British retailers are running out of stock of electric blankets as households seek more-affordable ways to keep warm.
Surging energy bills have made the cost of keeping homes warm through traditional means increasingly daunting for households across the country as temperatures drop.
Ten out of 12 electric blankets sold by John Lewis were yesterday listed as out of stock on its website. Its range of dehumidifiers were also completely unavailable on its website.
A spokesman for the retailer told the Telegraph: "Hot-water bottles, dehumidifiers and electric blankets have all been in very strong demand during the cold snap as customers try and keep cosy while minimising energy costs.
"We're continuing to stock up, but these items are incredibly popular at the moment."
Sales of electric blankets at Currys were 3,000% higher over the last week compared with the same week in 2021, the company said - although it did not specify how many had been sold.
Seeking out tech
Lara Brittain, at Currys, said: "With many still trying to find ways to save on their energy bills and the weather going below freezing, customers have been seeking out tech to keep themselves and their families warm this December."
Homeware retailer Lakeland has seen record demand for electric blankets this year and that sales had been as much as 95% higher even in the summer months.
A Lakeland spokesman said: "Overall this year, we are over 800% (higher on sales of electric blankets) compared to last year as people prepare for a cold winter with high energy prices.
"Although a lot of lines are sold out currently, we have more stock coming."
Electric blankets, dehumidifiers and hot-water bottles all currently rank among the bestselling items in Amazon's home and personal care categories online.
Electric blankets generally cost between £30 and £100 and are claimed to offer a significant cost advantage compared to turning on the central heating.
A Dreamland Sherpa blanket sold by John Lewis, for instance, claims to cost as little as 1p per night to run.
- France's electricity network operator requested emergency help from Britain yesterday as the cold snap caused demand to surge across Europe.
RTE asked the National Grid if it could halve its scheduled exports through one of its interconnectors to the UK between 8am and 9am as it wrestled with a spike in demand.
A combination of the cold weather, strikes among its nuclear power workers and delayed maintenance on its fleet of reactors prompted the request.
Phil Hewitt, a director at energy consultancy EnAppSys, told the Telegraph: "The French market was particularly under stress today.
"It was always going to be in trouble because of the reduced nuclear reactor fleet, the temperature is low and there has been a big demand spike combined with low wind."
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned that the European Union could face a gas shortage next year if Russia further cuts supplies.