Electric blankets, flannelette sheets and a range of heaters are selling fast as Bay residents respond to the cold snap.
Yesterday's chill was just a taste of what's to come this winter and home heating firms were rubbing their hands in anticipation of sales.
Mitre 10 Mega store manager Dave Ransom said
that yesterday there was a "dramatic increase" in heater sales, especially oil columns and gas heaters.
Sunday was the first night temperatures fell below six degrees and people were preparing for the worst, he said.
Mitre 10 Napier store manager Chris Houlahan said he was selling three times as many gas heaters and radiating heaters a day compared with the start of the month. At the Warehouse, Napier, heater sales have soared in the past two weeks but manager David Mann noticed an increase in the hot water bottle purchases.
Hot water bottles seemed more cost-effective and safer, he said.
Electric blankets and flannelette sheets were hard to find at Briscoes in Napier last week when they sold out. Number One Shoe Warehouse reported an increase in slipper sales, particularly in Ugg boots and fluffy slip-ons.
* The MetService reported that a low was deepening east of the North Island and more snow was expected today through the middle and East Coast of the island. Ranges north of Hawke's Bay were expected to see about 30cm of snow.
