Free energy rules!

by Ally Hunt on 01 July 2009  |  5 comments
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We're all enjoying the hot weather - and for some of us it's saving us some money, too!

I can't believe how hot it is at the moment.

Now I love the sun as much as the next person, but even I have to confess that it's probably a bit too hot at the moment. Indeed, this heatwave has caused the Met office to issue its first Heat Health watch warning recommending that under-4s and the elderly should stay indoors.

I'm melting anyway.

But anyhow, I popped over to see a friend earlier and as we chatted in the kitchen I was surprised to hear a familiar noise.

"Are you running your tumble dryer?" I asked, slightly incredulously. And the answer was yes; her little one had been sick all over his bedding in the night and she wanted to get it clean and dry before bedtime.

"But it's 30 degrees outside!" I squeaked. Washing is drying in minutes, it's so hot. In fact I'd be up for a wager that washing hung on a line would dry faster than via a tumble dryer at the moment (and would smell better too).

Ah yes, but hanging it outside is a hassle, she explained. Plus I don't have a decent line.

I was baffled. It was only a few months ago that this same friend was complaining about her energy bills being scandalously high. Why on earth would you waste more money running a tumble dryer, when you don't need to?

Anyway, I was interested to find out how much she could save by giving her dryer a break, so I gave energy provider E-On a call to find out.

They reckon you're roughly looking at 56 pence per hour (assuming you're using a 2500W machine at their standard rate). Switch it on for three hours a week and you'll have spent £1.68.

Do that for a year and that's over £87 you'll never see again. And my friend uses her tumble dryer for longer than three hours each week.

Well, this convinced her. And she's off to spend £20 on a washing line that will have paid for itself by the end of the summer.

Hmm, now who else's life can I interfere with?