Sometimes it can feel like every day is wash day. Between the kids finding creative new ways to get dirty and the puzzle of the bottomless laundry basket, in a busy household, your washing machine can work overtime.

However, all those loads of laundry can result in higher electricity bills, especially if your appliance is running several times a week.

If you’re wondering how much does it cost to run a washing machine, we have the answer. We’ve worked out how much you can expect to spend each cycle – as well as ways to save energy at home on this hungry appliance.

How much does it cost to run a washing machine?

According to the Energy Saving Trust the national average price (as of November 2021) per pence/kWh of electricity is 20.33p. We have rounded it to 20p for illustration purposes.

The main factors that affect how much energy a washing machine uses are its efficiency rating (machines are rated A-G), and wash length and temperature.

• An example D-rated 9kg washing machine uses 0.76 kWh per cycle on average. This means that each cycle costs 15p to run – over a year of 270 cycles, that’s a cost of £40.50.
• Whereas an example A-rated 9kg washing machine uses 0.49 kWh per cycle, meaning that it’ll cost 10p a cycle and £27 a year for the same amount of use. Which is far less than it costs to run a tumble dryer.

Dropping the temperature can affect these figures drastically. Which? found that switching from 40C to 20C saved 62% of the energy consumed.

Image credit: Colin Poole

Are some washing machines cheaper to run than others?

Washing machines are one of the most heavily used appliances in the home. The Energy Saving Trust estimate that ‘wet’ appliances, ie washing machines and dishwashers, account for nearly 10 per cent of a typical household’s energy bills. So it makes sense to choose the most efficient model you can afford.

‘Youreko is an energy savings tool on the Whirlpool website, which rates appliances according to their running costs and demonstrates an appliance’s lifetime financial saving,’ explains Tim Buszka, Head of Brand and Digital at Whirlpool.

‘For example, according to Youreko, the Whirlpool 10kg SupremeSilence washing machine (W8 W046WR UK) costs £388 to run over its lifetime, which is a saving of up to £294 compared to the least efficient model available in the UK.’

What energy saving features should I look for when buying a washing machine?

If you’re looking for ways to save energy at home, these handy washing machine features could be a good place to start:

1. Eco modes

Heating the water accounts for the majority of energy used in a hot wash cycle – up to 90%. Instead, eco cycles are longer wash programmes that clean at lower temperatures with less water to achieve the same results as a hotter, shorter cycle. These lower temperature washes use between 35-59% less energy than a hot wash.

2. Sensor washing

More advanced washing machines detect how much laundry is in the drum by weighing it and then washing it only for as long as it needs. This saves money and protects fabrics by not over-washing or washing laundry at too high a temperature. ‘By sensing the size of the load and continuously monitoring the wash programme, sensors adapt the cycle. This can save up to 45 per cent energy and 50 per cent water,’ says Tim Buszka.

3. Drum sprays

Several of the latest machines have developed techniques to help make your energy and detergent go further. This includes Hotpoint’s GentlePower, which sprays water and detergent over the clothes, rather than rely on tumbling loads for even distribution. And LG’s TurboWash, which sprays laundry to help shorten wash time, reducing energy by 28%.

Image credit: Jon Day

How can I cut the cost of running a washing machine?

1. Fill it up

Wash full loads instead of half loads as they’re less economical – two half loads will always use more energy than a single full load. And if you are washing a half load, remember to choose the corresponding setting if there is one.

2. Choose cool

Where you can, wash at a lower temperature or use a cold wash. This uses less energy and is a good option when cleaning clothes that are not very dirty.

3. Care for your washer

Look after your  machine to keep it running efficiently. For example, don’t overload the drum. Overloading can cause damage, and prevent water and detergent circulating properly, meaning you might have to re-wash clothes.

A good rule is to leave a hand’s span width at the top of the drum. Every month, clean the filter and run a ‘service wash’ ie hot, without clothes, to whisk away build-up and bacteria.

4. Soak away stains

If you’re washing laundry with stains, give them a pre-soak in water for about half an hour before loading into the machine. This means you won’t have to rely on a longer or hotter wash to shift them.

The post How much does it cost to run a washing machine? And how can you save? appeared first on Ideal Home.

Repaying the mortgage has to be a priority if you’re struggling financially. Otherwise you’re at risk of losing your home. But a mortgage payment holiday could buy you some precious breathing space if you need it.

What is a mortgage payment holiday?

Even if you have the best mortgage rates, making payments every month can become a financial strain. Taking a mortgage payment holiday is like pressing the pause button on your repayments. This can provide some welcome relief if money is tight.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government worked with mortgage lenders to ensure they offered ‘Coronavirus Mortgage Payment Holidays.’ This scheme has now expired, but lenders may still offer a range of options depending on your financial situation and the terms of your mortgage contract.

