Nearly two thirds of households have cut back on using appliances because they fear running up energy bills they will struggle to pay, a survey has found.
Online retailer Freemans found that 65% of families have limited their use of or cut out electrical appliance in order to reduce bills, with ovens and washing machines being first in line for reduced use. The concern is top of agenda after the rise in energy prices this month to £2,500 per year for an average home, and households have been looking for ways to reduce their spending.
Although the Government stepped in to prevent householders having to pay Ofgem's eye-watering price cap of £3549 for average use from October 1, the new price guarantee is still more than the £1971 we were paying last month, and a staggering £800 more than the average price cap of £1277 last October.
Read more: Nine ways to cut the cost of using your tumble dryer this winter
There are various cost of living payments which have either been paid or are to come, including the £400 energy rebate, which started this month, but billpayers remain concerned about energy costs and continue to look for ways to save.
The internet is awash with ideas of how to cut down spending, from washing laundry in cold water to investing in gadgets to curb tumble dryer use, but the survey of just over 2000 people found that for most of them, cutting down on usage was the best way to keep ahead of costs.
Two in five families have limited the use of their oven or even stoped cooking in it altogether, often in favour of this year's must-have, an air fryer, which has seen a 10% uplift in usage, according to Freemans. Air fryers are generally cheaper to run than most ovens, and the smaller capacity and the fact they don't need to be preheated adds to their economy.
Households are also taking a clean look at their laundry schedule, with washing machine use down by 34%. The tumble dryer has fallen out of favour, with 33% saying they had stopped using theirs in favour of line drying when the weather was good and other methods when it wasn't. Dehumidifiers and heated airers have seen a surge in popularity as they cost much less per hour than the tumble dryer, although take many more hours to dry washing.
Maybe surprisingly, the kettle was next in line for the chop, with 31% of households giving it the cold shoulder. As it's unlikely Brits have cut down on their collective million cups of tea every day, the most likely scenario is that they are choosing to switch to a one-cup dispenser or storing boiling water in a flask to keep hot for later on the day.
Home and personal standards are also dropping, with irons being used around 30% less often and 29% of homes forgoing hoovering the floor quite so often. Hairdryers were also given the brush off, with 28% of people forgoing a blow dry for the sake of their pocket.
And quick snacks have taken a hit, with 29% admitting they were using their electric grill and their toaster less than previously.
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