So could a sleeping bag you wear get you through the winter? 

In September I vowed to put off turning on the central heating for as long as I could bear it – or until my children’s cries of protest became unbearable. Drastic action was needed to prevent my energy bill from bankrupting me.

How long can I last without touching the thermostat? I secretly thought I was going to collapse before the clocks change, or at least through Guy Fawkes Night.

But – to my surprise – I still hold on; my wife supports me (mostly) and the children’s complaints are grumbling rather than groaning.

It’s true that the 17-year-old ostentatiously wears his outer jacket indoors, claiming he’s too cold to do his homework without it.

But I think this is his way of protesting his father, rather than being really uncomfortable with the lack of heat.

Admittedly, until a week ago, autumn was mild. The Met Office says the average temperature in the UK in October was 11.5°C – 1.8°C above the long-term average.

It turns out I’m not the only one who has had my thermostat turned down or turned off.

Energy analysts BFY estimate that the amount of gas we used in the UK was 19 per cent lower compared to normal consumption in October.

But it’s not just the milder weather that has helped. The other reason my family goes with it is the fact that we’ve tried several items designed to warm the body – rather than the room.

This is my main tactic to survive without lighting the cauldron. Running the central heating for just six hours in a typical household (with 2.4 people, not the five we have) costs £6.76, according to calculations by financial publisher Bloomberg. But a typical heated blanket costs 30 pence to run for six hours.

Many companies, from Argos and Currys to specialists such as Lakeland and Silentnight, have developed an ever-increasing range of heated products. There are plaids and ponchos, electrically heated slippers and neck warmers.

Some of them are just a gimmick, while others are fantastic for enveloping you in heat, even though the rest of the room is park-like.

Temperatures have yet to drop to winter cold levels, but our house is starting to get quite cold in the evenings. As a family, we road tested six products and it reveals which ones we fight to wear while watching television, and which ones have been tossed.

Beurer foot warmer

Does it use electricity? Yes

From: Lakeland, £41

Is there anything more miserable than cold feet? No. In theory, this is the perfect solution for people who work at a desk. Take off your shoes and put your feet in this device. It plugs in and has three heat settings.

At the highest setting it is only moderately warm, instead of nice and warm. Perhaps that’s because it uses very modest amounts of power (100 W), meaning it only costs 3.4 cents per hour to run. It’s not very well made though, with the thin fleece liner separating from the main boot.

• Harry’s Cozy Score: 2/5

Cozy blanket with hood

Does it use electricity? no

From: snuggy.com, £59.99

There are many versions of this wearable blanket being sold this year. This one is pretty unglamorous, but, gosh, it’s brilliant.

A large poncho made of thick, fleecy polyester, it slips easily over your clothes and instantly warms you in the most comfortable way possible. It hits mid-thigh, doesn’t constrict you or make you look like a complete fool when you open the door in it.

It’s going to be my go-to outfit this winter – if I can wrestle it from my wife (“life-changing” is her verdict) and my ten-year-old.

• Harry’s Cozy Score: 5/5

Portable sleeping bag

Does it use electricity? no

From: Amazon, £35.80

My daughter says it makes me look like a caterpillar – and a not very happy one. Made by a company called Desert Fox, it is a sleeping bag with armholes and a zipper, so you have your feet free when you need to go somewhere.

However, it’s poorly designed – the armholes are too small, the bag slides down your body when you’re sitting at a desk, and moving around a room requires you to shuffle awkwardly.

The company’s claim that “it’s so convenient. . . [there’s] no need to take off the sleeping bag when reading, eating and other indoor or outdoor activities’ is optimistic at best.

• Harry’s cozy score: 1/5

Scandinavian quilted thermal vest

Does it use electricity? Yes

From: nordic-heat.com, £170

This is very smart. It’s a thin, quilted gilet that, thanks to a matchbox-sized battery (which can be put in a pocket and plugged into an internal wire), heats the jacket.

There are three settings and on the highest you’ll get two hours of heat before needing to charge the battery, for just 1p. However, the heat is quite localized – only on your chest and top of your back, not your lower back. For such a high price tag, I would have hoped for more coverage.

• Harry’s Cozy Score: 3/5

Romper Selk’Bag

Does it use electricity? no

From: selkbag.co.uk, from £95.99

Unlike the Desert Fox, this is a truly portable sleeping bag, a giant romper made from recycled polyester.

If you want, you can cover virtually every inch of your body, with hand coverings, a hood and detachable booties.

It keeps you warm very efficiently and even has zip-out leg vents in case you get too hot.

However, it is bulky and cannot be described as stylish. But if you feel the cold, it might do the trick.

• Harry’s Cozy Score: 4/5

Cozy blanket

Does it use electricity? no

From: Argos, £20

This is fantastic value and brilliant in some ways – but it’s only suited for one specific use: lounging on a sofa or chair.

That’s because it’s nothing more than a woolly hospital coat. Sure, your arms are kept warm thanks to the sleeves and your feet have a little pocket to tuck in, but when you stand up straight (without tripping over them) you have a bare back.

Go make yourself a cup of tea and you’ll look like a cheap Scooby Doo ghost.

Still, the kids liked it; it is cheap, soft and can be folded into a pillow when not in use.

• Harry’s Cozy Score: 3/5