Money saving expert Martin Lewis shared some vital tips on how to lower energy bills – one of which is ditching the tumble dryer for a gadget that costs just 3p an hour to use
Martin Lewis has revealed a gadget that allows you to dry your clothes for just 3p an hour, which is noticeably cheaper than using a household tumble dryer.
During his BBC Radio 5 podcast earlier this month, the Money Saving Expert offered advice on coping with skyrocketing energy bills as the colder months loom. Lewis pinpointed one major appliance to use as sparingly as possible – the tumble dryer, which costs £1 per load.
He shared: “Do you know what the read ‘demon appliance’ is in most people’s houses – the one that you don’t want to use because it’s really expensive. Tumble dryers. You’re typically paying up to a quid per load.”
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In a bid to help homeowners save money, he advised: “Dry your clothes on an airer outside, to shorten the amount of time you’re using your tumble dryer, or avoid using it completely. Those who have dehumidifiers can take some of the moisture out of the air. It’s less wattage than a tumble dryer, so it can be more cost-effective.”
One listener tuned in to share that he had noticed his flat was becoming damp since he started drying his washing indoors. He queried: “If I were to buy a dehumidifier, would it be cheaper than using the heating to keep the place dry?”
Martin responded: “Dehumidifiers take water out of the air rather than use the heating and they’re much lower wattage appliances than standard heating. So if the dehumidifier works for you, it will definitely have lower electricity bills.”
One of the issues is radiators heating areas, which do nothing to raise the temperature and escape outside quickly. Speaking previously on his BBC Podcast, Lewis suggested that people should think about using reflective panels behind radiators – to send the warmth back into the room rather than through the wall to outside.
He explained: “A tip for you, reflective panels behind radiators. Sheets of reflective material can be placed behind radiators. Crucially, this is on external wall radiators, so the heat doesn’t escape. If you don’t want to pay for those, then tin foil can work, although it doesn’t work quite as well.”
Currently, a 4-metre-long roll of the radiator heat reflector foil can be purchased at Screwfix for £6.38, reduced from £7.51.
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Sharing additional tips, Lewis added: “If you’ve got radiators in rooms that you’re not using, go and turn them off before you turn the heating on so you’re not wasting cash overheating empty spaces.
“Changing the flow rate on your boiler can cut gas bill by over 9% and you won’t notice the change.”
Lewis added that people should also avoid using a ‘demon appliance’ as often as possible. Other general tips included: “Check your TV’s on a low energy setting too and walk around your house. Be a draft detector – what drafts can you spot as you walk around your house? And then try, if you can, to seal them up.”
Earlier this month, shocking figures revealed that households are entering winter with a staggering debt of £780 million to their energy suppliers, the highest in eight years, according to a survey conducted for Uswitch. The comparison site reported that the number of households in debt to their provider has surged by 46% from 2.4 million last year to 3.5 million this year.