Homeowners are being urged to use a simple gadget that could slash the energy it takes to complete a full tumble dry by 20%.
With electricity costs soaring as of late, all suggestions are welcome when it comes to driving down the cost of running a home.
Enter Irish energy-saving expert Colm Griffin from purchase.ie who recently posted to TikTok urging people to pick up a pair of €3 tumble dryer balls the next time they do their supermarket shop.
When explaining the nifty gadget, Colm said: "Tumble dryers typically use about a euro an hour when they're on."
He continued: "But these are dryer balls, and you put them in with your laundry."
So how do they work? Instead of the clothes getting stuck together, dryer balls help separate clothes and distribute them more evenly around the tumble dryer.
Colm went on to explain: "This means the clothes are able to dry faster. They can reduce drying time by up to 20%. So for every hour you use your tumble dryer, you could be saving up to 20c an hour."
You can watch Colm's video below:
@colmgriffinkerry #energysaving #energysavingtips #energyrates #tumbledryer ♬ original sound - colmgriffin
The cost of running a tumble dryer is steep with the estimated annual cost standing at around €230 – with that in mind, throwing a few dryer balls in with your laundry could save you a handy 46 quid a year. Not bad!
However, that's not the only money-saving tip we've got for you...
Earlier in October, British heating experts Boiler Central warned people against completely switching off their gas boilers at night.
They said "if the boiler is turned off and you have forgotten to turn it back on, some can be temperamental" and in turn require a serviceperson callout if it breaks down.
In essence, the experts at Boiler Central claim that if the boiler is turned off and you have forgotten to turn it back on, the smaller amount of money you'll save by completely shutting down your boiler at night is outweighed by the increased risk of a costly call-out fee and parts bill.
We get it — with Bord Gáis announcing price hikes in the region of 39% and FloGas by 23% it is tempting to completely turn off your boiler, however, a simple and safe measure like turning down your thermostat by one degree can save a household up to €100 over the course of one year.
To ensure your boiler runs smoothly across the winter, the experts at Boiler Central say people should carefully adjust their thermostat's temperature settings on a regular basis, select the boiler run times on the thermostat panel, and get their boiler serviced by a qualified technician before the winter rolls in each year.