Image credit: Future Plc

Will a mortgage holiday impact credit score?

A big difference between the government’s coronavirus mortgage payment holiday scheme and any other mortgage payment holidays you arrange with your lender, is that the latter may show up on your credit file and affect your credit score.

‘What usually happens is that lenders will add a ‘flag’ to your account. This will show any arrangement agreed along with the dates and the new temporary payment’, says James Jones, head of consumer affairs at the Experian credit reference agency. When it comes to the damage to your credit score, he says ‘the average hit is 130 points.’

Details of any arrears can stay on your credit file for up to six years. However, ‘you can ask for a ‘notice of correction’ to go on your file, explaining the reason for any missed payments,’ says Jones. ‘Future lenders can then see there was a genuine reason for any mortgage payment holiday. You should do this with all three of the main credit reference agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.’

Does a mortgage payment holiday come with hidden charges?

Taking a mortgage payment holiday can provide valuable financial breathing space. However, your lender won’t cover the cost as you’ll still need to make up any missed payments, plus interest. It should be considered a short term option. For example, if you’ve been made redundant and are strapped for cash while you’re waiting to start a new job.

Let your lender assess your mortgage payment holiday needs

‘Your lender might temporarily cut your payments, and switch you to paying interest-only for a period. Another option is to extend the length of your mortgage to reduce the monthly payments,’ says Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

‘Extending your loan will come at a cost. If you pay your mortgage for longer, you’ll pay more interest overall. However, because it’s spread over a longer period you may find it easier to manage.’

The golden rule is to speak to your lender if you’re concerned. If your lender does not know you’re having problems, it can’t help. If you’ve got a previous track record of making payments on time, and have even built up a financial buffer from overpayments, your lender may allow you to pause or reduce payments for between six and 12 months.

Lenders set their own terms and conditions. Some may insist you’ve had your mortgage for at least a year, as with Halifax. Others may check you haven’t taken a mortgage payment holiday within the last few years (excluding any taken due to Covid-19).

Past overpayments may help you appeal

If you’ve previously overpaid on your mortgage, it’s possible any agreed mortgage holiday may not show up on your credit file. ‘It’s your lender who decides what gets reported on your credit file’, says Jones. ‘It’s worth having a conversation with them to see if they’ll recognise that the account won’t be in arrears.’

Image credit: Future Plc

Additional help from your mortgage lender

Before applying for a mortgage holiday research other options first. Depending on your current deal, your lender may be able to switch you to a fixed cheaper deal to cut monthly payments. Do be aware, though, that you could incur set up fees for this.

If you’re likely to have longer term issues meeting your mortgage payments, some lenders may allow you to extend your mortgage term. This will mean lower, more affordable monthly payments, but in the long term it will cost more. It’s important to check if there are any fees associated with doing this.

Moving to an interest-only arrangement for a period may also be possible. This is where you cover only interest charges, but not capital repayments. You will, however, need to make plans for repaying the capital in the end.

Check insurance policies

If the reason you’re struggling is due to sickness or redundancy, check if you’ve got insurance to cover this.

Mortgage payment protection insurance and income protection are the two policies that should do the job. Both pay a monthly sum, for a maximum time period. Since the pandemic however, fewer policies may now cover redundancy. Mortgage payment protection insurance will typically cover your mortgage payments and usually pay out for around a year. Some policies may last longer and terms and conditions vary.

An income protection policy is designed to cover your mortgage along with other household bills. You usually get a percentage of your salary each month.

Both usually have an initial deferral period, during which time the policy won’t pay out, so you can’t take out a policy and then claim a week later.

Government support

If you’re claiming certain benefits, (including Universal Credit, Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance), you may be eligible for government support towards mortgage payments. Visit Gov.uk for information.

This may cover some of the interest on loans of up to £200,000, (or £100,000 if you’re over state pension age). It won’t cover capital repayments, or even guarantee to cover all your interest. The government uses its own interest rate for calculations, currently 2.09%.

‘While standard variable rates differ, they tend to be higher than this, so it might not cover your mortgage,’ warns Sarah Coles. ‘And there are so many hoops to jump through that it can be difficult to qualify. Plus, there is a 39 week wait between when you apply and when you may be able to get help.’

If agreed, this is paid as a loan, which you will need to repay, along with interest, when you sell your home.

Image credit: Future Plc

Help if you are in debt

If debts are mounting you can get free help and advice from organisations including Citizens Advice, National Debtline and StepChange.

It’s also worth using a free benefits calculator to check if you’re claiming everything you’re entitled to. Take a look on Turn2us or Entitledto.

The post How to take a mortgage payment holiday appeared first on Ideal Home.

The Christmas season is in full swing, and lots of us are getting in the festive mood and putting up our trees. Whether you’ve picked a faux tree or gone for a real one, the tree is always the star of the show when it comes to our seasonal decor.

