Martin Lewis faces backlash after advising Britons to keep warm this winter by buying heated gloves, hot water bottles and electric blankets amid rising energy bills

Money saving expert Martin Lewis has come under fire after he advised cash-strapped Britons to purchase heated gloves, hot water bottles and electric blankets to fight rising energy bills. The consumer rights activist had issued tips on how to keep warm amid the dropping temperatures and rising energy prices. Mr Lewis published the advice on his website, MoneySavingExpert.com, on Monday, under the title: 'Heat the human, not the home'. Written by MoneySavingExpert's Assistant Features Editor and commissioned by Mr Lewis, the article included tips such as purchasing USB gloves and heated insoles, as well as electric gilets and a microwaveable wheat bag. The article also advised people to wear layers, have at least one hot meal a day, and consider buying a rug or bathmat. But many people were angered at the advice, saying it provided 'poverty mindset' 'coping mechanisms' instead of addressing the cause of the issue of rising heating and gas bills in the UK. One person wrote on social media: 'This is embarrassing, Martin. This poverty mindset is a massive problem.'Instead of telling people to wear heated clothing we should be telling them to cut net zero insanity and high taxes.' Financial expert Martin Lewis has come under fire for advising Brits to keep warm by buying heated gloves, hot water bottles and electric blankets amid rising energy bills Another added: 'The message is fine, but we do need to move away from the "cost of living crisis" rhetoric and name it what it is, namely a "cost of greed crisis". 'Language is important and frames messages like this more in an accountability context and reduces the sense this is normal.' Martin Lewis responded to the backlash on social media today, referring to a screenshot that has since been deleted from his recent appearance on TV, where he had outlined similar advice to viewers.He wrote: 'Some of the comments missing the context of this screenshot. This was not a recommendation, nor was it the cornerstone of the show. 'This was a response to last ditch desperate "I can't afford to put any heat on" comments. 'As I said on the show we should not be in this position, this is not a "do it" but it is a reality for some and last ditch help especially with a 25 per cent rise likely to hit over half of homes in January. 'Please watch what I actually said don't judge a TV show off a still image.' Household energy bills rose in October with a 4 per cent hike to Ofgem's energy price cap and forecasters have warned they could soar by almost another £300 from January. The MoneySavingExpert founder met with Chancellor John Healey on the morning of the Budget, October 28 Cornwall Insight's latest forecast predicts the price cap will rise by a further 16 per cent to £1,999 a year on January 1, up by £276 on the level between October and December and the biggest rise since January 2023. Mr Lewis' advice frustrated many who had been affected by the global rise in fuel prices since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the US-Iran conflict - which have both affected energy supplies internationally. One person wrote on X in response to Mr Lewis' post: 'No one is judging the show but the state of energy in the UK.'Another wrote: 'The government has inflicted untold poverty upon us and you never talk about it, instead you normalise it and dish out depressing coping strategies. 'You rub shoulders with them and never call them out.' The comment came after Martin Lewis visited Chancellor John Healey several times before, and on the day of, the Budget. Mr Lewis was invited to Budget meetings and consultations from August this year, even attending the Budget Day Morning Briefing on Wednesday, October 28. The Government subsequently announced that the Chancellor would ask regulator Ofgem to remove standing charges 'in 2027 or as soon as possible after' in a move that could save 60 per cent of families £45 a year. The gas standing charges are a fixed daily fee added to bills, regardless of how much gas a customer uses, and cost around £108 per year for a typical household.Mr Lewis said at the time that despite the 'moral hazard' charge being removed, four in ten households faced paying more as their unit rate was increased. The financial journalist's latest advice comes as Britain is set to plunge in temperature to -8C tonight, with cold weather health alerts coming into force. Harsh frost is expected in many places over the next few days while parts of Scotland could see some snow as Arctic air is swept across the UK from north to south.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a yellow cold health alert for North West England and the West Midlands from 9am this morning until noon on Saturday.The Met Office said temperatures in rural areas tonight will fall to -8C in Scotland, -7C in northern England, -3C in the South, -5C in Wales and -3C in Northern Ireland.Tomorrow night will be even chillier with -8C in southern England, the North and Wales both falling to -5C, Northern Ireland dropping to -6C and Scotland to -2C.READ MORE: Council tells the elderly to wiggle their toes to stay warm ahead of Arctic blast set to engulf Britain - as Met Office issues snow warning for the New YearREAD MORE: Healey's £2.6billion winter warmer: Chancellor to give 20 million households £100 handout towards energy bills