The soaring cost of everything from energy to water means we are all paying more to keep our homes running. This month alone saw the energy price cap surge by an eye-watering £700.
For default direct debit account holders, it means the cap has gone from £1,277 to £1,971 - a rise of £693. The price cap limits how much households can be charged for each unit of gas and electricity they use.
The average water bill has also risen as high as £420 this year this year in another blow to household finances. But if you're looking to save some cash, one place you could start is with your washing machine, the Mirror reports.
Many of us just switch it on without thinking. However there are more economical ways to use your washing machine without keeping it on too long or with temperatures too high.
Experts at British Gas estimate that running your washing machine on a 30° cycle instead of using higher temperatures can save around £28 on your annual bill. And drying your clothes outside as much as you can could save even more.
Joanna Flowers, engineer at British Gas, said: “There are several things you can do to be more energy efficient with the washing machine. 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. Setting your washing machine to wash at 30 degrees rather than higher temperatures will save around £28 a year on energy bills.”
Bills for water and sewage in England and Wales are due to rise 1.7% this year, Water UK said, but some households may find their bills rise more or less than this average figure. Some parts of the country, like Essex, will see bills rising by 10 per cent.
Around £200 of the average bill goes to paying for water, and the remaining £219 for sewerage costs.
