British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON, Octopus customers who have a tumble dryer handed £179 each
British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus customers have been told of four savvy ways to dry clothes and save on your energy bill as we head into winter. Households with tumble dryers have been warned they are a "pricey" white good and appliance.
Tumble dryers can be racking up the sums on your energy bill. And with the price cap from regulator Ofgem rising to £1771, a £150 hike, on October 1, British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus customers have been told how to mitigate the impact.
Your average 9kg condenser tumble dryer will use around 5.2 kWh for a full load cycle. Using your dryer two times a week will give you an average annual usage of 617 kWh – which translates to £1.51 for each cycle and £178.93 a year.
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Tips can include opting for an extra spin cycle in your washing machine, which can wring out more moisture from laundry making it quicker and easier to dry. Heated airers are associated with low running costs, too, and can be purchased on a variety of retail sites.
Amazon and The Range flog the devices and handy household gadgets for £8. Other tips include hanging the drying outside on your line if you have a garden - especially when it is not rainy or windy in the autumn and winter months.
Netweather broadcaster Jo Farrow said: “During the winter months, it’s very easy to get out of the habit of hanging your washing out on the line.” Jo said: "Not only does it need to be dry, but a breeze is key for good drying. It’s not all about bright, warm sunshine. A fair, non-humid day with a breeze will work well, slightly better than a still, quite warm, sunny one.
"The breeze takes away the moisture. The best drying days need bright, warm sunshine and a breeze. Often those kinds of days include some showers which sneak up on you and soak the 'nearly dry' lot. Different fabrics will take different amounts of time to dry with lightweight synthetics drying quickly and heavyweight denim taking ages."
Another handy tip and trick can be ironing washing straight from the machine. The heat naturally starts to dry out the clothes, experts have reasoned.