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Martin Lewis urges households not to use energy-guzzling ‘demon appliance’
9 December 2022, 18:03
The Money Saving Expert told families that one particular appliance could send utility bills soaring if used regularly.
Martin Lewis has warned households not to regularly use one 'demon appliance' as it could send utility bills soaring.
The Money Saving Expert issued advice to families who rely on the specific energy-guzzler, encouraging them to look for alternatives in a bid to help keep costs low.
Speaking on a new episode of The Martin Lewis Podcast, he revealed the white good he believes is responsible for pushing many people's bills higher.
"Do you know what the real demon appliances are in most people's houses? The one that you really don't want to use because it's really expensive? Tumble dryers," the finance guru declared.
Breaking down the financial facts, Martin explained that an average tumble dryer costs around £1 per load.
Hoping to help struggling families manage their costs, he added that there are plenty of cheaper ways to dry clothes.
One suggestion was using a clothes horse straight from the washing machine, then transferring the almost-dry garments to the tumble dryer to finish them off.
In some cases, the 'demon appliance' could be avoided altogether depending on drying time and other preferences.
The savvy expert also explained that using a dehumidifier, which sucks moisture out of indoor air, could stop your bills from spiralling out of control.
Martin added: "Those who have dehumidifiers, that can take some of the moisture out.
"It's less wattage than a tumble dryer so it can be more effective."
Most people use these appliances to tackle damp problems, however when used in conjunction with a clothes horse he believes they can work wonders.
He told listeners that using a dehumidifier was "generally far, far, far cheaper than putting the heating on".
Despite having to pay for the machine upfront, Martin also revealed that once set up dehumidifiers are "much, much lower wattage appliances than standard heating".
He added: "Many dehumidifiers have different wattages, the one I checked out was 200 watts.
"Once we know it’s 200 watts and we know a kilowatt is 1,000 watts, which is how electricity tends to be priced, we know this is a fifth of a kilowatt.
"And you pay roughly 34p per kilowatt per hour. A fifth is 7p so you’re going to pay roughly 7p per hour to run a dehumidifier at 200 watts assuming it uses full power the whole time."
Read more:
- Martin Lewis explains why air fryers could cost more than ovens
- Martin Lewis reveals it costs just 18p to keep Christmas lights on
- Martin Lewis explains why you should never put the washing machine on between 4pm and 7pm
