With energy bills about to skyrocket again in just over a month, most of us are looking for ways to save money where we can.
On Friday (August 25), Ofgem confirmed and 80 per cent rise in the energy price cap, sending households' average annual fuel bills from just under £2000 to a soaring £3549 from October 1. The news has shone a light on how much it costs to run basic home appliances, with some being more costly to operate in the long term.
One important household item - the washing machine - can hike up your energy bills significantly due to its use of electricity. The Energy Trust said washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers account for a huge 14% of households' total energy bills.
READ MORE: Energy price cap: Which appliances use the most electricity?
And now one man has stepped in to find out just how much a washing machine can cost you, the Daily Record reports. Mike of Mike's Money Talk on TikTok, seeks to share the best ways Brits can save cash in small ways.
Known as @ukmoneytalk on the social media app, he tested three different wash cycles and compared the costs using his smart meter display, and found a "big difference" in each one.
In the minute-long video, he first stated that he would be testing a Samsung Eco Bubble machine with a 10.5kg load capacity. He explained: " I've done three different wash loads; eco wash, a 40C synthetic wash and a 60C cotton wash."
He then showed the costs of running all three washes on his smart reader, which amounted to £1.68 for electricity and 91 pence for gas. Mike further added that these numbers would have been "much higher" if he had done more cotton washes.
After running the numbers, the eco wash was found to be the most cost effective, coming to about seven pence per wash. "The eco wash, as you'd expect is the cheapest to run, using 0.23kw of power, costing less than seven p" he said.
In second place, a 40C synthetic wash was found to cost seven pence more for each use: "A 40C synthetic wash used 0.9kw, so that cost significantly more at 25p."
However, Mike found the cost of the third wash cycle to be the most shocking, as there was a significant increase in cost compared to the eco wash. He said: "Now a 60C cotton wash cost a staggering 57p that's 50p more than an eco wash, using just over 2kw of power, amazing."
Viewers were stunned by the results, with one comment reading: "Wow that's a huge difference", while another called the savings "very impressive". In contrast, others expressed concerns over the amount of water an eco wash can use, as well as the long run time.
One follower highlighted: "Eco wash usually uses more water though I think so factor that in if you're on a water meter."
However, Mike was quick to point out that eco wash settings use less water than people think. "According to the instruction manual, eco uses between 38-85L, synthetic wash used 85L, and 60c cotton uses 162L", he replied. Regarding the longer running time, he explained that this eco wash cycle lasted two hours and forty minutes, and still calculated the low cost.
With these figures, one household who runs an average of two 60C cotton washes a week could shave up to £52 off their annual energy bills. In the grand scheme of things, this may seem like a small amount. But as the cost of living crisis continues to sky rocket, even the smallest savings can make a difference.
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