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Drying laundry in a tumble dryer can be expensive as they consume large amounts of energy. While they are useful in the winter months, there are plenty of other ways to dry clothes. Jonathan Rolande, from House Buy Fast, said: “The reality is the full impact of the cost of living crisis is yet to kick in and the full impact of the squeeze will probably be more acutely felt in the next few weeks. But there are steps you can take to save money which, if you introduce now into your daily lives, can also help you save money for the rest of your life.”

This includes looking for alternative ways to dry clothing, ditching the use of a tumble dryer in the winter months.

Jonathan said: “Avoid tumble dryers. They use a shocking amount of energy, and can cost upwards of £300 a year to run based on usage twice a week.

“You can easily work out how much it costs to run a tumble dryer yourself based on your specific model if you know the kWh. 

“As a more cost-effective alternative, consider drying clothes outside on a washing line or even investing in a heated clothes airer.”

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A heated airer enables Britons to dry clothes conveniently whatever the weather. They often come with heated bars to help speed up the drying process by warming sections of the fabrics that are in immediate contact with it.

Contrary to popular belief, Jonathan said they usually “cost 6p an hour to run”.

They can be purchased from various different retailers, including Argos who have lots of different varieties on offer.

A defumidifier is also a handy device to help suck in moisture from the air, helping clothing to dry.

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Daniel Nezhad, Director of UK Radiators, said: “These nifty little devices ensure that your property doesn’t get too tamp and can be perfect for preventing mould."

However, these devices can be expensive to buy as well as run, so more affordable options include investing in a drying rack, especially if door and chair space is tight.

Daniel added: “A simple drying rack is affordable and safe and is the first step to drying clothes sufficiently.

“After hanging your laundry on it, position the rack in a safe, but close proximity to your radiator, and in the warmest and driest room of the house - generally somewhere small and cosy, like a little spare bedroom that gets a lot of sunlight.

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“Turn on the heating and let the room fill with warmth, taking care to rotate your drying rack every so often. 

“This will equally distribute the heat around all the clothes, helping the whole load to dry at the same pace.”

Britons also shouldn’t overfill their washing machines as this can result in the washing coming out of the machine still soaking wet, causing it to take ages to dry.

The expert added: “If you have a hugely overfilled washing machine, the clothes will have trouble drying out on their final spins.

“The washer is designed to wring some of the water out of your laundry, so when there isn’t space for it to move around the moisture is essentially trapped.

“Try being restrictive over the amount you put into your washing machine. The first step is taking control over the separation of whites, darks and colours.

“Although it can be easy to just chuck it all in, you could be asking for trouble in the winter.”

Using a simple drying rack is just one way UK households can save on their energy bills. According to Jonathan, Britons should also bleed radiators and draw the curtains.

The expert explained: “Bleed your radiators. Not only will it release pressure on your finances, trapped air can make your radiators less efficient, so they’ll be slower to heat up.

“Draw the curtains too. It sounds simple but failing to do so means you can lose a lot of heat in every room.”

Using a quick wash setting on a dishwasher may also be useful in helping to reduce energy usage.

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