Martin Lewis praises cheaper alternative to 'demon appliance' tumble dryers

The financial expert has recommended a cheaper gadget for drying clothes which will also avoid mould and condensation

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Money-saving expert Martin Lewis is encouraging people who are looking to cut their energy costs to avoid using tumble dryers which he has previously called 'demon appliances'. With the colder months approaching, the finance guru recommends opting for a dehumidifier, which is not only more cost-effective, but could also prevent the common winter problems of mould and musty smelling clothes.

Speaking on The Martin Lewis Podcast, which you can listen to on BBC Sounds, Spotify, and Apple Music, he advised: "Many dehumidifiers have different wattages – the one I checked out was 200W."

He went into detail about the electricity use, stating: "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."

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Martin then clarified the running costs: "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."

Martin pointed out that operating a dehumidifier would now be around 5.5p an hour with the current 26p unit prices for this winter. This information was also highlighted by the Express and the Mirror.

As a point of comparison, according to energy supplier Utilita, the cost of running a tumble dryer falls between 53p and £1 per hour, making it up to 20 times more expensive than a dehumidifier.

Which dehumidifier should you invest in?

The Pro Breeze 12L dehumidifier, featuring laundry drying settings and a sizeable 12-litre tank, is up for grabs on Amazon at £134.99. While the price tag might seem steep at first glance, it's an investment that could save you money in the long term by reducing the need for a tumble dryer and preventing mould damage.

For those seeking a more substantial option, Devola's 20L model not only removes moisture and dries clothes but also purifies the air and is priced at £179.99. A smaller 12L version is also available for £119.06.

Shopping writer Sam Jones shared his experience with the Russell Hobbs 10L dehumidifier, which is available for £129 from Dunelm or £118.95 on Amazon. He noted its impact: "It not only eliminated the overnight window condensation, but it now allows me to dry clothes on an airer on rainy days, without having to turn on the heating.

"You simply turn it on, shut the door of the room it's in and it starts working. It takes quite a few hours, especially with thicker items like towels, but it's nice to have the option to save some money while energy costs are still high.

"If any thick items are really wet, I just get the remaining moisture out in the tumble dryer, but it takes much less time and saves a lot of electricity. It also means the house doesn't have the dreaded clothes draped all over the radiators over winter which is a real pet hate of mine."

He noted some downsides, saying: "Dehumidifiers aren't exactly a bargain to buy and this particular model is somewhat noisy. It does have a 'silent' button which reduces the noise, but calling it 'silent' seems an oversight as it's far from silent.

"A more accurate label for that mode would be 'quiet', as it does reduce the noise but doesn't completely eliminate it. Personally, I'm not too bothered by the noise. I sleep with a fan on in the summer and don't mind the white noise, so it's not vastly different to that."