As temperatures drop and heating costs climb, a £9.99 gadget from Home Bargains promises to warm up a room without switching on the central heating. The Pifco Plug-In Heater 500w has been described as "perfect for those chilly days" and is designed to heat one space at a time, offering a potentially more energy-efficient option that is also practical in an emergency when the heating goes out.
Features and design of the Pifco heater
The official Home Bargains website describes the product: "A plug-in heater is a convenient and efficient way to add warmth to any room. Compact and portable, it can be easily plugged into a standard electrical outlet, providing instant heat where you need it most. Ideal for small spaces or supplemental heating, just plug in and use the thermostat to set your desired temperature. Plugs directly into a wall socket with no cables required."
The £10 gadget comes with two heat settings, allowing users to choose between different levels of warmth depending on how chilly the room is. It also includes a timer function, an adjustable thermostat and overheat protection. The thermostatically controlled design means the heater automatically switches off once the selected temperature has been reached.
How to stay warm efficiently this winter
Home Bargains says the heater offers "instant heat" and is easy to operate, making it a potentially useful option for warming up a particular room rather than the whole house. However, the cheapest way to stay warm is not necessarily to heat the entire home, according to the "heat the human, not the home" rule.
Rather than turning up the heating throughout the house, households could focus on keeping themselves warm by wearing extra layers, using blankets and making the most of the rooms they are actually using. A targeted heater could be useful in some circumstances, particularly if you spend several hours in one room and don't want to heat unused areas of the house.
Running costs depend on how long the appliance is switched on and your electricity tariff, so it is worth checking the wattage and your current energy rate before using it for long periods. With winter approaching, small changes such as heating only the room you're using, keeping doors closed and adding an extra layer could all help households stay comfortable without immediately reaching for the central heating.
