Dave Fishwick, appearing on BBC Morning Live, offered advice to viewers facing a dilemma with a 7-year-old washing machine that has gone wrong. He told hosts Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton that the decision to repair or replace depends largely on the cost of the repair.
Repair vs replace
Mr Fishwick said: “So, if it’s a minor cost for the repair much much less than half price, then it’s worth having a go. I mean, the secondhand washing machine’s out there, but you it’s worth having a go at fixing it. I mean, in this case, his bearings had gone. Now, bear in mind as well that a month later, 3 months later, whatever, the washing machine’s still done seven years.
“It’s only the bearings that’s been changed. But I love the idea of going to an independent washing machine place where he can speak. but speaking to somebody, negotiating a deal, you’ll find something with a few scratches on it maybe last year’s model.”
Energy efficiency advice
Mr Fishwick stressed the importance of prioritising an A-rated machine for energy efficiency: “Yes, you’re looking at prioritising. So, you need to prioritise an A rated machine. Energy efficient. That’s going to save you a fortune on bills. It’s going to make such a difference. And washing underwear has never been so cheap.”
He also advised against unnecessary features: “You don’t need Bluetooth. You don’t need to know the time in 24 countries or be watching the telly on it. But what you do need is you need to wash your underpants. Get your y fronts in there so it’ll do the job. You don’t need Bluetooth.”
Water saving survey
A separate survey released this week found that nearly nine in 10 adults in Britain have taken at least one step to cut back on water use in the past month. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey, carried out between August 5 and 30, was based on responses from 3,530 adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain.
Some 88% of respondents said they had taken at least one step to cut water usage in August. The figure was highest among people aged 70 and over, at 92%, falling to 90% for those aged 50 to 69, and 85% for both 16 to 29-year-olds and 30 to 49-year-olds.
The most popular action was not leaving a tap running (reported by 65% of all survey respondents), followed by waiting until the washing machine or dishwasher is full before switching it on (55%), using less tap water in the garden (48%) and taking shorter showers (42%). A smaller percentage said they had collected rainwater in a water butt (25%) and taken fewer showers or baths (24%).
The Environment Agency said reservoir storage in England currently stands at 56%, nearly 20 percentage points below the average for this time of year. Most of England and all of Wales remain officially in drought, the exceptions being the North East, North West and Yorkshire.
