Use electric blankets to reduce cost of energy bills, Conservative peer says In the House of Lords, Lady Rawlings, 74, asked energy minister Baroness Verma: "Have the Government considered as a simple, practical measure encouraging people to use electric blankets? They are the answer to many of the Government's aims. They are very green as they use little electricity, and they reduce the need for so much heating in the home. They also make the home very energy efficient - ie, costing less - which is what the Government seems to have as an aim. In October David Cameron suggested that people should follow similar practical advice and wear a jumper in their homes to keep warm and keep bills down. Lady Verma, who was repeating Ed Davey, the Energy Secretary's, statement on house hold bills to peers, said: "As with all measures what we need to do is ensure that people are kept warm and kept safe but also that they are not paying over the odds for energy." Energy Secretary Ed Davey said due to Government's changes the typical household would see "£50 coming off their energy bills" adding, "we're already seeing energy companies delivering on what we wanted them to do." He added: "This help for people with energy bills is being achieved while we maintain and extend support for the fuel poor, while we continue to back green energy and by boosting energy efficiency." Labour has promised to freeze energy bills for 20 months if it wins the 2015 general election, complaining that ministers have not done enough to protect consumers. Caroline Flint, Labour's shadow energy minister said: "Whatever the Secretary of State says today, if we genuinely want to get people's bills down, nothing less than a price freeze and action to stop the energy companies overcharging will do.