Somebody is using my tumble dryer at night...

[RaisinBread]

I’m convinced of it.

I have a new smart meter it’s been installed for about a month. My resting house uses 9p of electric between midnight and the time we wake up. Always.

So I’ve woken up today and the meter is on 48p.... I went to bed past midnight last night, which is very unusual for me but got hooked into 24 hours in AE and ended up making the kids packed lunches at 12.30. At this point from several lights being left on and the tv running the meter was already on 8p so I knew it would be around 20p at most by the morning.

So I wake up to find it double what I’m expecting and then hear the dryer going. It’s in a building attached to the main house, sort of a boot room. When I rented the house there was no lock to that room (old house with old doors and I think the key was lost at some point) but there was to the main house which has a heavy door, locks and bolts. It didn’t bother me as in a sleepy village. My landlord lives behind me with his family in a converted barn and someone is usually home as they are renovating it.

Even weirder than my tumble dryer being on when I hadn’t turned it on is that the tray that collects the water was bone dry! My washing load in there was bulky cottons that hold a lot of water so it should have been half full/full after my load drying.

I put my load in the day before and due to the pre mentioned tv binge, forgot to take it out before bed to fold.

This has really weirded me out as this is now the second time this week that the tumble dryer has been on in the morning and the meter has been above 9p. The last time was I think Tuesday morning but I live with three kids so just shrugged it off that one of them had put it on by accident when looking for clean uniform. Although thinking about it logically now they wouldn’t have been looking for clean uniform on a Tuesday morning as we have enough sets to last until Wednesday before they need washing and drying....

So do you agree with me is someone sneaking into my house unloading my washing. Drying theirs. Emptying the tray of water and then putting mine back in to fully dry?

To give more context the “boot room” is attached to the main house. It’s kind of a large old brick porch type building (old farm house) with a toilet on one side, stairs in the middle leading up the the back door (locked) and then a large tiled room to the other side that houses boxes, the dryer etc.

So if you are in the hallway in the main house walking from the kitchen or sitting room and the dryer is running it’s easy to hear. As it is in a room that is directly outside the back door just slightly to the right of that room.

I did think about the anti crease thing. But I would have heard the dryer running at 12.30 if this was the case when I was walking to the kitchen to make packed lunches?

If you have a baby monitor you could put that in with the tumble drier to save buying a camera? Or sprinkle some flour all over the floor in front of it so you will see footprints if someone has been using it?

However we have a similar set up to you and our tumble drier is in an old outside loo, I often hear it whirring and beeping in the night just seems to go on it's own randomly.

Leave something trailing over the top or hung over the open door like a tea towel arranged a certain way, take a picture and then you can see if that's been moved or adjusted at all in the morning.

This is good for finding out subtly as if it's being used they'd have no way of knowing you'd arranged something specifically so you could tell it had been moved. It would just look like an item of clothing or tea towel or whatever casually draped and forgotten to them, so they'd move it and at best put it back to make it look undisturbed, but you'd be able to study every crease arrangement from your picture when you left it.

I sometimes do this to drawers, door handles etc. if I have had someone in the house I didn't quite trust not to be nosy when I wasn't there!

Oh and if you leave the tumble drier door ajar at night there's no way it could turn on automatically with door open. Someone would have to close it purposefully.

ILs had a family gathering so we rented a nearby holiday cottage. The tumble dryer was in an outhouse.

I caught SIL tumble drying sheets in it - she was very put out when I said it was cheeky

I agree, put some sand (or flour or sugar) on the floor, or something lent against the door.

The dryer is mine and the landlord shouldn’t have access to that room for any reason. It’s not shared access.

I like the artfully places items test! I’ll give it a go the evenings between now and the trip to get a bolt over the weekend.

But if the phantom drier was doing this to be undetected, why would they turn on the tumble drier after they’d replaced your clothes (knowing that it was off when they took your clothes out) - surely they’d know that it would be a giveaway for you to find it tumbling in the morning?

It seems a bit extreme for someone to purposefully wait up late at night/early hours, just so they can use a tumble dryer. I'm not sure what but I think it must be something else.

I'd have to be sitting there in the dark waiting for the person to see their face when they realise they have been busted. Plus they would have their washing with them.

When you fit the lock put a note on the door saying I know you have been using my tumble dryer and I am appalled at your cheeky fuckerness.

Unplug it at night? Probably a good idea anyway, especially if it’s one that turns itself on randomly.

Apologies for missing the point of the thread entirely, but how much does running your tumble dryer usually cost? I can't have a smart metre and I wonder how much mine is costing me.

This is my new favourite thread .

That is so strange @ghost. Surely it would have been less effort for the SIL to just hang them out to dry somewhere, if she couldn’t afford to tumble them at home / didn’t have a tumble drier.

Op, I have no idea, but I’m very intrigued! It does seem as if your LL is using it on the sly or maybe it’s just broken or something. Empty water tray though.... Keep us updated please!

This reminds me of another MN story of cheeky fuckery. There was a woman who had retired from her job, but was still sneaking in every morning to use the shower facilities. It went on for ages until she was caught.

People like that have no shame.

You definitely need to set a test or a trap.

My question is how is someone getting in your house to begin with if they are using your dryer

Read the thread IAmMum. It will become clear.

another vote for the trap!! dont lock it!

This is very intriguing, what about one of these? Won't break the bank.

Mini Spy Hidden Camera, Careshine Mini Camera Small Camcorder Recorder Video DVR Spy Hidden Pinhole Web Perfect for Indoor Covert Security Camera for Home and Office https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071R3GV4W/ref=cmswwrcppapi_-qPJAbPRFWGZF

TinselAngel on data provided I'd estimate 39p!

How bizzare.

How much electricity does one load use when you are doing the drying (as opposed to the laundry ghost).?

The tumble drier could be faulty. Try taking the plug out before you go to bed.

Unplug and take out the fuse... it won’t work then.

And selotape the door closed.

Or get a crime scene tape to put on the door of the shed.

Or just leave a note, saying
“Oi, leave off using my leccy to dry your unmentionables!

Leave a fiver every time in the kitty if you must use it”

Good idea about the baby monitor @silkpyjamasallday