The personal finance expert has shared his top tips and said one item should be ‘avoided completely’ if possible
Martin Lewis and his MSE site have highlighted how people can save energy this winter as the cold arrives and it becomes difficult to dry clothes and heat the homes. Here is a rundown of his advice, updated on the MSE site this month.
- Martin Lewis slammed a ‘demon appliance’ that is the biggest energy guzzler in the house and should be avoided at all costs. Mr Lewis highlighted the tumble dryer as one appliance to use as sparingly as possible, given its cost of £1 per load. He said: “Do you know what the real ‘demon appliance’ is in most people’s houses – the one that you don’t want to use because it’s really expensive. Tumble dryers. You’re typically paying up to a quid per load, so dry your clothes on an airer outside, to shorten the amount of time you’re using your tumble dryer, or avoid using it completely. Those who have dehumidifiers can take some of the moisture out of the air. It’s less wattage than a tumble dryer, so it can be more cost-effective.”
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- Are dehumidifiers cheaper than heating? Martin explained: “Dehumidifiers take water out of the air rather than use the heating and they’re much lower wattage appliances than standard heating. So if the dehumidifier works for you, it will definitely have lower electricity bills.”
- Radiator reflectors: Mr Lewis suggested that people should consider using reflective panels behind radiators – to bounce the heat back into the room rather than through the wall to outside. He advised: “A tip for you, reflective panels behind radiators. Sheets of reflective material can be placed behind radiators. Crucially, this is on external wall radiators, so the heat doesn’t escape. If you don’t want to pay for those, then tin foil can work, although it doesn’t work quite as well.”
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- Turn them off: He said: “If you’ve got radiators in rooms that you’re not using, go and turn them off before you turn the heating on so you’re not wasting cash overheating empty spaces.”
- Boiler simple change: “Changing the flow rate on your boiler can cut gas bill by over 9% and you won’t notice the change.”
- Drafts and TVs: Other general tips included: “Check your TV’s on a low energy setting too and walk around your house. Be a draft detector – what drafts can you spot as you walk around your house? And then try, if you can, to seal them up.”
- Don’t dilute your bath if it’s too hot: Set your boiler’s water temperature to 55C – Octopus Energy says a temperature of about 55°C should be enough for most. Essentially, if you are diluting the hot water with a lot of cold to reach the desired temperature in your bath, it is likely too hot and you’re wasting cash.
- Check the fridge temperature: According to the Food Standards Agency, you should keep fridges at 5°C and freezers at -18°C. Don’t waste energy by having them set colder than this – it won’t make any difference to the quality of your food, just the size of your energy bill. Most modern fridges and freezers have temperature gauges that you can adjust yourself, so check your settings.