AUTUMN is well and truly here and for many households that means facing the dilemma – whether to save money or switch the heating on to keep cosy.

With energy bills set to skyrocket by a whopping 10% next month, millions of cash-strapped Brits are on the lookout for cheap ways to stay warm without forking out a fortune.

Getty

Looking to slash the costs this autumn and winter? Amazon shoppers have found the ultimate £9 bargain[/caption]

Amazon

Amazon

The £9.99 winter essential comes in a range of colours and designs[/caption]

Experts have come to rescue with a number of purse-friendly hacks, such as using a crisp packet to slash the costs or heading to Dunelm for a bargain find that will keep the house toasty for just 20p.

However, one of the easiest ways to keep your body warm is, of course, wearing the right gear, such as jumpers and extra layers on top.

Now, money-smart Amazon shoppers have found the ultimate deal that’s sure to be a lifesaver this autumn and winter season – for under a tenner.

The popular online giant offers a wide range of thermal leggings but the one pair that seems to be a major hit right now are the DDOBB Thermal Leggings Women High Waist Fleece Lined leggings.

Available in several gorgeous colours, such as black, dark grey, dusty pink and nude, this winter essential will set you back £9.99, depending on the design you go for.

Comfy and breathable, the cold season must-have is perfect for daily use – and the styling options are indeed endless.

Not only can the leggings be easily worn on their own, you can also throw them under other garments, with the fleece lining ideal for protection from the harsh wind and low temperatures.

According to the retailer, the ”extremely soft” inner lining will keep your legs toasty – ”without bulkiness”.

Boasting an impressive 4.3-star rating on the site, it’s easy to see why shoppers are going totally wild over the incredible deal.

A staggering 65% of delighted customers have given the leggings five stars, whilst 15% have rated it with four stars.

One UK customer, who described them as ”brilliant”, said: ”Thought I would just buy a pair and see how they wore, washed and kept me warmer.

”They passed all of the tests and I ended up buying another 3 pairs.”

Another chimed in: ”Have already washed them, and they came out perfectly.

”Honestly, for the price and comfort, there’s nothing to complain about and would purchase another pair if I needed some more. Recommended.”

A third also recommended the wardrobe essential, commenting: ”Love the fact that they are warm, comfy to wear. Fit well.

”Well worth buying. Will be getting another pair in a different colour. Look nice on.”

However, whilst the reviews were mainly positive, there was also some criticism, with one claiming the leggings were ”definitely not thermal”.

”I was expecting these to be thick and fleece lined as advised, but they are really thin.

”I can’t see these keeping me warm in the winter! Very disappointed!”

Someone else agreed, writing: ”The fleece lining is so thin, I’d have been better wearing my other non-lined leggings.

”They’d have been just as warm as I am right now.”

AT a time when living costs remain high, finding clever ways to save money has never been more crucial – and a new tool is hoping to help us do this.

One thing is for certain – we can’t live without our appliances, be it our fridge freezer, washing machine, or tumble dryer.

However, depending on how we use them, we could be forking out an arm and a leg.

And Ofgem‘s energy price cap is rising by 10% from October 1, meaning millions of households on their energy supplier’s standard variable tariff will be stung with a £149 a year bill hike.

Under the new price cap, Which? estimates that a typical household will fork out £127 a year to use their dryer, £110 to run their fridge freezer, and £59 a year to run their washing from next month.

However, to help combat these high costs, electronics giant Samsung upgraded several home appliances to help households cut costs.

Customers who purchase a Samsung fridge, freezer, washer, dryer, or almost any other home appliance now have a new level of control over their energy usage and will be able to see exactly what they’re spending, too.

It was at the tech giant’s flagship store that I got to test this out for myself.

I discovered that those purchasing one of the brand’s Samsung washing machines – priced between £399 and £899 depending on the model – will be able to control their device from an app, and also see how much it is costing them.

As long as I put my washing in the machine and shut the door, I wouldn’t even need to touch a button.

