You’ve been using your tumble dryer all wrong and an easy hack could slash your bills by two thirds
MILLIONS are facing soaring energy bills - but there are ways you can cut costs.
Families will be keen to save money when it comes to using household appliances like tumble dryers.
And one social media user explained on the Facebook group how you can slash your costs when using the appliance - but not how you think.
The savvy saver said: "Once you have done your wash in the washing machine - I use the quick wash - put the dial to spin and drain.
"It takes around 12 minutes and leaves your clothes almost dry.
"And because they're almost dry, it can cut the drying time down in your tumble dryer afterwards by two thirds, saving you electricity and money."
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Based on the savvy consumer's tip on the Reduce Your Supermarket Spends Facebook group, we worked out how much you could save.
A tumble dryer that uses 2.5 kilowatts of energy per cycle would cost you 85p per hour to use under the current energy price guarantee.
So if you use the dryer once a day every day of the year you'll end up forking out
So if you use the dryer once a day every day of the year you'll end up forking out £310.25.
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If you can reduce the time you use the dryer by two thirds, you'll save £206.83, bringing your annual cost down to £103.41.
Will Owen, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: "The longer your tumble dryer’s cycle, the more money it will cost you.
"If your clothes are dripping wet, it will have to run much longer to get them dry, increasing your energy bill dramatically."
The hack comes at a good time as households contend with soaring energy bills, which currently stand at £2,500 for the average family due to the energy price guarantee.
They are set to rise to £3,000 from April following the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement.
Millions of households should be in the process of receiving a £400 energy rebate too, which is being applied as a discount to bills.
The discount has been split into six monthly instalments which started last October. All six should be paid by March.
How else can I save on my bills?
Heated clothes airers can be a great alternative to tumble dryers if you're looking to save more money.
That's not all. Buying insulation will prevent heat from escaping through your loft, and it could save you hundreds on your bills.
You should insulate your loft hatch as well - that will prevent further heat from escaping.
Closing your curtains in the evening when temperatures drop naturally drop will keep the heat in too.
And opening them up in the morning to let the sun in will warm you up.
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In other energy bill news, British Gas has been ordered to make a major change after it forced entry into customers' homes to fit prepayment meters.
Plus, we reveal how much it costs to run a log burner.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]