'Never' switch on the washing machine during two hours of the day or else face high bills

There are two hours of the day you shouldn't be doing washing (Image: Getty)

Alice Beer, a consumer expert on This Morning, shared some valuable advice to help people reduce their energy bills.

Alice advised: "Never, ever do half loads [on the washing machine]. One full load is much less energy than two half loads, that’s obvious."

After the latest 10 percent increase in the Energy Price Cap on October 1, 2024, this means households can be charged up to £1,717 per year for gas and electricity for the year.

This is a jump compared to the Energy Price Cap of £1,568 between July 1 to September 30, 2024. EDF Energy have predicted an even further increase in the Energy Price Cap come January, during the midst of winter.

To prepare for increasing energy and gas bills, looking back at consumer expert Alice's top tips to reduce energy use is helpful. Looking back to last year, Alice's recommendations still apply.

Alice Beer advises against using dishwasher between 6-8pm

Alice said: "Think about what you’re using in the kitchen... it’s more efficient to use a dishwasher than washing up by hand - especially if you keep a tap running.

"The kettle... it honestly saves you money and helps the UK’s electricity supply if you’re just boiling the amount of water you need."

Alice added: "Think about using the microwave instead of using a cooker when you can - much cheaper to use a microwave."

Alice also addressed switching to an off-peak tariff, advising: "Look at how that works for you. We should all be thinking of using a lot less energy in that peak period [which is] 6pm to 8pm at night."

Alice queried: "Can you switch to having your meal a bit earlier or later perhaps? Using the dishwasher between 6pm to 8pm is a no-go."

Making dinner may need to be earlier than 6pm, if possible (Image: Getty)

The expert also offered some sage advice on slashing water usage and, consequently, reducing bills. Alice said: "There are different thermostatic controls that you should have a look at.

"The first one is the one that is usually in your hall and it’s a dial. One in five have got that set at 22 degrees - that's Lanzarote temperatures!"

Reducing the temperature dial from 22 to 18 would be much more energy efficient and cheaper to run. Moving onto radiators, she advised: "The second thermostatic control is on your radiators, if you’ve got a valve on your radiator you need to be controlling that to get to the right temperature."

She stressed the importance of conserving energy by stating: "Most importantly, you need to turn that right off if you’re not using a room - spare room, dining room, any room that you don’t use very often, turn the valve off."