Another electric one (might be helpful)

[Singlebutmarried]

Hands up if you’re super lazy and tumble dry everything?

I experimented and went a month with only using it for towels and bedding.

Comparing the kWh Aug-Sept then same period Sept-Oct we’ve used 150 kWh less.

On our current tariff that works out to be £52.59 less (we’re on a fix of 35.06p per kWH). I was actually surprised as I’d never added it up before.

When we looked at our yearly useage it’s above average so we stand to save 1800 kWh just by ditching the dryer. Our useage is currently 6412 per year (based on last year)

We’ve also invested in an airfryer (1 month of not tumbling as much has covered the cost on that) so oven useage will be a lot lower too.

It’s a challenge now to see how low I can get it.

This month will be not using the dryer at all to see if I can improve on that at all. I’m aware gas useage may go up to help with the drying of clothes - I can heat only the room with the clothes airier in rather than the whole house (compared to the same period last year we’ve used less though 11 units of gas this vs 18 units last year) I’m thinking last year was colder as according to FB we’d already lit the fire by now too.

I’ll admit to never really thinking too much about it before, but now I’ve set myself a goal and I’m going to get useage down even more.

Up to 24 hours in winter usually. Good air circulation on the banister and I would usually wash on the weekend when the windows are open half the day. I use the radiators in bathrooms for towels and they are the overflow ones that can't be switched off. Bathrooms are usually too hot when heating is on. I love crunchy towels!

We have also mostly stopped using ours and it has been ok so far. We don't have a washing line (will be getting one) so have been using our airing cupboard, an airer and the bannister. Last night we had the airer by the wood burner and dh joked that we'll be having baths next to it soon, but it has made me realise that it really isn't that hard without a tumble drier (an absolute essential for me previously).

If you dry washing on radiators make sure you are using the drying racks rather than putting wet clothes straight onto the radiator, putting them directly on the radiator reduces its efficiency as the heat is blocked so your boiler works harder and uses more gas.

I dry clothes outside year round on dry days. Extra spin to get as much water as possible out, then on the line but bring it in before it gets dark to prevent dew forming and it getting wetter again. It sometimes needs hanging inside for a couple of hours just to finish off or a short blast in the dryer but 15-30 mins rather than a full 2hr cycle.

Buying small cheap towels helps with drying time! I replaced five year old towels with some on offer in Tesco, they are 70 x 110 I think, so just wrap around, but i dry with a towel, don't wear it anyway.

What made you conclude a slow cooker is cheaper than anything else? The image a pp posted shows that using a gas hob is generally cheaper than a slow cooker?(But a slow cooker is cheaper than cooking on an electric hob.)

Sheets dry really fast over an airer. Much faster than a pe kit top.

I agree with this

Never use tumble dryer in the summer so twice a week during winter is worth it.

And to the pp who said she only does quick washes now, my machine uses more electric that was that a slower wash.

I've always done it to some extent but ultimately 4 people's clothes, towels, bedding plus a job out of the house 13+ hours a day mean it's just not realistic and the tumble drier is the only way people end up with clothes to wear in this house

I tumble dry cotton things at the end of their manual drying, for 30 mins only

**than a slower wash

The key to washing is 1400rpm washing machine spin!

I have a washer-dryer, but never use it for drying. Clothes go on an airer, most are dry by the following day, but I tend to leave them there until the airer is needed by the next load.

If I wash a towel in the morning and hang it back on the towel rail, it's dry enough to use by evening.

Sheets and duvet covers hung on the bannisters dry in about four hours. I can wash them in the later afternoon and sleep on them the same night.

A thick throw I keep on the couch would probably take about 12 hours to dry completely, but I've been known to put it back on the couch after four. Being slightly damp for the first few hours doesn't make it impossible to sit on. I suppose body heat helps it dry faster.

The spin on my washing machine does take most of the water out, all these things are only slightly damp at the start of any air drying.

I have a warm flat, with humidity reduced by continuously running extractor fans in two bathrooms turning over the air, as well as a dehumidifier in one upstairs room.

I read a convincing post on here that quick washes use more electricity, not less.

Are you drying some of your washing outside? It sounds like an awful lot inside so you will need to ventilate well.

Do you not have a washing line?

I’ve never used a tumble dryer as they’re known to cost a lot.

I’m surprised that you are so surprised by this.

It’s common sense that using something that uses electricity less, will result in less electricity being used and therefore less money is being spent on electric.

If you use your lights, TV etc less you’ll also save on your electric bill.
But things like tumble dryers use much more so you’ll see a much bigger difference not using them.

If I was you, I would only use it in an emergency.
It’s chilly where I am but still dry so I put mine out on the line and then bring it in to finish dryer on a rack if it starts raining.

You need to check the manual for your machine. My eco setting only does 40 or 60 degrees, a 50 minute wash at 30 uses less electric. If I ever needed a hotter wash then eco might be cheaper.

@Alaimo as I don't have gas in my kitchen

Ooh I’ve not checked that.

todays task will be doing a quick wash and then a normal wash and see what the meter says.

It doesn’t say gas oven on there. Would like to know how that compares as we have one! I guess not many people do!?

I would love to but the dog swings on the washing line if there’s clothes on there.

so until Fido expires, indoor drying it is.

How do you get airers over the stairs? This would be a game changer for me so I'm interested!

I take bedding and towels to the launderette, 1 quid for ten mins on high in an industrial dryer. Works out £4/£5 a month

I know they’re expensive to run. I wasn’t however expecting it to make up pretty much a third of our useage. Which is bonkers.

I've got a tumble dryer but never use it, not for cost reasons, I just think it destroys my clothes. I dry on an airer and heated towel rail, bedding / towels I drop round to the laundry

Does continously running 2 extractor fans and a dehumidifier not cancel out the energy saving made by not using a drier for an hour or so?