Martin Lewis warns against one 'demon appliance' that is spiking energy bills

Money-saving expert Martin Lewis has warned the public about a "demon appliance" that is one of the biggest energy consumers in the home. In a previous episode of his BBC Radio 5 podcast, Mr. Lewis provided advice amidst rising energy bills, as reported in the Mirror . He highlighted a key appliance that should be used sparingly due to its high cost per use. "

Do you know what the real 'demon appliance' is in most people's houses - the one that you don't want to use because it's really expensive? "

Tumble dryers. You're typically paying up to a quid per load so dry your clothes on an airer outside, to shorten the amount of time you're using your tumble dryer, or avoid using it completely. Did you know you can make ChronicleLive a preferred source of North East news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away?

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Those who have dehumidifiers can take some of the moisture out of the air. It's less wattage than a tumble dryer, so it can be more cost-effective." One live listener, Rob, noticed that his flat became damp since he started drying his laundry indoors. He said: ”

If I were to buy a dehumidifier, would it be cheaper than using the heating to keep the place dry?" Martin replied : "

Dehumidifiers take water out of the air rather than use the heating and they're much lower wattage appliances than standard heating. So if the dehumidifier works for you, it will definitely have lower electricity bills." One issue is that radiators often heat spaces that do not retain warmth, leading to rapid heat loss to the outdoors.

In a previous episode of his BBC podcast, Mr. Lewis suggested that households consider installing reflective panels behind radiators. These panels can help direct heat back into the room rather than allowing it to escape through the wall to the outside, as reported by the Mirror . He explained: "A tip for you reflective panels behind radiators.

Sheets of reflective material can be placed behind radiators. Crucially, this is on external wall radiators, so the heat doesn't escape. If you don't want to pay for those, then tin foil can work, although it doesn't work quite as well."

He added: "

If you've got radiators in rooms that you're not using, go and turn them off before you turn the heating on so you're not wasting cash overheating empty spaces. Changing the flow rate on your boiler can cut gas bill by over 9% and you won't notice the change." As energy bills seem to only be going up, not down, finding efficient ways to dry clothes and heat your home is vital for households across the UK.