‘I’m a laundry expert – using a tumble-dryer at certain times could cost more’

With temperatures plummeting by the day, money-saving hacks are in high demand – and experts believe laundry habits can make all the difference.

Deyan Dimitrov, CEO of Laundryheap, has previously said that there may be one good time to slash some money from your energy bills.

According to the expert, running your washing machine and using the tumble dryer at certain times can put more strain on your finances because of tariffs. In other words, an increased demand can drive up the price of your electricity.

As a general rule of thumb, the most expensive time to dry and wash clothes in the UK is deemed to be between the hours of 4 pm and 7 pm.

The reality, however, is that most homes across the country pay a ‘flat’ rate for electricity – meaning the cost is the same no matter the time of the day you use it.

READ MORE: ‘I’m a laundry expert – a little-known tip could dry your clothes faster’

Some homes are still on an Economy 7 tariff; a system that gives households several ‘off-peak’ hours in the day when your electricity is cheaper. 

Because not every household will have the luxury of doing their laundry at low-cost hours, it may be work checking with your provider a cheaper running time that suits your routine. 

One surefire way to save money when doing laundry is by lowering the temperature settings on your machine and using energy-efficient appliances.  

Several laundry experts have alerted homeowners that using the right setting on appliances alone can help finances. 

By choosing to spin laundry for longer at the end of each cycle, households can reduce the amount of water their clothes will hold when they come out.  

This will ultimately result in faster drying times. Posting on X, the cleaning fan explained: “After I have done a load of washing I always put the load on an extra spring to get water out of the clothes.” 

This also means that any piles of wet clothes that are subsequently put in the tumble dryer can be dried on a shorter cycle too. 

Commenting on the post, several users offered additional money-saving tips when doing laundry during the winter. 

“Continue to hand your washing outside in the winter when the weather allows,” one user wrote. “Might only be 80 percent dry, but that’s 80 percent less energy required in the tumble dryer.”