IF you are looking for a more cost-effective way to dry your clothes a heated airer could be the way to go.
The gadgets cost as little as 6p to run for an hour, compared to the £1.35 cost of running the average tumble dryer for two hours.
Shoppers are often caught in a frenzy trying to bag them from discounters such as Aldi and Lidl.
But how much do they really cost to run? Here's everything you need to know.
What is a heated airer?
Heated clothes airers are like traditional ones, but you plug them in, with the bars of the dryer heating up.
Are there illegal baby names? Surprising monikers that are BANNED in other countries, from Sarah to Thomas
You can buy covers for some as well, which speeds up the time it takes to dry your clothes.
Heated airers prove popular during the colder months as it means households don't need to put the heating on just to dry clothes.
They're also an alternative to tumble dryers which can cost a lot to buy and run.
How much does it cost to run a heated airer?
The cost of running a heated airer will depend on many things.
You'll need to consider the specifics of the item, such as the wattage, how much you use it and then how much energy you use in general.
But the higher the wattage, the more expensive it will be to run.
The cost is also based on the current Ofgem price cap, which currently sits at £1,690.
In case you don't know it by now, this is the equation you need to work out how much a device is costing you to run:
Cost = power (kilowatt) × time (hour) × cost of 1 kWh (pence).
Regarding heated airers, Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said a 300-watt model will cost you around 43p for five hours of use.
All about Rachel Nickell who was murdered in front of her son Alex Hanscombe
This is how long it should take for a normal load to dry.
But, he said, make sure you load the device up as much as possible to maximise its efficiency.
"Save money on energy by only running these appliances when they are full.
"This will help to cut the amount of times you use them over the course of a week."
How much does it cost to run a tumble dryer?
It's worth comparing how much it costs to run a tumble dryer as well.
Like with a heated airer, the price of running a tumble dryer depends on what type of machine you buy and its wattage.
The average tumble dryer uses 2,500w so you can work out how much it'll cost from there.
Uswitch's Ben added: "A tumble dryer which uses 2.5kWh of energy per cycle would cost 73p a cycle.
"You could also swap from using energy intensive appliances such as tumble dryers and ovens to using alternatives like heated airers and air fryers instead."
How you can reduce your bill
There are a number of ways you can reduce your bills for drying clothes.
The most obvious way to save money is to hang them out instead of using a tumble dryer.
It won't cost you a penny, but with temperatures dipping as autumn hits, keep in mind that getting your load dry could take longer.
You can also save money on washing your clothes by reducing the temperature you wash them at.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
