I grew up in the UK. Washing and drying clothes is a bit different over there than here in Canada. I remember my mom’s clunky spin dryer (the 70’s) and hanging up a lot of wash. Companies like Hotpoint have been helping British families clean and dry their clothes for a very long time.
Buying a dryer can be a confusing business with so many different brands and types of dryer on the market this comes as no surprise – buying a dryer can be a confusing business!
Did you know that buying a more expensive tumble dryer could save you more money in the long-run? In fact, you could save as much as £93 a year – all you need to do is look at energy-efficiency.
Which? magazine has independently tested around 60 tumble-dryers and continues to test dozens per year in order to help you find the most energy-efficient and therefore cost-effective dryers for your price range.
Which type of dryer is best for you?
Although the electric vented type of dryer is well-known to be more energy efficient than the condenser type for example, the absence of a vent in the latter might be more convenient for you due to space considerations.
Which? has therefore supplied information regarding the levels cost-effectiveness within each dryer type category: Electric-vented, electric condenser, heat-pump and gas-vented dryers are all covered.
Running costs
The cost of running a tumble dryer isn’t cheap, but some are definitely cheaper than others, with annual costs running up to anywhere between £38 and £131!
To compare prices properly with Which?, click on the ‘Full Specification’ tab, found above and below each review. This information will show you by how much the use of each dryer will increase your bills, enabling you to make a more informed decision when you next go to look for a tumble dryer.
Heat-pump technology
Heat-pump dryers are very energy efficient. Using technology that works like ‘a fridge in reverse’, heat-pump dryers actually recycle heat, by reusing the heat expelled by damp air to heat the drum – ingenious!
The disadvantage of this type of dryer is that such products carry a heavier price tag, although one could argue that the savings will make the initial outlay very much worth the initial expense!
Mark Kelly, from UK retailer Appliances Direct, is completely behind these technological improvements and said “anything that an everyday appliance can do to make people’s lives easier must be a good thing and it shows how new technologies and innovations can help improve existing pieces of household technology or equipment”
Mark Kelly a spokesperson from UK Retail Experts Appliances Direct is “excited by the continuing development of technology in household appliances and it shows that the industry is innovative and committed to making people’s lives easier”
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