British Gas issues essential ‘laundry rules’ for £89 off bills | Personal Finance | Finance

British Gas has issued some essential laundry rules for households this winter to gain up to £89 per year back on energy bills.

Household bills tend to go up during the winter months thanks to expensive heating costs and spending more time indoors, meaning appliances tend to be in use more often. According to the major energy supplier, heating and hot water account for more than half of your energy bills, so it’s a good idea to monitor your usage to help cut costs. One simple way to do this is to make small changes around your home, particularly when it comes to your laundry routine as there’s significant savings to be made.

While doing the laundry is unavoidable, there are smart ways to go about it to reduce your energy bills and according to British Gas, following some essential rules can save the average household up to £89 per year.

The most effective way to cut your energy bills is to avoid using a tumble dryer, as this can save you up to £60 per year. Instead, you should air dry your clothes on an airer, or hang them outside on a washing line if it’s sunny, although this will be a bit trickier during the winter.

If the outdoors is a no-go, then you can help the drying process along by rolling your wet clothes in a dry towel before hanging them on an airer to help remove excess moisture, and run an extra spin cycle on your washing machine – both of which will be cheaper than running a tumble dryer.

But if you absolutely must use a tumble dryer, British Gas recommends washing a full load for energy efficiency, as it uses roughly the same amount of energy to heat up and run for a few items as it does for a bigger load.

Another essential tip is to try and limit washing your clothes to just once per week and reduce the temperature on your washing machine cycle to at least 30C, as this can yield savings of up to £29.

So by following all of these laundry rules, the average household could reduce their energy bill by up to £89 per year, just with a few small changes.

British Gas said: “Everything uses electricity, and we often leave our telly on standby or overfill the kettle for our morning cuppa. But we have some handy energy-saving tips to help you save money by doing the smallest things around your home.

“Heating and hot water account for over half of your energy bill, so it’s a good idea to keep track of your usage. Setting the washing machine and dishwasher at 30⁰C could reduce your energy usage by 40%.”

The energy supplier added: “Save electric doing the laundry. Save up to £60 a year if you don’t use a tumble dryer. Air dry your clothes or hang them on a washing line outside if it’s sunny. And if you do need to use it, wash a full load.

“If you wash clothes just once a week and reduce the temperature on your cycle to at least 30C, and you could save up to £29.”