Households around the UK are feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis and for the past few months, Brits have been looking for ways to save money on their everyday spending.
Energy bills have risen multiple times this year and the new Energy Price Guarantee replaced the Ofgem price cap on October 1.
It freezes bills for the typical household at £2,500 a year for two years, capping the unit rates you are charged for gas and electricity, plus the standing charges.
However, if means that if you use more energy, you could end up paying more - and if you use less energy, you should receive a lower bill.
To help Brits save money this winter, the UK's consumer champion Which? has shared some tips to cut your laundry costs by up to £162.
Using its unique washing machine, tumble dryer and laundry detergent lab tests, Which? has explained what you can do to start saving cash today.
Wash at a lower temperature
The average washing machine costs about £77 a year to run four washes a week.
Which? found that switching from 40°C to 30°C saved on average 38 per cent energy, or £29. Going down even further to 20°C saved 62 per cent energy, or £48 per year.
Lowering the temperature of your wash does not mean you need to compromise on cleaning power, Which? said.
The consumer champion's test found that unless your clothes are really dirty, modern machines will wash them properly even at a lower temperature.
Keep your tumble dryer well maintained
Which? tested the performance of heat pump dryers over 20 loads of drying and found that some machines ended up using 50 per cent more energy on the twentieth load than they did during the first load.
The main reason for the dryers becoming less efficient is that lower filters often get blocked up with dust and lint.
The average heat pump dryer costs around £68 per year to do three loads a week, so this additional energy used due to blocked filters could add around £34 to the annual cost.
To stop your dryer from becoming inefficient, be sure to clean and empty the filter regularly.
Stop doing daily small washes
The most energy-efficient way of washing clothes is to fill up the drum, rather than washing fewer items on a quick wash programme.
Quick programs - or speed-up buttons - slightly reduce how much energy is used, but not as effectively as doing bigger normal washes less regularly.
Which? previously checked what effect speed-up functions have on cleaning and energy in May 2019 and found dramatic differences between the three machines tested.
One machine only reduced the energy used by around 20 per cent, while another cut it in half - not enough to justify a daily wash.
Doing a bigger normal wash four times a week ended up using 17 per cent less energy than the average of the three fast daily washes.
This would add up to an annual saving of around £13 for the average washing machine. Plus, you will also save money as you will be using less detergent.
Switch to a Best Buy laundry detergent
After testing 36 different laundry detergents, Which? found that the most expensive one cost 40p per wash, but one of the top-rated supermarket own brand washing powders costs as little as 8p per wash and cleans just as well.
Switching to a cheaper detergent could save close to £67 per year if you are using your machine four times a week.
Look for Great Value
If you love a deal or are on a tight budget, make sure to look out for Which?'s Great Value badge on reviews. Across the Which? site you'll find more than 500 Great Value products from more than 70 product areas.
Great Value washing machines and Great Value heat-pump tumble dryers start at around £400 and you can buy Great Value washing powder from just 8p a wash.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Home Products and Services Editor, said: "Many consumers are worried about huge energy bills this winter, especially given a lot of people are already feeling the pressures of the cost of living crisis. However, Which? has identified a few simple ways to cut laundry costs.
"By making changes including washing your clothes at a cooler temperature, doing a larger load rather than smaller daily washes and switching to a cheaper detergent – you could potentially save more than £150 this winter."
Last month, the National Grid ESO announced that households will be given more money back to use energy outside of peak hours.
The incentive for avoiding energy-guzzling appliances when demand is high has been increased from 52p per kilowatt hour to £3.
It means households who cook or use the washing machine late at night could make typical savings of £100 this winter.
