Martin Lewis' quick tip to cut energy costs by replacing 'demon' appliance with dehumidifier

Winter is fast-approaching and households are looking for ways to save on their energy bills - and Martin Lewis has revealed how to dry clothes indoors without a tumble dryer

Money-saving guru Martin Lewis has a hot tip for households as the chill sets in; ditch your 'demon appliance' tumble dryer and grab a dehumidifier to dry your clothes. With winter on the horizon and sunny days for airing out laundry becoming scarce, homes are facing the struggle of indoor drying, which can lead to issues like mould, condensation, and musty clothes.

But the financial whizz is flagging that tumble dryers could burn a hole in your pocket due to their high running costs. Instead, Martin advocates for the use of dehumidifiers, which are not only more cost-effective but also quick at drying clothes and preventing dampness and mould.

On an episode of The Martin Lewis Podcast, available on BBC Sounds, Spotify, and Apple Music, Martin explained: "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."

With energy costs having dipped since his initial advice, Martin notes that now it would cost about 5.5p an hour to run a dehumidifier, based on the current 26p unit prices for this winter, reports the Express. In comparison, energy supplier Utilita estimates that a tumble dryer can cost between 53p to £1 an hour to run, which is ten to 20 times the amount. It's indeed a demon appliance.

So, what's the best and cheapest dehumidifier?

The Pro Breeze 12L dehumidifier comes with built-in laundry drying settings and a 12-litre tank, allowing you to run it multiple times before needing to empty the tray. It's available on Amazon for £134.99. While it may seem pricey initially, it's much cheaper than running a tumble dryer and fixing mould damage in the long run.

Devola offers a larger 20L model that also includes an air purifier, enabling you to enhance your home's air quality while removing moisture and drying your clothes. The larger 20L model costs £179.99, while the smaller 12L size is priced at £119.06. It also features a quiet run mode at just 38 dB, quieter than a fridge.

Lastly, the EcoAir DD1 7L is slightly smaller, but its slim profile will easily fit into a living room. It has a laundry setting and runs quietly at just 34 dB, making it the quietest model here.

Priced slightly higher at £229, it's the most sophisticated model here with numerous settings, an app for connectivity, and glowing reviews. There are some cheap portable options available, but these lack laundry settings and aren't recommended for drying clothes as they won't be powerful enough or have sufficient water storage.