Your tumble dryer might be one of the most expensive things running in your home! With energy bills climbing and big changes coming to the appliances we buy, now is the perfect time to rethink how you dry your washing. The good news? There's a smarter, greener, and much cheaper way to get your clothes dry indoors. Let's dive in!
The Tumble Dryer 'Ban': What's Actually Happening?
You may have spotted alarming headlines about a tumble dryer "ban." Don't panic — nobody is going to whisk your dryer away overnight! But there are genuine changes on the horizon worth knowing about.
New Eco design legislation, proposed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, aims to phase out the least efficient dryers. From 19 January 2027, most new tumble dryers sold in the UK will need to meet much stricter energy standards.
In practice, this means inefficient vented and condenser models will gradually disappear from shops. Vented dryers simply guzzle too much energy to make the cut. The idea is to protect households from sky-high running costs and to nudge everyone towards more environmentally smart choices — something we can all get behind!
Quick takeaway: Your current dryer is fine to keep using. But when it's time to replace it, your options (and their running costs) are about to change.
Why Are Tumble Dryers So Pricey to Run?
Here's the eye-opener. Traditional tumble dryers are hungry beasts. A vented dryer uses around 5.34kWh per cycle, and a condenser sits close behind at roughly 5.2kWh.
What does that mean for your wallet? With Ofgem raising the electricity price cap to 26.11p per kWh from July, a single 60-minute cycle can cost as much as £1.39. Run it daily and you're looking at around £500 a year — just for drying clothes!
That's a serious chunk of change, especially for a busy family working through load after load of washing. If your energy bills have been creeping up, your dryer could well be one of the culprits.
Meet Your Money-Saving Hero: The Dehumidifier
Here's where things get exciting! A dehumidifier is a brilliant, cost-effective alternative for drying clothes indoors — no bulky dryer required.
So how does it work? It's beautifully simple. When you hang wet washing on a drying rack, moisture evaporates into the air. A dehumidifier draws in that damp air, extracts the water into a tank, and pushes drier air back into the room. The drier the air, the faster your clothes dry. Clever, right?
The best part is the running cost. Modern dehumidifiers are wonderfully efficient, sipping just a fraction of the electricity a tumble dryer demands. That means you get dry clothes for a fraction of the price — a genuinely eco-friendly choice that's kind to your bills too.
There are extra perks as well:
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Less damp and mould: Pulling moisture from the air protects your walls and windows.
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Gentler on fabrics: No high heat means your favourite clothes last longer.
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Multi-tasking magic: Many models double up as air purifiers, keeping your home fresher.
Quick takeaway: A dehumidifier dries your washing indoors, tackles damp, and costs far less to run than a tumble dryer. What's not to love?
Top Tips for Drying Clothes Efficiently with a Dehumidifier
Want to get your washing bone-dry as quickly as possible? Follow these simple steps and you'll be a laundry-drying pro in no time!
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Spin your clothes well first. Pop your washing on a high spin cycle before hanging it up. The less water in your clothes to begin with, the faster they'll dry.
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Close the door and windows. Keep your dehumidifier and drying rack in one room with the door shut. This traps the moisture in a smaller space so your machine can work its magic more efficiently.
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Use a good drying rack. Spread items out with plenty of space between them. Better airflow means quicker drying all round.
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Position it close to your washing. Place the dehumidifier near your drying rack so it captures the evaporating moisture right away.
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Switch to laundry mode. Many dehumidifiers have a dedicated laundry or "clothes drying" setting. Use it! It's designed to dry washing as fast and efficiently as possible.
Nail these habits and you'll have soft, dry clothes ready to wear — often overnight.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Leaving windows open: This lets in fresh damp air and makes your dehumidifier work harder.
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Overcrowding the rack: Cramming clothes together traps moisture and slows everything down.
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Choosing a machine that's too small: For a family home, a larger capacity model handles bigger loads with ease.
Ready to Dry Smarter?
Let's recap. The way we dry clothes is changing, tumble dryers are increasingly costly to run, and a dehumidifier offers a cheaper, greener way to keep your washing dry indoors. With a few easy habits — spin well, close the door, and use laundry mode — you'll save money and cut down on damp at the same time.
Fancy making the switch? Browse the full range of quality dehumidifiers at Devola and find the perfect match for your home.
