Five mistakes you’re making with your dishwasher and the secret mode that will slash your bills ‘significantly’
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AN ENERGY expert has shared five mistakes you are making with your dishwasher which could be costing you money.
Energy bills are rising across the UK, and we're all looking for hacks to feel less of the burden.
Many people are focused on turning down the heating or not using the tumble dryer - but there is one energy-guzzling appliance many of us forget - the dishwasher.
Thankfully, Llewellyn Kinch, energy expert at , recommended avoiding five common mistakes when using the appliance to keep costs down.
According to the pro, these could be driving up your energy consumption and costing money unnecessarily.
Running Half Loads
The expert told the : “A lot of people run their dishwasher when it’s only half full, thinking it’s convenient.
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“However, dishwashers use the same amount of water and energy regardless of the load size. Always aim to run a full load to maximise efficiency.”
However, a secret mode on your dishwasher can keep the cost of running a half load down.
Skipping secret mode
The eco mode found on most dishwashers uses less water and a lower temperature.
It may take longer for your dishes to clean but the expert says it saves “significant” amounts of energy.
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Rinsing Dishes
According to the energy expert, pre-rinsing dishes before they go in is counter-productive.
A dishwasher is built to deal with it and doing so means you waste more water and energy.
Drying Out
Many dishwashers have a heated dryer option which guzzles up unnecessary energy.
Instead, switch this option off and allow them to air dry, which reduces a lot of energy without any effort.
Hotting Up
The energy expert added: “Many dishwashers have internal heaters that efficiently heat water to the necessary temperature.
“Make sure your dishwasher is using this feature rather than drawing excessively hot water from your mains supply.”
4 ways to keep your energy bills low
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won't even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you've let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven't browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
Alice Beer, a consumer expert on This Morning shared her top advice on helping to keep.
Peak times of using electricity mean it costs more - so she recommended changing your routine to suit off-peak times.
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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."
