Six months ago it was the silly season and now we’re into the chilly season.
Are you prepared?
The problem this year is that many more people are struggling to pay their energy bills.
Heating anything – water, rooms, air – is a costly affair these days and energy prices are on the up and up…
So, let’s look at how our heating needs can be met at a basic level with some very efficient personal appliances.
1. A Close Encounter with the Beurer Nordic Heated Throw
There’s nothing like being snuggled up under a warm blanket to watch a good movie with your significant other.
It’s even better if that heavy blanket can be replaced by a lightweight (2kg) HEATED micro-fleece throw.
The Beurer Heated Throw is big enough for two at 1.8m x 1.3m. With that size it can also function as an over-blanket for your bed.
It’s quick to heat up and then you can dial it down to a low, gentle heat through the 6 temperature settings.
And here’s the kicker: if you use it, say about 4 hours on a medium setting every evening, the energy costs are only 4 to 8 cents per day!
So, rather than heating a whole room – let alone a whole house – if it’s just you to keep warm and survive the really cold days, there’s no better alternative than a heated throw.
A note on energy prices: Current basic kWh prices (May 2023) vary from State to State, roughly between 20 to 36 cents per kilowatt. And slated to go up even higher. That’s excluding GST and Supply Charges.
“Next year, using the current market prices, tariffs are going up a minimum 35 per cent,” Alinta Energy Chief Executive Jeff Dimery told the Australian Financial Review Energy and Climate Summit back in Oct 2022.
LOVE THAT FEELING…
The Beurer Nordic Heated Throw came in a box that has a patch of the microfleece on the outside. For shoppers in brick-and-mortar stores that’s a nice touch!
Literally.
Within 5 minutes of receiving the box I had it plugged in, put on some nice music and me and my wife had a nice, warm snuggle under this throw!
She loves the soft feel of the microfleece and the colours of this blanket. The top colour is Nordic Charcoal/Grey and the other side is a darker shade.
Other colours, like Nordic Toffee/Taupe are also available.
The highest setting gets this throw heated up very quickly, so you only need to maintain that warmth on a lower temperature setting.
With electronic sensors you’re protected against overheating faults and it will also switch off automatically after 3 hours of use.
This heated throw is easy to clean and even machine washable on a very gentle cycle.
The price for the HD 75 Beurer Nordic Heated Throw is a very reasonable $149 and the warranty is 3 years.
Just note that there is also a cheaper version for $99 (Cosy Taupe,) but we specifically reviewed the Nordic model with the premium finish.
We bought ours at Reduction Revolution.
LAST THOUGHTS
Beurer is one of the top brands to ensure best safety and performance.
For starters, this German company has been in the business of creating health and wellbeing products for over a 100 years.
And guess what?
They started out with creating electric heating pads as a safer alternative for leaking or exploding hot water bottles!
We have found that in this in-between season with its chilly mornings and evenings, this heated throw is just the perfect body warmer. Even when it’s switched off!
And it saves heaps of money if you don’t have to stoke the woodstove or turn on the oil/gas heater or inverter.
Warmly recommended!
2. Another Way to Share the Heat: The Vornado Room Heater
I bought the Vornado Heater because I was impressed by the quality of the Vornado Energy Smart DC Floor Fan which I purchased earlier.
Yes, the name Vornado does conjure up the idea of a tornado in a box. But only in the way the swirling vortex manages to bring warmth (or coolness) to a whole room. It’s a quiet and gentle heat or breeze.
Neither the Fan or the Heater needs to swivel to cover the room.
The DC Fan is extremely energy efficient (up to 80% compared to AC models) with its DC motor. The Vornado Heater is also efficient but on a different level.
Heaters are notoriously expensive to run because of the high wattages – typically between 500 to 2000W.
However, there are ways to be economical with the energy consumption and still feel comfortable.
Let’s see how the Vornado Heater does that and what I love about this unit.
The VMH350 model has 2 heat settings (750 and 1500W) as well as a fan only setting(20W).
This means that coupled with the thermostat, you will always have the right temperature.
How do you know what the temperature is?
The Vornado has TWO displays. One at the front and one on top, built in the carrying handle, together with other controls.
How cool is that?
You can set the temp between 15 and 32 degrees Celsius but for optimum energy use between 18 and 20 degrees is best.
Vornado calls it the Automated Climate Control.
Marketing speak for you can set the temperature…
Anyways, all of that can be set with the included remote control.
The Design
I love products that are designed and constructed well.
The VMH350 is a very attractive unit in champagne coloured powder-coated steel.
Sturdy and safe.
Safe because it stays cool to the touch and the grille is “fingers-friendly” for the kiddies.
This unit is extremely practical with that ingenious carry handle with in-built display and controls.
There is a recessed power switch at the back (often overlooked when people try to switch the heater on!) and also the power cord can be neatly tucked away.
The front sports the signature Vornado grille with the power ON light and display in the top right corner.
The Heat is ON: Using the Vornado
Two of the coldest places in our home are my office and the master bedroom.
Lots of windows.
So in testing we checked out its ability to heat up these rooms, the bedroom at 35 sqm being 6 times as large as the office.
The low heat setting on the Vornado would be sufficient to heat up my workspace in the minimum amount of time.
The bedroom required the high heat level of 1500W to warm up the room to entice us to throw off the woollen blankets.
Fortunately, the remote control saves you having to get out to switch the appliance on or off…
We also tested the power consumption with our extremely useful PowerPal app and a Watts meter. They are all as specified and show that the Vornado gets maximum results for the energy it uses.
CONCLUSIONS
We highly recommend Vornado as a brand that absolutely stands behind its products.
Big letters on the box and on the excellent manual state: We expect this product to be PERFECT. If it’s not, WE will make it right.
Awesome.
No wonder there’s a 5 year warranty (which they call a Satisfaction Guarantee) to back that up.
You can but cheaper heaters in this format but you’ll save money in the long run with the Vornado Heater. $259 Aussie dollars will be well spent.
And the Vornado is a quiet thing of beauty.
Here is the link to see more info and where you can buy one.
A Foot Note
Also check out our earlier review of the Warmset Foot Mat Heater.
Very efficient!
