Irish households have been closely watching their electricity consumption since bills skyrocketed last year.
The second instalment of the Government's energy credit has been coming into people's electricity accounts from January 1, and will continue until February 28.
However, despite the much-needed boost, winter is still a very expensive time of year for energy use and bills have come as a shock to many people amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
READ MORE: Exact date final €200 electricity credit will be paid amid cost of living crisis
So what practical steps can people take in order to make savings on their energy bills?
According to statistics from Energia, there is one appliance you could stop using today to save yourself a small fortune.
The tumble dryer is one of the worst offenders for guzzling electricity in the house with an hour of drying costing €1.30.
If you’re in the habit of using the tumble dryer every day, it all adds up and will cost you around €39 a month. Over a year, this adds up to a whopping €468.
While many people don’t use the tumble dryer every day, it is still the first thing households can cut out to save money on their energy bill.
And those who make the change are guaranteed to see the difference on their energy bill.
Instead of a tumble dryer, people can switch to the age-old method of using a clothes horse, or even switch a dehumidifier on in the room where the clothes are hung to dry them faster.
How to be smart with your tumble dryer use
However, if you must use your tumble dryer, there are some clever ways to maximise its efficiency.
Different materials require different settings so you should dry similar types of clothes together to make it more efficient time-wise.
In general, high heat is used for jeans, towels, and other heavy items. Medium heat can be used for synthetic materials like polyester; and low heat for delicate items.
If you separate your delicate items from your heavy items, it could allow you do one 60-minute load and one 120-minute load. This would cost 25% less than two 120-minute loads.
By managing your load correctly, your energy usage will be reduced but also your clothes should last longer.
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