Money expert shares the exact two hours in a day you should never use your washing machine or dishwasher
WE'RE all looking for easy tricks to save us money as energy prices hike up for winter.
And one consumer expert has revealed her top tip to stop home appliances from becoming vampires and draining your bank account.
Alice Beer, a consumer expert on This Morning, to share her valuable advice.
One of her tips was to never do a half load of laundry, adding: "One full load is much less energy than two half loads, that’s obvious."
With the recent 10 per cent increase in the Energy Price Cap on October 1, of this year, it means households can be charged up to £1,717 per year for gas and electricity.
This is a jump of almost £200 compared to the Energy Price Cap of £1, 568 between July 1 to September 30, 2024.
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What's worse is that EDF Energy have predicted yet another increase in January in the midst of winter when we need it the most to keep us warm.
Alice shared her tips last year, but with the consistent increases her tips still apply to help you save money.
The consumer expert added: "Think about what you’re using in the kitchen... it’s more efficient to use a dishwasher than washing up by hand - especially if you keep a tap running.
";The kettle... it honestly saves you money and helps the UK’s electricity supply if you’re just boiling the amount of water you need."
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Alice added: "Think about using the microwave instead of using a cooker when you can - much cheaper to use a microwave."
And she pointed out that people should avoid electrical appliances such as washing machines and ovens in a specific time frame every day.
Peak times of using electricity means it costs more- so she recommended changing your routine to suit off-peak times.
She said: "Look at how that works for you. We should all be thinking of using a lot less energy in that peak period [which is] 6pm to 8pm at night."
Alice asked: "Can you switch to having your meal a bit earlier or later perhaps? Using the dishwasher between 6pm to 8pm is a no-go."
The expert also offered some sage advice on slashing water usage and, consequently, reducing bills.
Alice said: "There are different thermostatic controls that you should have a look at.
"The first one is the one that is usually in your hall and it’s a dial. One in five have got that set at 22 degrees - that's Lanzarote temperatures!"
She said reducing the temperature by just four degrees would be much cheaper to run.
The money expert added that radiator valves shouldn't be forgotten about either.
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Alice advised: "The second thermostatic control is on your radiators, if you’ve got a valve on your radiator you need to be controlling that to get to the right temperature."
She stressed the importance of conserving energy by stating: "Most importantly, you need to turn that right off if you’re not using a room - spare room, dining room, any room that you don’t use very often, turn the valve off."
5 Money-saving tips for autumn/winter
1. Draught-proof your home
It takes time and money to heat up your home, so it’s important that you do as much as you can to keep in the warmth. Close your doors and windows, and fill any gaps with a draught excluder.
2. Dial down your thermostat
According to Energy UK, turning down your thermostat by just one degree Celsius could cut your heating bill by up to 10%, and save you around £85 per year. Plus, if you don’t have a thermostat, installing one could save up to £70 per year!
3. Move furniture around
Make sure not big, bulky furniture like sofas are blocking radiators.
4. Wash clothes on a lower temp and add an extra spin
Unless it's bedding, towels or really dirty items, dial down the temperature to 20 or 30 degrees, and do a double spin to remove excess water.
5. Heat the person not the home
There's not point heating up a room that no one is sitting in, so be mindful about which radiators are on.