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I WANT to buy an electric blanket to keep warm at home without putting the heating on but I’m struggling to find a reasonably priced one from bigger retailers. There are cheaper copycat items online but I’ve had problems in the past. What would you recommend? THE cost of energy has increased significantly and most of us are facing steep hikes in our bills.

Many people are now looking at ways of keeping our costs down and alternative ways to stay warm in our homes.

There has been a lot of encouragement for people to “heat the person” rather than the whole house.

This advice appears to work to reduce the amount spent on energy but it is important that we do this safely and avoid any risks – including potential issues with electric blankets.

Electric blankets can be a good way of warming up beds before we get in them, offering a shorter blast of heat at a lower cost to run than central heating.

With any electrical equipment, it is important to consider the products themselves and whether they meet rigorous standards during manufacturing and safety testing post-production.

But some products – particularly cheaper counterfeit ones – do not.

Counterfeit electronics can pose risks to health and safety, as well as presenting fire hazards.

Lower prices on these cheap, copycat or counterfeit electronic goods can come at a different cost, with the components used to produce them being of a sub-standard quality to the real thing.

In addition to the production methods, many counterfeit electronics are often not subject to the rigour of safety testing.

This not only poses safety risks but often means the items do not have the same life span that genuine products do.

When purchasing electrical goods, we should ensure products meet the Low Voltage Directive (LVD), which sets out the basic standards electrical goods must meet before being placed on the market.

By checking for manufacturing and standards marks, such as the CE mark and UKCA marks, we can ensure that products have been assessed before being put up for sale.

There are giveaways when it comes to counterfeit goods, such as where boxes and products are different colours and shapes.

With counterfeit goods, there can be spelling errors on packaging and sales material and no postal or contact information provided from the manufacturer.

This can make things more difficult if something goes wrong and we need to contact them.

To ensure the electronics we buy are safe and will last the test of time, purchasing from trusted retailers can help in ensuring that products have been tested and are not made with cheap, substandard components.

Purchasing from trusted retailers also means we can more easily seek refunds should something go wrong.

consumeradvice.scot offers free, practical and impartial advice and information on a range of consumer-related matters.

For more information, visit www.consumeradvice. scot or call 0808 164 6000 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).

Advice Direct Scotland’s Energy 23 campaign runs from January 23 to 29 and encourages Scottish consumers to stay safe in the remaining winter months.

It is supported by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

For information, visit www.consumeradvice.scot/ energy23.