Martin Lewis urges shoppers to ditch 'demon' tumble dryers for a dehumidifier this winter

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has a solution that will help keep your home warm and dry whilst saving you money on your energy bills.

As the chill of winter approaches, households face the challenge of indoor drying, which can lead to issues such as mould, condensation, and musty clothes. Not only is damp bad for your health and clothes, it can also make the home difficult to heat.

Financial guru Martin Lewis has a tip for cost-effective drying without resorting to energy-hungry tumble dryers. On an episode of The Martin Lewis Podcast available on BBC Sounds, Spotify, and Apple Music, Martin advocates using dehumidifiers as a more economical alternative to the 'demon appliances' due to their high running costs.

If you want to find out why, and where to find the best dehumidifier deals, read on.

Examining the benefits of the alternative, Martin Lewis explains: "Many dehumidifiers have different wattages – the one I checked out was 200W."

He continues, "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."

He calculates: "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 recent drops in energy costs, Martin notes that operating a dehumidifier now may cost about 5.5p an hour, based on current unit prices of 26p this winter, reports the Express.

In comparison, energy supplier Utilita estimates that a tumble dryer can cost between 53p to £1 per hour to run, which is ten to 20 times more.

So, what's the best or cheapest dehumidifier?

The Pro Breeze 12L dehumidifier, with built-in laundry drying settings and a 12-litre tank, allows for multiple uses before needing to empty the tray. It's available on Amazon for just £135.99. While it may seem pricey initially, it's cheaper than running a tumble dryer and fixing mould damage in the long run.

Devola offers a larger 20L model with an integrated air purifier, allowing you to improve your home's air quality while removing moisture and drying clothes. The larger 20L model costs £179.99, while the smaller 12L size is priced at £119.06.

Both models feature a quiet run mode at just 38db, quieter than a fridge.

Lastly, the EcoAir DD1 7L is slightly smaller but its slim profile fits easily into a living room.

It has a laundry setting and runs quietly at just 34db. Priced slightly higher at £229, it's the most sophisticated model here with numerous settings including laundry drying, an app for connectivity, and glowing reviews.

There are some cheaper 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.

For more life hacks and fuel bill saving tips, check out the Daily Record's Lifestyle page.

Top Heating Stories

• £35 heated gilet is 'life changing'
• 'Toasty' blanket that's cheap to run
• This heater gets temp up 'in minutes'
• Dunelm chimnea heater is 'cheap to run'

Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.