We love keeping our Christmas tree lights on all evening, but it is of course reflected in your utility bills. If you’re wondering ‘Do Christmas tree lights use lots of electricity?’ Crown Pavilions have broken down just how much energy your tree uses.

Image credit: Lights4Fun

Do Christmas tree lights use lots of electricity?

Crown Pavilions has calculated how much it costs to light your Christmas tree. Most of us use two strings of lights, which adds up to 80 watts of energy.

If your lights are left on for 6 hours a day, then 0.08kW x 6 hours will mean a 0.48kW output. As energy prices rise to around 17p per kW, keeping your lights on for 6 hours a day for a whole month costs just £2.48.

This is based on the calculation: 0.48 (output) x 0.17 (cost) x 30 (days) = 2.48. Given that quarter of us in the UK now have two trees, this cost will double for many of us.

Image credit: SoloIgnite

But we think even £4.96 is definitely worth it for a month of twinkly Christmas tree lights. If you were to keep your lights on 24 hours a day for a month, which we wouldn’t advise, the average cost would be around £9.79.

The average UK household lights their tree for 6 hours a day. So based on the ‘output x cost x days’ calculation, the whole of the UK spends a total of £22.3 million lighting their trees throughout December.

In the grand scheme of things, powering Christmas tree lights doesn’t cost lots of money. Particularly when compared with other things we spend money on during the festive season.

Image credit: Future PLC

Tips for keeping energy costs down at Christmas

If you are worried about household bills this Christmas, there are lots of energy-saving tips for the home which can make a big difference.

1. Plug-in timers, at Amazon are a great way to avoid wasting electricity.
2. You could also consider battery-powered lights, to make it easier to keep track of your energy usage.
3. Switching to LED will also help keep costs down.

So next time a relative asks if your lavish Christmas tree display uses lots of electricity, you can tell them that lighting one tree for 6 hours a day in December costs less than a take-out coffee.

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Whether you want superfast download speeds, multiple TV channels or access to the top streaming services, a TV and broadband package is a great way of getting everything you need in one place. But with research suggesting many of us are overpaying by hundreds of pounds a year on current contracts, it’s crucial to check what else is out there.

There are hundreds of different TV and broadband deals and they vary widely when it comes to their monthly price, the number of channels they offer, broadband speed, add-ons and extra perks. By taking the time to compare your current deal with other packages, you could save some much-needed cash and end up with a deal that better suits your needs.

The good news is that switching when you’re outside of your minimum-term contract is easier than ever – in many instances, you just need to order a new package and your new provider will take care of the rest.

Best TV and broadband deals December 2021

Best TV and broadband deals on standard broadband

Best TV and broadband deals on fibre broadband

12-month contract; Unlimited downloads

Best TV and superfast broadband deals

*Average UK speed, according to Uswitch

Image credit: Dominic Blackmore

What broadband speed do I need?

Aside from cost, speed is probably the most important thing to look at when deciding which broadband package to go for. In general, the faster the speed the better because it means you can download and stream your favourite content quickly. However, faster broadband speeds are usually more expensive, so if want to keep costs down you should think carefully about what you really need.

First off, it’s worth checking your current broadband speed. The information should be on your latest bill, but if it isn’t you can call your provider to find out. Broadband speed is usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps).

• In most cases, households with one or two people who just use the internet for browsing and social media will only need broadband speed of up to 30Mbps.
• If your house has three or more users who go on the internet at the same time, then a speed of 30 to 60Mbps would be more suitable.
• Those who use the internet heavily for online gaming or streaming films should opt for 60 to 100Mbps.
• Serious gamers or people who work with lots of large files would require 100Mbps or higher.

You could also look at investing in one of our best wifi extenders to boost that signal through your home.

Which TV package is best for me?

Image credit: TI Media

Choosing the right TV package will depend on what you and your family like to watch and what your budget is. It’s worth writing down your favourite shows, what devices you watch them on and whether you watch things that aren’t on regular TV (such as Netflix and YouTube).

You can then think about how much you’re willing to pay – some premium channels like sports and movies can send monthly bills rocketing.

Sky – best all-rounder

Sky offers a variety of TV “packs” containing a collection of channels and on-demand content. The Sky Signature pack comes as standard and includes around 300 channels, Sky BoxSets on-demand and 40 catch-up channels.

You can add on any other packs you like, such as Sky Cinema and Sky Sports. Until recently, Sky required a satellite dish and is one of the more expensive options. It now offers Sky Glass, where technology is built into the TV screen itself. However, it is an expensive option and early reviews have been mixed.

Virgin Media – best for channel choice

Virgin Media offers a wide range of TV packages, including the “big bundle” with over 110 channels, the “bigger bundle” with over 230 channels, a movies bundle and a sports bundle. Its set top box lets you pause and rewind live TV and access on-demand content such as Netflix.

