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Personal finance expert Martin Lewis says there is one appliance at home that is better off avoided wherever possible
Personal finance expert Martin Lewis says one ‘demon appliance’ is the largest energy consumer in households – and recommends avoiding it to reduce bills. Domestic energy costs across the UK are projected to rise by £332 annually come July, according to experts.
Substantial increases in wholesale rates stemming from the Middle Eastern conflicts are expected to impact Ofgem’s price cap. Cornwall Insight analysts indicate predictions for the regulator’s price cap between July and September have risen to £1,973 yearly for typical dual fuel homes.
This represents a rise of £332 – equivalent to 20% above April’s cap. In guidance provided last year on his BBC Radio 5 podcast – which remains applicable today – Mr Lewis identified one appliance to use sparingly that could prove beneficial as costs increase.
The device concerned is the tumble dryer, which expenses £1 per cycle. He explained: “Do you know what the real ‘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 so 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.”
Martin Lewis’ assessment on dehumidifiers
Mr Lewis addressed the matter after listener Rob mentioned he’d observed his flat becoming damp since beginning to dry his laundry indoors. He enquired: “If I were to buy a dehumidifier, would it be cheaper than using the heating to keep the place dry?”
Martin replied: “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.”
A common issue involves radiators warming areas which fail to retain temperature and quickly dissipate outdoors, reports the Mirror. Previously discussing the topic on his BBC podcast, Mr Lewis suggested households should think about installing reflective panels behind radiators – to direct warmth back into the room instead of through the wall 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.”
Radiator heat reflector foil
At present, a 4 metre long roll of the radiator heat reflector foil is available at Screwfix for £6.39. Mr Lewis also offered additional advice regarding radiators. He said: “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.” He further advised: “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.”
