Consumer expert Alice Beer has shared some invaluable advice to help households slash their energy bills – and it’s all to do with the time of day you use your washing machine.
Consumer experts are urging Brits to avoid washing their clothes during two specific hours of the day to avoid high electricity bills.
It comes as the cold snap hits Britain hard, meaning millions are cranking up their heating for the first time.
Washing clothes is an imperative part of keeping ourselves clean, but many may not know it costs more to run a wash during specific times of the day. Now, consumer expert Alice Beer has revealed when is the worst time to put the washing on.
As well as this, she shared some invaluable advice to help households slash their energy bills, including “never” putting on half-loads of laundry. She explained the move would help people to keep on top of their bills, which have risen by 2% from October to December.
“One full load is much less energy than two half loads, that’s obvious,” Alice revealed in a TV segment on This Morning. “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. Think about using the microwave instead of using a cooker when you can – much cheaper to use a microwave.”
Alice also urged viewers to consider switching to an off-peak tariff, telling them to do their own research to see if it is worth it: “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.”
She added: “Can you switch to having your meal a bit earlier or later perhaps? Using the dishwasher between 6pm to 8pm is a no-go.”
Consumer guru Alice also revealed some sensible tips on keeping water consumption down and, consequently, staying on top of bills that have to be paid. She 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!”
Reducing the thermostat from 22 to 18 degrees would be considerably more energy efficient and cheaper to run.
Moving on to radiators, she 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.”
