Energy bills have shot up recently amid the Cost of Living crisis, with the typical household paying hundreds more for their gas and electricity.
The energy regulator Ofgem hiked its price cap by an unprecedented £700 on April 1. For those on a default tariff who pay by direct debit, the price cap has gone up from £1,277 to £1,971 - a rise of £693.
Prepayment customers have seen a bigger jump, with their price cap going up by £708, from £1,309 to £2,017. The price cap limits how much households can be charged for each unit of gas and electricity they use, The Mirror reports.
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But if you're looking to lower your bills, one place you could start is ditching your tumble dryer. In the summer, if you’ve got an outside space and the weather is nice, then experts at British Gas suggest drying your clothes outside could save you £40 a year.
If you don’t have a garden or balcony, another option could be to use a clothes airer. This should be done in a well ventilated room so you don’t cause mould in your home.
Joanna Flowers, engineer at British Gas said: “You can save on average £40 a year on your electricity bill by line drying clothes instead of using a tumble dryer during the summer.”
British Gas also estimates that running your washing machine on a 30° cycle instead of using higher temperatures can save around £28 on your annual bill.
“There are several things you can do to be more energy efficient with the washing machine," said Ms Flowers.
“Use the economy settings to save water and energy and drying your clothes outside as much as you can when the weather allows. In the winter, you should also avoid drying clothes on radiators as much as you can as it will make your boiler work harder to heat the room.“
