How Much Does It Cost at Home to Do a Load of Laundry?
No matter the type of life we lead, there is no question that laundry is a necessary part. Indeed, according to statistics the average UK household completes 4-5 loads of laundry per week, and, with the cost of living crisis looming on the horizon, the money spent from doing laundry can soon add up. The best way of being able to combat this is to understand what you’re dealing with, and take steps that can help you when it comes to combating the cost of laundry at home.
It is important to understand that this is not just a case of looking for ways of saving money on your laundry, but could also be saving time and convenience which could be pushed into other areas of life that would be beneficial. In this blog post, we will look at the cost associated with doing laundry at home, as well as suggesting hacks and ideas that will help homeowners to make savings and reduce the overall cost of doing the laundry.
Getting to grips with the different elements of laundry
You might not think it’s on the surface, but doing laundry actually comes with quite a few hidden costs that a lot of people aren’t familiar with, but they can add up over the long term. For example, consider the fact that you will be using electricity and water in order to do your washing, and if you have a tumble dryer this is going to add a further cost into the equation. Understanding how this breaks down, and what this means for your home is essential. Looking for as many places as possible to save money can really help you to cut costs and improve your life in the process as well.
Electricity costs
One of the key costs to keep in mind when it comes to doing laundry at home is the electricity cost. Washing machines must use electricity to power the motor and the control panel, and these costs can vary significantly depending upon the model of the energy efficiency rating of the machine. If your washing machine is quite old, there is a good chance that it has a poor energy efficiency rating, and this is going to mean more cost for you.
The average cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour, in the UK, is believed to be around 34p in 2023. A standard washing machine cycle uses around 1.5 kWh of electricity, meaning the cost for one load comes to around 21p. Tumble dryers are an additional cost to consider and the average tumble dryer uses 4.5 kWh per cycle, which comes to around 7p.
Price rises
We all know about the rising costs of energy bills across the UK, which look set to reach a cap of around £2,500, almost 3x what they were in 2021. As such, looking for the best ways of reducing electricity costs is so important, and this is why it’s vital to know exactly what it’s costing you to put on a wash.
You need to know what you’re up against in terms of price points, as well as what a typical wash cycle might cost your household. Of course, this could all change depending on where in the country you live, and whether you are on a fixed rate or metre, but it’s important to try and understand as much of this information as possible so you know what you’re dealing with.
Water costs
The second cost that you need to be aware of is water usage, because washing machines use water to clean clothes. This cost can vary significantly depending upon the water rates in your area, so it’s worth trying to find out about these as soon as you can. According to South West Water, the cost of water per cubic metre in the UK is £1.93, but this of course could vary depending on your provider.
It is also estimated that the average washing machine uses around 50 litres of water per cycle, meaning a single laundry load costs on average around 6-7p. This might not seem like a large amount of money, but it will soon add up, which is why so many people are turning to an online laundry service.
Total cost of running a washing machine per year
Of course it is also important to understand how much it would cost you to run the washing machine for an entire year. That’s not to say you need to have the machine running the entire year of course! More of that, understanding the average cost of using and running a washing machine annually, and how much that would work out to. Of course, it’s hard to get an accurate estimate for this because of how much energy prices have skyrocketed in recent times, but we can have a look at existing estimates.
It depends on a few factors, such as the wattage and efficiency of your washing machine, but stats from Ideal Home suggest a 2100W washing machine used 3x per week would cost £102.82 per year. Of course, this cost will vary depending on the type of machine you have, and how frequently you use it, but this is a decent amount of money for some people, and this is an area you might be looking to make a saving.
Eco & Quick Wash Cycles
Of course, one of the key options available for any washing machine is to use the eco-and quick wash cycles. These are designed to save energy and water, and to reduce the cost of doing laundry; although that is not always the case. For example eco-cycles use less water and lower temperatures, which can reduce the total cost per cycle, but may not clean the clothes as effectively, and may lead to the need for further washes. Quick washes, on the other hand, use more water and electricity to complete the cycle in a shorter period of time, which can actually increase potential cost per cycle.
Whilst it is important to understand the benefits of the eco-and quick washes, you also need to be aware that in the long run they may be counterintuitive. This is why it is important to use them sparingly, and make sure you know the impact they will have on your washes as a result.
Use Love2Laundry
At Love2Laundry, the clue is in the name! We are an online laundry service, and we love all things dry cleaning and laundry related, so that you don’t have to. Our friendly and experienced team is on hand to take care of all of your laundry needs, and free up time to dedicate to more important matters. We understand how important your time is due, and how much you value it, and this is why you need to make sure that you use our services.
It’s as simple as arranging for us to collect your washing, take it away, wash and/or dry clean it professionally for you, and then return it to you. This is a simple way for you to keep track of your laundry without having to worry about where it is. Washing clothes from online is the game-changer you never knew you needed! Forget shopping online, doing laundry online is fast, effective, convenient, and a great way of helping you save money and time in the long run.
To Conclude
There are so many ideas that play a role in helping you when it comes to improving this process as much as possible. Try to come up with some of the best ideas that are going to help you to get the best out of your laundry experience, and this is important to get the hang of as much as possible.
You should try to look at how you can save money on your washing, and even consider Love2Laundry as an online laundry service that meets your needs and requirements. They are also excellent for washing and keeping online clothes clean, and ensuring you look and feel great as often as possible.
