A stark rise in energy bills is a significant factor in the cost of living crisis faced by people across the country.
Energy regulation Ofgem increased its price cap, which limits the charge for each unit of gas and electricity, by £693 for those on a default tariff who pay by direct debit. Prepayment customers have seen a bigger jump, with their price cap going up by £708, from £1,309 to £2,017.
Meanwhile, the average water bill has risen as high as £420 this year. Faced with higher petrol prices, increased costs for utility bills, council tax rises and other increased expenses, many households are trying to find ways to cut costs.
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British Gas suggests that one way to save money is ditching a tumble dryer, especially as summer is on the way, reports the Mirror.
In the summer, if you’ve got an outside space and the weather is nice, then experts at British Gas suggest drying your clothes outside could save you £40 a year. If you don’t have a garden or balcony, another option could be to use a clothes airer. This should be done in a well ventilated room so you don’t cause mould in your home.
Joanna Flowers, engineer at British Gas said: “You can save on average £40 a year on your electricity bill by line drying clothes instead of using a tumble dryer during the summer.”
Not using a tumble dryer is not the only change that you can make to your laundry routine that could result in savings. British Gas also estimates that running your washing machine on a 30 degree cycle instead of using higher temperatures can save around £28 on your annual bill.
Ms Flowers added: “There are several things you can do to be more energy efficient with the washing machine. Use the economy settings to save water and energy and drying your clothes outside as much as you can when the weather allows.
“In the winter, you should also avoid drying clothes on radiators as much as you can as it will make your boiler work harder to heat the room.“
For other ways to try to keep bills down, we have looked at how to use your washing machine in a way that could save £30 per year, how four measures could save around £300 per year on water bills, the most cost-effective ways to cook food and where you can find the cheapest petrol and diesel in our region.
