It's no secret that many of us are looking at how we can save money at the moment. Small things add up, especially when it comes to reducing our energy usage at home.
People will no doubt be using the hob more instead of the oven, investing in an air fryer, or taking quicker showers. Maybe the hair dryer isn't being used, or clothes aren't going in the tumble dryer.
All of this adds up, as devices that heat, cook or dry things tend to use a lot of energy. This is also true of water, which costs a fair bit every day to heat up.
And so you might now start to understand how a bottle of washing up liquid could save you money on your energy bill. Kieran Kelly from MyLondon gave it a try and this is what he found:
Last week, I heard the news that there was a new £3 'device' that could save me hundreds of pounds on my energy bill. Like most, my initial reaction was somewhere between ecstatic and sceptical - how could something so cheap save you so much money? Not only that, but said 'device' was £3 from Tesco (the branded version), with Wilko selling a 25p alternative. Surely not?
Upon finding out that the 'device' was a washing up liquid that worked just as well in cold water, I was both stunned and confused. I'd always been told to use hot water when washing up, not only to make the water 'sudsier' but also for hygiene reasons. So if the washing up liquid really could work just as well in cold water, it certainly would be a game-changer.
I vowed to buy this 'device' next time I ran out of washing up liquid, only to realise that I'd already bought it. Without knowing, I'd already been using this alternative for several weeks, except I'd been using hot water to clean up my dishes rather than cold water.
The version I had unknowingly bought is from Fairy, which is of course a well-known and top brand when it comes to washing up liquid. This cost me £3 from Tesco, but there is a 25p Wilko's own brand you can get too, saving you even more money. With my washing up liquid stocked and my gas card topped up, I started washing up in cold water.
The results were astonishing - using this washing up liquid in cold water made absolutely no difference. It wasn't better than hot water by any means, but it wasn't worse - it was exactly the same. The water was just as 'sudsy' and it was just as easy to clean up my dishes. If my own experience isn't enough to convince you to turn your tap cold, maybe an expert will help.
On washing dishes in cold water, Dr Nicky Milner, a biomedical scientist from Anglia Ruskin University, told the BBC: "It’s really about the scrubbing action. Research has shown that the temperature of the water doesn’t really make a difference. So a good scrub is more important than the water temperature. And research has shown that using washing up liquid to kill bacteria is important."
The fact that there's a washing-up liquid out there that could save you hundreds of pounds a year by saving hot water will be welcome news for many people across London and the UK amid the rising cost of living. A recent study conducted by smart money app Plum revealed nearly half (46 per cent) of UK adults feel anxious about their financial situation amid soaring energy costs.
This Fairy product isn't going to end the cost-of-living crisis on its own, but it could certainly help.
