Financial expert Martin Lewis has warned households to ditch their tumble dryers this winter and switch to dehumidifiers instead. The Money Saving Expert founder labels tumble dryers "demon appliances" that cost up to £1 per hour to run, while dehumidifiers can dry clothes indoors for roughly 7p per hour.
Energy supplier Utilita calculates tumble dryers cost between 53p and £1 per hour to operate. A 200W dehumidifier runs at approximately 7p per hour, based on current electricity pricing of 34p per kilowatt hour. The switch could save households £215 before the next energy announcement.
Lewis explained the cost calculation on "The Martin Lewis Podcast," available on BBC Sounds, Spotify and Apple Music: «Many dehumidifiers have different wattages - the one I checked out was 200W. Once we know it's 200W and we know a kilowatt is 1,000W, which is how electricity tends to be priced, we know this is a fifth of a kilowatt. And you pay roughly 34p per kilowatt per hour. A fifth is 7p, so you're going to pay roughly 7p per hour to run a dehumidifier at 200W, assuming it uses full power the whole time.»
Dehumidifier Options
Several models are currently available at varying price points. The Pro Breeze 12L dehumidifier is reduced from £149.99 to £84 during Debenhams' Black Friday sale. Devola offers a 20L model for £134.99 and a 12L version for £119, both operating at ultra-quiet 38db noise levels.
The EcoAir DD1 7L is priced at £199.99 and runs at 34db, making it the quietest model on the market. Cheaper portable dehumidifiers exist but lack the power and water storage capacity needed for effective clothes drying.
Washing Machine Savings
Consumer champion Which? has separately advised households on reducing washing machine costs. The organization posted on X that «few small changes can go a long way» in keeping «costs down.»
Lowering washing temperature from 40C to 30C cuts energy consumption by approximately 38 percent. Dropping to 20C saves up to 62 percent. Based on the October 2025 price cap for four washes weekly, an average washing machine costs about £65 annually to run. Washing at 30C would save £25 per year, while 20C cuts costs by £40.
Which? recommends checking if clothes actually need washing before each cycle: «Before chucking an item in the wash, check whether it's actually dirty or if it could just do with a spot clean because of a spillage. Overwashing can lead to a shorter life for clothes, so to keep them looking good for longer it's better to wear an item multiple times between washes.»
The organization also advises loosening laundry before loading: «Make sure everything is easy for the detergent to reach. Loosen your laundry before putting it in, because if your clothes are tangled together into a ball, they won't be washed as well.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
