hundreds off a customer’s bill, and at times that we know how much people are struggling, we hope these blankets can be a real difference maker," she told The Sun.

Electric blankets cost much less to run than central heating and could be a lifeline to millions of struggling families this winter.

When it comes to which appliances around the home use the most energy, the three main energy guzzlers tend to be central heating, tumble dryers and electric ovens.

Tumble dryers cost around £2.90 per cycle but an electric clothes rack could help people save money as they only cost around 20 pence an hour to run.

One woman told Express.co.uk how her tumble dryer costs around £1.99 in electricity per hour so she is now spending 80 percent less because of her clothes rack.