26p to run my tumble drier, isn't that low?

mousegirl

think with large rotary for line drying, airers, radiator racks and the fact that I work part time now, even with a third child on the way, I feel that I should manage as the money would be better used elsewhere and I do tend to ensure I have at least a double lot of everything, like bedding etc, so I'm not stuck to needing to dry anything straight away, after all the messages, I don't feel its a necessity at present - oh and we don't have sky, smoke or drink!!

Magentasue

mousegirl wrote: »

after all the messages, I don't feel its a necessity at present - oh and we don't have sky, smoke or drink!!

You might feel the need for a glass of something grape-based of an evening when number 3 gets mobile!:beer:

3under3

Magentasue wrote: »

Essential?

I don't think so.

Well put like that not many things are... we could all live without a lot of luxuries if we had to..

I love my drier, I did not have one when I was single (2-3 washes a week) or had my first daughter with OH, say 6 washes a week but then when the twins came along and we all got squeezed in our two bed bungalow the thought of having everything hanging everywhere drying in the winter makes my drier a must!! If I hang mine on an airer or on a line it always comes off rock hard! We live in a hard water area and we can't use fabric condition due to the girls' eczema so all the clothes fibres become all like wire wool otherwise...

ixwood

Wirewool? lol.

I live in a hard water area, have never used softener or a drier and everything's fine.

prudryden

Magentasue wrote: »

Useful, agreed. Essential, no.

If you can afford to buy and run a tumble drier, fair enough. But a lot of people struggle to feed their children adequately let alone feed their electricity meter for luxuries such as tumble driers.

Perhaps everyone should go back to wash boards as well then.

Magentasue

prudryden wrote: »

Perhaps everyone should go back to wash boards as well then.

There are people who choose to, or are forced to manage without washing machines. People manage without tumble driers. I am not saying they should.

I just don't accept that a tumble drier is 'essential'. I stand by 'if you want one and can afford to run one' then there isn't a problem, but looking at the number of people struggling with increasing DDs for electricity, I don't see that a tumble drier is worth getting into debt over.

prudryden

Magentasue wrote: »

There are people who choose to, or are forced to manage without washing machines. People manage without tumble driers. I am not saying they should.

I just don't accept that a tumble drier is 'essential'. I stand by 'if you want one and can afford to run one' then there isn't a problem, but looking at the number of people struggling with increasing DDs for electricity, I don't see that a tumble drier is worth getting into debt over.

I understand what you are saying, but the cost is so minimal (.30p max. per dry) that you almost have to let the machine do the work for you. If you do three drys a week (max. cost £1), then one take away pizza is probably worth about 27 drys, one pint of lager is worth about 9 drys, one packet of fags is worth 15 drys, one fill up at the gas station --- well, you could probably buy a new dryer but at least a full years worth of drying.

jimexbox

[quote=

prudryden

;18742283]I understand what you are saying, but the cost is so minimal (.30p max. per dry) that you almost have to let the machine do the work for you. If you do three drys a week (max. cost £1), then one take away pizza is probably worth about 27 drys, one pint of lager is worth about 9 drys, one packet of fags is worth 15 drys, one fill up at the gas station --- well, you could probably buy a new dryer but at least a full years worth of drying.[/quote]

Plus I would imagine the vast majority of tumble dryer owner like me, only use it sparingly in the winter months. I have a large rotary line which does a wonderful job 7 odd months of the year. A pint or a tumble, Mm, I go out less than I tumble. So a pint it is.:beer:

kingkano

A dryer isn't essential.... food, water and shelter are essential. As for drying on airers etc, this is what we've done for about 8 years. It worked well when we lived in a flat with electric storage heaters. But now we are in a 3 bed semi and we are a bit frugal with the central heating things don't dry for 4 or 5 days sometimes. We could either ramp up the heating or get a dryer to reduce the amount of airers hanging around full of clothes.

I also think we are getting alot more dampness in the air because we don't have the 'dry' heat of electric we had before. We will still be pretty sparing users of it though having never had one because they are expensive to run!

Most people who have posted atleast know the costs, and realise. I have friends who think nothing of sticking 3 or 4 loads in at 2hours a go and don't realise its costing them!

jimexbox

kingkano wrote: »

A dryer isn't essential.... food, water and shelter are essential.

We are talking essential as in those things which make your life easier, not to sustain life.

How do we consider what is essential? I suppose you could look at how many of the population own one, thus the more people in the UK who own/run an appliance/service the more 'essential' to your quality of life.

A TV? Is that essential? Im sure well over 90% of the population own one, never mind two or more. Even to poorest in society usually own a TV. It costs money to run and its taxed yearly by the government in the form of a BBC licence, yet most of us have one.

Essential products are purely arbitrary, down to lifestyle and circumstance.