Using an outdoor line or indoor rack will save energy and money whilst also reducing fabric wear.
If you use the tumble dryer 150 times a year, it would
cost you just under £53.
But put those clothes on a line or clothes horse and you
save £53 (= 176kg of CO₂)
A heat pump condenser tumble dryer may cost more than a standard condenser dryer to buy but could give you electricity savings of up to 50%. If used 150 times a year for 1 hour this could mean savings of £27 = 70kg of CO₂.
An A++ rated tumble dryer may use 230 kWh of electricity per annum compared to a C rated model which may use 580 kWh. The potential cost saving per annum is £49 = 165kg of CO₂.
The moisture sensor automatically stops the drier when the clothes are dry. Dryers with a ‘cool-down’ period also save energy.
Choose a ‘perma press’ (cool-down) cycle. No heat is supplied in the last few minutes, but drying continues as cool air is blown through the tumbling clothes.
Very efficient as they recycle the heat from the ventilation tube back into the dryer, but take away the water vapour from the air.
Buy a tumble dryer with the best energy rating you can. The most efficient models carry the A++ grade, the least efficient C.
Choose a tumble dryer which lasts the longest with the lowest power requirements – this might cost more initially but may save you money over the lifetime of the appliance.