With people in the UK looking for ways they can stay warm without turning on the heating in their homes, amid rising energy bills this month, products that can help for cheap are being sought after.
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has already suggested electric blankets, gloves and gilets as ways to stay warm for very little money and one reporter has given her verdict on a heated airer from Dunelm that costs 3p an hour to run, saying it has "changed the way she dries washing" and "the warmth of the airer also doubles up as a heater".
Emily Sleight's review for the Liverpool Echo is below. But just what did she think of the airer and how can it help more people stay warm and dry in their homes during these current times?
Read more: Martin Lewis' 'desperately sad' cheaper alternatives to switching on the heating
Emily writes...
According to the Energy Saving Trust, the national price average in November last year to use a tumble dryer was 20.33p per pence/kWh of electricity an hour. It’s now rising by 50% this month.
Since moving out I’ve started to realise just how expensive simple household tasks can be, like for example, putting a wash on. Using a tumble dryer can end up costing a fortune, and with unpredictable British weather, sometimes it’s the only option a household has.
My mum recommended purchasing a heated airer to dry my washed clothes quickly and efficiently, and I never really saw the fuss, until now. I recently purchased a 3-tier heated airer from Dunelm, which is designed to heat up the drying process and I’ve never looked back.
Priced at £100, the airer is made from aluminium and is suitable for up to 15kg of washing. It’s supplied with an additional storage rack which means I can stack as much washing on it as I can. Here’s my verdict on the product:
This airer comes with three tiers that fold away to save space, and although when the product is folded it’s still fairly big, it tucks away nicely. According to the product description, it’s suitable for up to 15kg of washing with an additional storage rack.
I can manage about a wash and a half on the rack depending on what’s been washed, and it takes seconds to heat up. The warmth of the airer also doubles up as a heater, which makes my spare room nice and warm (hopefully saving money on heating bills!)
It’s a real pain to rely on British weather when you’re wanting to hang your washing out, which is why this heated airer is such a great addition to my household items. All I need to do is put a wash on after work and stick it on the airer overnight and it’s usually dry in the morning.
Although you’re not getting that fresh ‘outside’ smell like you would if you were to hang it out, the airer still leaves your clothes feeling soft and smelling fresh. The only downside is the fact that the towels do feel hard once they’ve been dried overnight, which is something I’m still trying to find a solution to.
It costs from 3p an hour to run, saving around 37p with the latest 50% increase this month. As the phrase goes “every little helps”, and the heated airer could save around £1.85 if I were to use it five days a week adding up to around £9.25 a month.
The verdict
I honestly haven’t looked back since purchasing this airer, I never saw the fuss with the product until now. It’s so easy to get my washing done, and the fact that it doubles up as a heater is a bonus.
Washing used to be a real chore, and don’t get me wrong, putting it all away is still very annoying, but at least the drying process is a lot easier now. I’ve learnt it’s all about the placement of the clothes, as sometimes they don’t always dry properly if they’re not hung up correctly.
It may seem a bit steep for £100, but I truly believe in the long run it’s going to save me a lot of money, and it’s such a handy product. You can purchase the Dunelm heated airer here.
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