You can pay extra for channels like Sky Sports and BT Sport. It’s one of the most expensive services, however all the TV options are available on 30-day rolling contracts.

BT – best for bundling with broadband and phone

BT is a cheaper option than Sky and Virgin Media, but it’s only available with a BT broadband and phone package. The “starter” package offers 80 Freeview TV and radio channels as well as catch-up TV via the YouView box.

The top package “Max” includes free BT Sport and 50 premium channels, which you can view on the YouView+ Ultra HD box. Bolt-ons include Netflix, Sky Cinema and BT Box Office.

TalkTalk – best for flexibility

TalkTalk is also based around the YouView box, but it’s more flexible than BT because it enables you to add and remove channels on a monthly basis. This can be a great option during sports seasons. TalkTalk is one of the cheaper TV providers out there, but like BT it’s only available as part of a phone and broadband package.

Now TV – best for commitment phobes

Now TV is a cheap way of streaming TV shows without committing yourself to a contract. You can buy one or more “passes” – Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, and hayu – on a rolling monthly basis and watch shows online or via the Now TV stick.

Now has more recently launched Now Broadband, which follows a more traditional package in that you sign up for 12 months. It’s a more affordable alternative to Sky’s premium packages.

Should I get a TV and broadband deal bundle?

All of the TV providers mentioned above offer broadband and TV bundles. A bundle is convenient because it means you only have one supplier, one contract and one bill to deal with. What’s more, some bundles come with discounts and additional perks, such as cashback or a free laptop.

‘A TV and broadband bundle could work out cheaper than taking out a separate subscription for each, but this may not always be the case, so it pays to compare prices and packages online by using an on-site filter tailored to your requirements and budget,’ says Holly Niblett, head of digital at comparethemarket.com.

The downside of a broadband and TV bundle is you could end up paying for things you don’t actually use, such as TV channels you don’t watch, or sacrificing broadband speed so you can afford a premium movie package.

‘TV and broadband bundles are great if you want to watch live TV and sports, but if you don’t it might be better to buy standalone broadband and then add a streaming service like Netflix,’ says Rory Stoves, spokesperson for Uswitch.

‘Alternatively, you might want to get a superfast broadband connection with, say, TalkTalk and have Sky as your TV provider. Don’t be afraid to mix and match.’

Only looking for bundles could also mean you miss out on some of the less well-known standalone providers like Zen Internet and Hyperoptic, who were recently voted the fastest broadband providers in a survey by Broadband Genie.

Can I get TV and broadband without a phone line?

Image credit: Jon Day

If you want broadband from one of the main providers but don’t want a phone line, your only real option is to go with Virgin Media. Its fibre network is separate from BT’s, so it can bring a broadband connection into your home directly.

Having said that, Virgin Media sometimes charges more for a broadband package without line rental than it does for one with line rental, so it could prove cheaper to just get a landline and not use it. Additionally, all of Virgin Media’s broadband and TV bundles include line rental – as do the bundles from all the other TV and broadband package providers – and if you split them out you could end up paying more.

The only other way of getting broadband and TV without a phone line is to get mobile broadband, however the current 4G network is only fast enough for basic online activities. You’d need to live somewhere with a strong 5G signal to use streaming services like Netflix.

Can I switch at any time? What are the restrictions?

It is possible to switch TV and broadband deals before the end of your contract, but you’ll probably have to pay a hefty exit fee. Some providers make customers pay off all the remaining months of the contract at once, plus the cost of any equipment they supplied, which could amount to well over £100.

An exception to this is you’re suffering from extremely slow broadband speeds. All of the main providers are bound by Ofcom regulations, which state that customers have the right to cancel their broadband contract without charge if their broadband speeds drop below their provider’s minimum level.

How do I know if I’m out of my broadband and TV contract?

Image credit: Lizzie Orme

New rules that came into effect in February 2020 make it easier to know when your TV and broadband deal is coming to an end. Providers have to send their customers an alert between 10 and 40 days before their contract ends showing the contract end date, how much you’ll pay after the contract ends and the best deals and prices available to new customers.

If you’re already out of contract, you’ll be sent a reminder every year about the provider’s new deals. However, you don’t have to wait for the reminder before switching – you can leave straightaway if you’ve found a better deal.

How can I reduce my bill with an existing broadband/TV supplier?

If you’re happy with your existing supplier’s service but think it’s too expensive, it’s always worth phoning them up and trying to haggle a better deal.

You’re more likely to have success if you negotiate towards the end of your contract when your provider knows there’s a real chance you could leave. Checking what other deals are out there will help you to determine a realistic price to aim for.

You might need to try several times before your provider reduces the price. And even if they refuse to budge, there could be free extras like a faster broadband speed or additional TV channels up for grabs.

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