With energy bills about to skyrocket again in just a few weeks' time, most of us are looking for ways to save money where we can.
Last month, Ofgem confirmed and 80 per cent rise in the energy price cap, sending households' average annual fuel bills from just under £2000 to a soaring £3549 from October 1. The news has shone a light on how much it costs to run basic home appliances, with some being more costly to operate in the long term.
Washing and drying clothes can hike up energy bills significantly. The Energy Trust said washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers account for a huge 14% of households' total energy bills.
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But there are some ways to use less energy when you clean and dry your laundry. While they won't slash your bills immediately, you can make some savings every time you put a load of washing on - with this soon adding up.
Penny pinching pros at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have shared their list of ways to save cash when doing the weekly wash, and this includes regularly cleaning dryer filters, making use of quick wash settings and washing at off-peak times.
Here are their top tips to save money - and energy:
Make sure you’re washing full loads
If you can, try to hold off putting the washing machine on until you have enough laundry for a full load. Your machine will use the same amount of energy no matter how many clothes are in there so you’re better off waiting until the laundry builds up a bit.
However, newer washing machines do have half load settings. This tells the machine there are less clothes and therefore less water is used.
But don’t over fill the dryer
Putting too many clothes in the dryer means that they will take more time to dry and you’ll need to have it on for longer resulting in an increased use of energy so try not to fill the dryer up to the brim.
Line dry clothes
An obvious way to save money on laundry is to line dry clothes. If the weather forecast is rain then you can always air dry your clothes inside on a drying rack. Just be sure to space out the clothes so they dry properly.
Put your wash on at off-peak times
Try to put your laundry loads on at off-peak times which tend to be early in the mornings or late at night. This tends to be when energy prices are lower as most people aren’t using energy at this time.
Clean the dryer filter
It’s easy to neglect the dryer filter, but a regular clean will help your dryer to work more efficiently and safely.
Use dryer balls
It’s worth buying some dryer balls which help separate clothes in a drying cycle, allowing more air flow between them. This means they’re able to be dried quicker using less energy and costing you less money.
See if your machine has a quick wash option
A lot of machines have a quick wash option, and unless all of your clothes are stained, this should work perfectly fine. It will wash your clothes in less time and use less energy.
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