Winter Fuel Payment: I keep warm and dry my washing for just 9p an hour with best-selling heated airer

If there's one chore you can't escape it's the washing - and in most households there's a lot of it. But with energy costs on the rise, families have been looking for alternatives to dry their clothes so they can avoid racking up a big bill from the central heating or tumble dryer.

The heated airer is one solution and it's Lakeland's Dry-Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer that I swear by since first trying it out a couple of years back.

The airers, which come in various sizes, have become one of Lakeland's best-selling products, amassing almost 300 five-star reviews. And what I really like about it is that when it's in use I don't need to turn the radiators on, as it generates enough warmth to heat me as well as dry my washing.

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It can actually hold up to 15kg of wet washing over 21 metres of drying space, which is probably why customers have called it 'a life changer' and said they 'wouldn't be without it'.

I'm not sure what my washing weighed when I first decided to test it out, but after at least four days of no washing with four people in the house, there was a lot - isn't there always!

The description says it costs 9p per hour to run, which I decided to verify this week with my nifty little electricity monitor, which checks the usage of individual items.

It was on for five hours overall, which amounted to 45p on my current electricity rate, so it did indeed work out at just 9p for 60 minutes.

It wasn't all completely dry in that time, but the good thing about these is that when it's on, your room heats up too - so the spare bedroom I use when working from home gets toasty warm when this is on. And the heat that lingers once it's turned helps to finish most of them off.

You can get a cover for the airer too, which speeds up the drying time - although I'm told sticking a bed sheet over the top has the same effect. The cover does have a mesh top and sides though to aid circulation and prevent it from getting too hot.

I'd say the real beauty of this particular model is definitely its size, especially when you've got a family-load or loads to get dry, with school uniforms, sports kits and whatever else they've decided to stick in the wash after a couple of hours' wear.

But it's light enough to move around to wherever you want to use it - you can buy wheels for it to help with that, costing £9.99 - and when not in use it folds away neatly, with the cover turning into a handy storage bag to keep it in.

You don't have to just take my word for it though. Those website reviews speak for themselves, including one from customer Mrs Rhodes, who described it as 'wonderful' and said: "I purchased one of the deluxe airers many years ago and replaced it about five years ago and it’s still going strong. I have since purchased one for my niece who now can’t be without it.

"I have recommended it to friends who tell me they wished they had known about them years ago as they find them great. So keep up the good work Lakeland."

Other customers have praised the product on the Lakeland Facebook page, where one said: "I have one, it’s absolutely brilliant, I’ve had it years so worth the money, highly recommended."

And another added: "Would not be without mine, one of the best things I've bought."

The Dry-Soon 3-Tier Heated Airer costs £249.99, but is currently reduced to £199.99 on the Lakeland website here, or from Amazon at the same price. You can get the airer and cover as a bundle for £215.98. Standard Lakeland delivery is free.

Other heated airers are available from the likes of Dunelm, where this three-tier airer costs £95, or Argos, where this three tier one has been reduced from £105 to £69.97.