With winter's chill setting in and energy costs still a major concern for households, a simple tip from money-saving expert Martin Lewis has been proven to cut hundreds of pounds from annual bills.
The 'Demon Appliance' Driving Up Your Costs
Personal finance guru Martin Lewis has long warned UK families about one particular 'demon appliance' that guzzles energy: the tumble dryer. With the average annual energy bill standing at around £1,755, reducing its use can lead to significant savings.
More than half of British homes own a tumble dryer, but its reputation as an energy-hungry device is well-earned. It can cost up to £1.76 per hour to run, prompting many to seek alternatives this year.
Putting the Advice to the Test
Journalist Jackie Annett decided to follow Lewis's advice and stop using her tumble dryer entirely. The result? She managed to save £215 a year on her energy bills. While she admits air-drying clothes is harder, the financial reward made the compromise worthwhile.
To manage without the tumble dryer, Annett turned to an electric clothes dryer, the JML DriBUDDI, which costs approximately 32p per hour to operate. She found it straightforward to assemble and use, with a design that requires clothes to be hung on hangers first, allowing a full washing machine load to be dried inside a zipped pod.
"While I didn't find that it dried garments particularly rapidly," Annett reported, "I did value the fresher, less 'musty' aroma throughout the house." She also noted it was excellent for keeping laundry contained in one spot.
Martin Lewis's Even Cheaper Alternative
While the JML DriBUDDI retails for £79 at Argos, Martin Lewis himself suggests a potentially more economical solution: a dehumidifier. According to Lewis, a dehumidifier costs just around five pence per hour to run.
"If a dehumidifier does work for you, it will definitely have lower electricity bills," Lewis advised. "But, of course, you do have the initial capital outlay of buying a dehumidifier and see how that works for you."
The experiment demonstrates that with a small change in household habits and a willingness to try different appliances, substantial savings on energy bills are achievable, even during the colder months.
