Traditionally, we associate millionaires with fancy cars, huge houses and the odd diamond ring. Now, they are the chosen few who can afford to put their tumble dryers on.
In the crazy world of energy pricing we find ourselves in, I overheard one child being asked what they hoped Santa would bring them for Christmas. The response was quick and clear – a smart meter. It seems to be the must-have Christmas present for 2022.
Yes, the smart meter has replaced the television in our house. We tend to huddle around, watching it whirl round and round, doing its thing at a ridiculously fast pace. We observe, in awe, at the speed and beauty of its movement, wondering what particular event or device is causing the numbers to gallop round.
When we are not huddled around, it is never far from our thoughts. Every visit to the kitchen results in a quick glance and me invariably shouting out loud to nobody in particular ‘have you seen the cost of our energy now’.
I have considered attaching one of those heart monitors to myself over a 24-hour period, just to see the impact of morning showers, lunchtime dishwasher cycles and afternoon clothes washing has on my heart rate. But the thought gives me palpitations.
I, like many others, have had to become a great strategist when it comes to planning the clothes washing. I get up in the morning, obviously have a quick glance at the smart meter to see how busy it has been overnight. Then I sit at the kitchen table, feeling like the great Sir Winston Churchill, strategically planning my clothes washing approach, ensuring maximum washing at minimum cost.
Oh, how things have changed. It used to be very simple. In the summer, washing on, washing hung out to dry. Winter, washing on, washing in tumble dryer (unless the garments in question have the potential to shrink to such an extent that they could easily fit on a keyring, then they would go on the radiator and let the central heating do its thing. Ha, remember central heating). Those days have gone.
A 30 degree wash. One spin. I nip outside, trying to convince myself that the November morning temperature will dry those towels throughout the day. Sometimes I hang them out, only to revisit 3 hours later and I swear they are wetter than they were when removed from the washing machine.
There has been light at the end of the tunnel. My wife purchased an electric clothes airer. Readers of this blog, please believe me when I tell you that this is a thing of beauty.
Switch it on, place your clothing and let the heat do the rest. The smart meter suddenly puts its breaks on. The clothes are slowly but surely getting dry. It doesn’t break the bank either. It doesn’t half make me happy.
I look forward to the day when the world has settled down to a form of normality. A world where tumble dryers are once again part of our day to day lives, rather than sitting in the corner, gathering dust, desperate to prove their worth to the family home once again.
Tumble Dryers – temporarily gone but not forgotten. Unless you are a millionaire.
Photo by <a href=”https://stockcake.com/i/energy-monitoring-unit_221141_41303″>Stockcake</a>
