Martin Lewis has warned households to avoid using tumble dryers, calling them a 'demon appliance' due to their high running costs of around £1 per cycle. Speaking on his BBC Radio 5 podcast, the personal finance expert advised air-drying clothes outdoors or using a dehumidifier as cheaper alternatives.
His warning comes as new figures reveal that families are heading into winter with a record £780 million debt to energy suppliers, according to a Uswitch survey. The number of households in debt has risen 46% year-on-year, from 2.4 million to 3.5 million, with the average debt increasing 29% to £223.
Lewis also recommended using reflective panels behind radiators to prevent heat escaping through external walls, suggesting tin foil as a cheaper alternative. He advised turning off radiators in unused rooms and adjusting boiler flow rates to save over 9% on gas bills.
Separate data from regulator Ofgem shows customers owe energy firms over £4 billion in unpaid bills, up more than £750 million from last year. One in six households earning under £20,000 a year are already in debt, and over two million low-income families have no credit saved for winter.