Instead, like with all Samsung’s latest appliances, I could download the “Smart Things” app and control it from there.

If I was out all day but didn’t want my washing to start until I get home, I could set this up on the app, as well as the programme, temperature, and spin speed.

Samsung Smart Things is a “smart home” platform that allows users to connect, automate, and manage a wide range of compatible devices through an app.

These smart home devices aren’t exclusive to Samsung.

For example, Philips Hue has been a pioneer in helping those with older homes and traditional wiring transform their lighting into smart systems.

And Bosch, Miele and Aeg all have their own apps that enable users to control their appliances at the tap of a screen too.

However, what makes Samsung’s new Smart Things setup unique is its ability to track your whole home’s energy usage as well as calculate the cost of running your smart appliances.

How does it work?

Customers with a Samsung Smart Things account can now link it with their smart meter, too.

Once you’ve done this, your home’s energy usage is sent directly to the Smart Things app.

This means you can track your gas and electricity usage in pounds and pence by the hour, day, week, month and year.

Of course, many households will be aware that you can already do this with your energy supplier’s in-home display.

But if yours is broken, this is a great – and I’ll admit, more intuitive -alternative.

For example, the app can notify you which of your smart devices costs the most to run and even recommend changing your settings to cut your costs.

Those with Samsung appliances can also toggle a setting dubbed “AI Energy Mode,” which automatically turns their appliance into its most energy-efficient mode without them having to life a finger.

Of course, it’s naive to assume that this is accessible to everyone, as not all of us own Samsung appliances.

The company’s appliances aren’t cheap, and prices range from £399 up to £5,000 for its most expensive smart fridge freezer.

Regardless of this, a new partnership with British Gas could help those with or without Samsung appliances cut their bills this winter.

How can it help cut my bills?

And one of the great new things Samsung has announced is an industry-first partnership with British Gas to help customers save money on their appliances this winter.

Like many suppliers, British Gas has been rewarding customers for slashing their energy usage during peak times in recent months.

The supplier’s Peak Save scheme gives customers free energy credits for reducing their electricity usage during peak hours.

A separate scheme called Peak Save Sunday offers customers half-price electricity during periods of low demand on weekends.

While these schemes are free to sign up for, it’s easy to forget to make the necessary adjustments to maximise savings your savings.

British Gas usually emails customers ahead of an event, but if you didn’t notice the timings, like me, you risk forgetting to run your dishwasher at the off-peak time.

However, with Samsung’s latest partnership, customers who connect their British Gas account with the Smart Things app will not only receive notifications before an event but also be able to automate their smart appliances ahead of it.

It means users can ensure their devices operate during optimal times, allowing them to take full advantage of the savings on offer.

Again, this is great for those with Samsung appliances but might be of limited use for those without.

At the moment, this partnership is only available to British Gas customers.

However, Samsung has not ruled out partnering with other UK energy suppliers in the future.

If you’re eager to use technology to determine exactly how much your appliances are costing to run, there are still several more affordable gadgets you can use.

What are the cheaper alternatives?

For example, if your appliances don’t have smart technology fitted inside, you can still track their usage with smart plugs.

These plug into a standard electrical socket and then you plug your appliance into them.

The smart plug connects to your home Wi-Fi network or your mobile via Bluetooth, enabling it to communicate with a corresponding mobile app.

Once connected, the smart plug monitors the energy consumption of the plugged-in appliance in real-time.

It tracks metrics such as power usage (in watts), energy consumption (in kilowatt-hours), and sometimes even the cost of the electricity used.

You can then remotely control the plug through the mobile app, turning the connected appliance on or off.

Some smart plugs also offer scheduling features, allowing you to automate when devices turn on or off.

Shoppers can buy these plugs from a number of major retailers online and in-store.

For example, a single Ikea‘s Tretakt smart plug costs just £6.

TP-Link’s Tapo smart plugs can also be picked up on Amazon for as little as £12.99.

We’ve previously reviewed the best smart plugs, so you don’t have to.

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