As temperatures drop and cooler weather sets in, many of us will be worrying about the cheapest way to dry your clothes and keep warm this winter.
Key takeaways
- A dehumidifier is generally the cheapest powered way to dry clothes indoors, costing around 24p for 6 hours while also removing moisture from the air.
- Heating yourself is much cheaper than heating a room: a hot-water bottle costs about 4p per fill, and an electric underblanket is around 6p for eight hours, compared with 26p-53p an hour for an oil-filled radiator.
- Before buying new winter clothing, use the SAVE method: search second-hand, ask about hand-me-downs, visit charity shops and exchange or reuse what you already own.
In this guide, I explain the different options - and how much they cost - for drying your clothes without a tumble dryer and the cheapest way to heat a room.
I’ll also look at ways to cut the cost of keeping warm, from buying winter clothes to the best gadgets when it gets cold.
How to dry clothes in winter
As temperatures dip, you might be wondering what the cheapest and quickest way to dry clothes is without cranking up the heating or having your tumble dryer running on overtime.
Below I’ve worked out the cost, how long it takes and how much washing you can do per load.
| Method | Indicative upfront price | Realistic amount | Typical drying time | Winter running cost* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Airer in a room already being heated
|
£15-£40 excluding existing heating
|
One 7-9kg wash provided items are well spaced
|
Often 12-24 hours
|
No reliable separate figure; potentially little marginal cost if the room was being heated anyway
|
|
Airer plus 2kW electric heater
|
£20-£60 for a heater
|
One wash
|
Roughly 6-12 hours
|
£3.16 for six hours; £4.21 for eight
|
|
300W heated airer
|
Roughly £40-£200
|
Usually one normal wash when properly spaced
|
Roughly 4-8 hours for a small/light load; potentially 8-12 hours for a full mixed load
|
8p/hour; 63p for eight hours; 95p for 12
|
|
151W compressor dehumidifier and ordinary airer
|
Roughly £130-£300 plus airer
|
One normal wash in a small closed room
|
Commonly 4-8 hours; heavy loads can take longer
|
4p/hour; 24p for six hours; 32p for eight
|
|
8kg vented tumble dryer
|
Roughly £200-£350 plus any vent installation
|
Up to 8kg of dry cotton laundry
|
About 2 hours 9 minutes in the example used
|
£1.12 per full load
|
|
8kg condenser tumble dryer
|
Roughly £200-£350
|
Up to 8kg
|
About 2 hours 22 minutes in the example used
|
£1.25 per full load
|
|
8kg heat-pump tumble dryer
|
Roughly £300-£800
|
Up to 8kg
|
Commonly around 3-4 hours
|
51p per full load in the example used
|
*Running costs are calculated using the October 2026 electricity price-cap rate of 26.32p per kWh. Calculation: power in kW × hours used × £0.2632. Actual costs vary by tariff, region and usage.
There are a lot of variables in these calculations above, but it’s useful to use as a guide and apply to your exact situation. For example, a dehumidifier is cheap, but it only works really well if you have the right environment.
You need a small room with the windows and doors closed while it’s on for it to work best. The average wash releases roughly two litres of water as it dries, which means it could significantly increase indoor humidity, which can cause damp and mould in your home.
If this is an issue in your home, then you need to consider this when drying clothes. Air-drying your clothes is free - but it can take longer during the winter months and increase the chance of condensation.
A dehumidifier is generally the cheapest option, and it helps deal with humidity and moisture issues at the same time. And while a heated airer is inexpensive, it can take eight hours or more to dry your clothes.
You need to factor in how many washing loads you're expected to do per week, as some may find that using a heat-pump tumble dryer is the best option when it comes to capacity, convenience and energy use.
How to stay warm without turning up the heating
With energy prices predicted to soar this winter, it’s worth thinking about how to stay warm without turning up the heating.
Turning up your thermostat by just one degree can add £145 a year to your bills, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
The cost of heating a room at home depends on its size, insulation and outside temperature and how much you pay for your energy bills.
But a small room might need around 1kW of heat; using gas central heating for one hour would cost 9p based on October’s gas price cap.
A medium room could cost 13p, and a larger one 18p. However, it’s worth considering that a boiler normally heats several radiators and cycles on and off, so it’s hard to estimate.
Below I’ve calculated the cost of using different gadgets, including oil-filled radiators and hot water bottles.
| Heating method | Assumption | What it heats | Cost* |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hot-water bottle
|
1.5 litres of water heated from approximately 15C to near boiling
|
One person usually for several hours
|
About 4p per fill
|
|
Electric underblanket
|
223Wh used over eight hours
|
One bed/person
|
About 6p for eight hours or less than 1p an hour on average
|
|
Heated throw
|
301Wh used over eight hours
|
One person sitting or working
|
About 8p for eight hours or around 1p an hour on average
|
|
1kW oil-filled radiator
|
Suitable for a small reasonably insulated room
|
One room
|
26p an hour at full power
|
|
1.5kW oil-filled radiator
|
Suitable for a medium-sized room
|
One room
|
39p an hour at full power
|
|
2kW oil-filled radiator
|
Suitable for a larger room or a colder poorly insulated space
|
One room
|
53p an hour at full power
|
|
Gas central heating: one-room illustration
|
Room requires 1-2kW of heat; boiler assumed to be 90% efficient
|
One room/radiator
|
Around 9p-18p an hour
|
|
2kW electric fan or convector heater
|
Runs continuously at full power
|
One room
|
53p an hour
|
*Costs are based on Ofgem’s average direct-debit rates for Great Britain from 1 October 2026: 26.32p/kWh for electricity and 7.97p/kWh for gas. Electricity calculation: power in kW × hours used × £0.2632. The gas illustration assumes a 90%-efficient boiler. Hot-water-bottle cost assumes a 1.5-litre fill and allows for some kettle heat loss. Actual costs vary by appliance, heat setting, room size, insulation, tariff and thermostat cycling. Standing charges are excluded.
Read our guide for more tips on how to prepare your home for winter.
Cheapest way to buy winter clothes
Keeping warm during winter isn’t just about keeping your heating bills down and turning on gadgets to keep warm, there are some essentials that you’ll need to buy.
Like winter PJs, coats and vests, all these items are usually bought at the beginning of the winter season, but I’ve pulled together some tips to keep the cost down.
Give your wardrobe a reset
Before cold weather hits, give yourself a wardrobe reset. Check what items will fit you and your family this winter and make a list of new items you need to buy.
Try the SAVE method before you shop
Before you hit the shops, try the SAVE method:
- Search second-hand sites such as Vinted
- Ask friends and family about hand-me-downs
- Visit charity shops and nearly-new sales
- Exchange, borrow or reuse what you already own
Compare prices if you do need to buy new
If you do need to buy new, make sure you use Google Shopping to compare prices for items before you hit the shops.
Look for cashback and discount codes
Check to see if you can get cashback or a discount code before you buy.
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