Martin Lewis ditches money-saving advice to offer ‘desperate’ households advice on staying warm Business News

Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has made a name for himself offering advice on how to close deals and reduce the pounds on bills.

Now, however, the UK’s best-known consumer journalist has been forced to trade bargain hunting for a grim guide advising ‘desperate’ households how to stay warm if they can’t afford a heater their homes due to soaring energy prices.

Titled “heat the human, not the house,” Lewis’s latest newsletter is a far cry from its usual upbeat tone. He suggests that cash-strapped families could turn to electric blankets, heated insoles and hot water bottles in a sleeping bag to stay warm.

“I felt sad asking my team to put this together but my email is full of people so desperate they can’t put the heat on, I wanted to try some help,” Lewis said.

The guide, which contains methods suggested by Lewis readers, is a stark reminder of the new reality for many Britons as rising energy prices drive up bills by an average of £2,000 this year.

Heat the human, not the house

The guide reviews different devices that can help “warm the human” such as hot water bottles, electric foot warmers and heating pads.

The team of money-saving experts calculated the initial cost of each device and how much it costs to operate per hour per week. They found that items that can be charged via USB, such as gloves, heated insoles and hand warmers, are the cheapest, costing just 4p a week.

The guide advises layering clothes to ensure you are well insulated.

One reader said:[I] I invested in an oversized hooded blanket to snuggle up in, haven’t used a heater since!

The guide also advised eating regularly, including at least one hot meal a day, although it acknowledged the grim reality that some may not be able to afford it and suggested readers use their local food bank if necessary.

Many readers responded with dismay that such advice was needed.

“It’s a damning condemnation of the depths this country has sunk to when the jolly guy who provided advice on the best savings, deals and phone deals is now tearfully giving advice on how not to freeze to death or malnutrition,” one wrote.

Another tweeted: “This is absolutely weird! It’s like we’re describing how to live in a post-apocalyptic nuclear winter – not in the 5th (maybe 6th) richest country in the world”.