Overview
- Speaking on BBC Radio 5, Martin Lewis urged households to restrict tumble dryer use, estimating about £1 per load compared with roughly 12p to 27p for a washing machine cycle.
- He recommended dehumidifiers to manage damp and help dry clothes because they draw less power than using the heating.
- Lewis advised fitting reflective panels behind external‑wall radiators and turning off radiators in unused rooms to cut waste.
- Uswitch reported households owe about £780 million to energy suppliers, with arrears up 46% to 3.5 million customers and typical debt rising to £223 as average credit fell to £98 and many homes have none saved.
- Ofgem said customers owe suppliers more than £4 billion, up by over £750 million year on year, while a Which? expert highlighted heated clothes airers costing about 8p per hour as a lower‑cost drying option for small loads.