The cost of living in Ireland is fast on the rise and so more and more people are searching for ways to make their money go further.
The main issue facing Irish homes at the moment is the price of energy bills, which are showing no signs of slowing down.
Among the many companies hiking their charges, as a result, is Bord Gais Energy who last week confirmed a major price hike in gas and electricity bills. Electric Ireland also announced a huge increase in prices while PrepayPower confirmed a €750 hike in recent weeks.
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While many of the ‘money-saving’ tips online don’t actually have much of an effect on your pocket, according to appliance experts at AO.com, there are effective measures you can take at home to cut down on costs.
One simple tip they shared explained how changing the way you wash your clothes could actually save you substantial money in the long term.
Posting a video on their TikTok page, they wrote: "Take note. This is how you can save energy when using your washing machine! #washingmachine #washingmachinetips #energysaving."
The now-viral video went on to explain that a lot of people make the mistake of overfilling their washing machine - which in turn makes your energy bills more expensive.
The video said: "Overfilling your washing machine can be adding money to your energy bills."
This is because if your washing machine is jam-packed for every wash, the machine has to "work harder" and in turn uses more energy.
AO recommended following their simple rule to saving money: "As a rule of thumb, fill your washing machine drum around ¾," they said.
Some may argue that this tip won't actually save money because it would mean putting on more washes, however, packing your washing machine can also put the appliance under pressure and cause damage, meaning you will need to get it serviced or even replaced sooner than necessary.
So either way, lighter loads in your washing machine will save you money in the long term.
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