“How much did that cost you?” is a question that is frequently asked these days, especially since energy prices continue to rise.
Despite the fact that energy regulator Ofgem announced a 23% reduction in the energy price cap, household bills are still expected to rise by hundreds of pounds in April. As a result, many people are searching for cheaper alternatives to reduce costs, such as heated airers.
Heated airers have become increasingly popular among shoppers because they are handy for those who do not have a tumble dryer, garden, or space inside their homes. The plug-in devices are cheaper than tumble dryers, with average costs of around 10p per hour, compared to a tumble dryer’s £2 per cycle of washing.
Consumers have been scrambling to purchase heated airers from various brands, including Lakeland, Aldi, Dunelm, and The Range. Despite the market’s high demand for heated airers, the question remains: do they work as effectively as tumble dryers for less money?
To put the theory to the test, a popular, cheaper model from the deals site Wowcher was selected for testing. The Neo heated winged clothes airer was priced at just £34, reduced from £119, making it already cheaper than models from Lakeland and Dunelm.
The fold-out airer has 20 bars and a wattage of 230 watts, costing just 7p in electricity to run over an hour. However, the airer can only handle a maximum load of 12kg and cannot be used to dry heavier items such as jackets and quilts.
The airer was simple to put together, featuring two foldable outer wings. Once plugged in, it worked immediately, but it took a few minutes to reach its maximum temperature. After loading the airer with a mixture of smaller laundry items and larger items such as jeans, jumpers, and tops, it was discovered that the airer could only dry a tiny section of clothing that was in direct contact with the bar.
The airer is lightweight and ideal for drying smaller items such as underwear and socks, but for larger items, it takes a long time to dry and requires clothing to be rearranged every 20 minutes. In conclusion, the Neo airer is useful for those with limited space who want to save on gas and tumble drying costs, but it may not be as effective as a tumble dryer for larger items.
»Household bills are expected to rise by hundreds of pounds in April«
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