'I've tried loads of products to keep warm without the heating, this tops the lot'

Since the cost of living crisis took hold I've been looking at ways that families can keep their bills down.

Whether it's looking at the cheapest supermarket, or finding meals to cook on a budget, it's become part and parcel of my role.

One thing I've focused on more than anything else is ways that people can keep warm without having to turn the central heating on.

With energy prices rising and fewer people now benefiting from the Winter Fuel Allowance, households have been looking at what they can do to avoid reaching for the thermostat.

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From an electric blanket and a portable heater, to thermal curtains, fleecy bedding and even heated fingerless gloves, I've tried so many different products to help stay warm - many of them following the advice of Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis to 'heat the human, not the home' to keep costs down.

But there's one in particular that I'd recommend above anything else and that's the heated hoodie from Worsley-based Online Home Shop.

Throwing on what's described as 'an oversized hoodie blanket' with a soft Sherpa lining is enough to make you cosy anyway, but add in the fact that this thing heats up and we're talking a different degree of toastiness.

If you're thinking it will be a big faff to use then you couldn't be more wrong. It basically has a USB lead in the front pocket and you plug it into a power bank - any generic one will do - to fire up your hoodie.

As soon as it's plugged in you begin to feel the elements heating up inside it and there are heated pads on the shoulders, at the lower back and behind the front pocket.

There are three heat settings to choose from too. You just press the power button on the front pocket to change it from the lowest 'green' temperature, to medium 'blue' up to the highest 'red'.

It basically lasts as long as your power bank does, which in my case is about five hours, but it depends on the wattage.

Either way it costs just pennies to charge a power bank, so once you've bought the hoodie, the ongoing cost is minimal.

And the best thing is that right now, the hoodies have been reduced to their cheapest price ever for Black Friday, down from £33 to £15, saving more than 50%.

If you don't already have a power bank, these are also on the website, reduced from £18 to £14.

If you get too warm, you can just use the hoodie on its own without any heat setting at all. And the Sherpa lining of the 'one size fits all' hoodie means it's super cosy even without the heat switched on.

The worst thing about is my kids keep pinching mine off me. At least I know what to put on their Christmas list.

There are other colours available in the shorter style, including charcoal, navy and black, and a grey one with a heart print design, all reduced to £15. A longer charcoal version is also £15. Standard UK delivery is £3.95.