Small shifts can change cold-night routines.
Next week, Lidl puts a low-watt heated clothes airer with a fitted cover into the middle aisle, echoing Martin Lewis’s winter tactic to target warmth where you sit. The promise is simple: dry laundry faster, feel a pocket of heat nearby, and keep costs visible in pence, not pounds.
What Lidl is putting on shelves next week
The retailer is bringing back a heated airer-and-cover set under its own brand. Expect warmed rails, a breathable zip-up canopy that traps heat around fabric, and a foldable frame that tucks into a corner. It’s a fuss-free bit of kit built for long, damp evenings when radiators are off and the school uniforms still need to dry.
The design follows a principle many households now swear by: create a small bubble of workable warmth rather than raising the temperature of the whole home. Place it by the sofa or desk and you’ll feel a gentle glow while the laundry dries.
Typical draw around 230W. On a 29p/kWh tariff, that’s close to 7p per hour — roughly 35p for five hours.
How much it could cost you to run
Numbers help when every penny is counted. A heated airer in the 200–300W range sips electricity compared with a tumble dryer. At 29p per kWh — close to current standard variable rates — each hour costs about 6–8p. Many loads will need four to six hours inside the cover, depending on fabric, spin speed and room conditions.
A conventional vented or condenser dryer often uses 2–3kWh per cycle, so 58–87p in one hit on that same tariff. If you dry two loads a week, swapping the dryer for the airer could shave £1–£2 weekly. Over a long, wet season, you’re looking at a noticeable reduction on the meter without sacrificing warm evenings.
| Item | Typical power/use | Estimated cost at 29p/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Heated airer (with cover) | 230W for 5 hours | ≈ 35p per load |
| Tumble dryer | 2.5kWh per cycle | ≈ 73p per cycle |
| Heated throw | 100W for 3 hours | ≈ 9p per evening |
| Electric heater (fan) | 2kW for 2 hours | ≈ £1.16 per evening |
Where this fits with Martin Lewis’s advice
Martin Lewis has long urged households to “heat the human, not the home”. Heated throws, low-watt panels and covered airers all sit neatly under that banner. This is about targeted comfort and clear cost control rather than pushing the thermostat up a degree across the house.
This is not a product endorsement. It aligns with the approach Martin Lewis recommends: small, low-watt fixes that you feel.
Tips to speed drying and boost comfort
Technique makes as much difference as wattage. The goal is quick evaporation, steady airflow and a small zone of warmth you can share.
- Spin fast at the machine. A 1200–1400 rpm spin sheds water and can cut drying time in half.
- Leave gaps between items. Overlapping slows evaporation and keeps sleeves damp for hours.
- Rotate thick garments. Flip hoodies or towels after 90 minutes so trapped moisture can escape.
- Use the cover properly. Zip most of it up, then crack a small opening facing you to feel the heat.
- Create a microclimate. Use a small room and close the door; you’ll warm the space while drying.
- Add gentle airflow. A desk fan on low, aimed past the cover’s opening, moves damp air away.
- Track humidity. If a hygrometer reads above 60%, open a window for ten minutes or run a dehumidifier.
- Measure in pence. A smart plug shows real-time cost so you can fine-tune run times.
Condensation, damp and how to avoid them
Drying indoors adds moisture to the air. If the room fogs up or windows sweat, you risk condensation and musty smells. Keep humidity in check with brief ventilation bursts or a dehumidifier. Lower humidity makes the room feel warmer at the same thermostat setting and helps clothes crisp up rather than stay clammy.
Aim for 40–60% relative humidity. Short, sharp window openings clear moist air faster than a permanent tiny gap on a cold day.
Safety and placement
Give heated rails space from curtains and bedding. Keep cables away from walkways. Place on a stable, flat surface; never in a bathroom or on thick rugs. Unplug when you leave the house or head to bed. Think slow, steady heat — like a slow cooker for clothes — rather than a device you blast and forget.
Availability and what to look for
Lidl says the heated airer with cover will feature in the Specialbuys aisle next week, in limited numbers. Check packaging for power rating around 200–300W, a breathable zipped cover, and fold-out wings or multi-rail layout. If you carry it between rooms, look for a handle and a cable tidy to reduce trips and tangles.
Who benefits most
Households that run a few weekly loads, small homes without a vented dryer, parents managing school kit, renters keen to avoid condensation, and anyone working from home who wants warmth at their desk while laundry dries. Pet owners also like the low-level heat, though keep paws off the rails.
A quick savings snapshot
Run two five-hour sessions a week at ~35p each and you’re near £3 per month. Four sessions push that towards £6. Swap out three tumble cycles at ~73p and you could pocket roughly £4–£6 monthly. Adjust those figures to your tariff; off-peak rates via smart time-of-use plans can lower costs further.
Small wins add up: two loads a week on a heated airer versus a dryer can save £50–£80 across a long winter.
Beyond laundry: pairing with other low-watt tactics
Combine the airer with a heated throw (around 100W) for sofa evenings that cost under 20p. Use draught excluders, close doors to rooms you’re not using, and move seating closer to the airer while it runs. If you work from home, schedule drying for your desk hours so that gentle warmth counts twice.
If you’re weighing options
Consider a compact dehumidifier if your home struggles with damp. Models drawing 150–250W can pull significant moisture on laundry mode, often cutting airer time. For those with outdoor space, a breezy, bright day still beats any electric method; a 10-minute finish on the airer removes the last traces of damp and leaves fabrics soft.
Your quick questions answered
- Is this a Martin Lewis endorsement? No. The product matches the approach he recommends, not a specific brand.
- How long to dry a load? Light items can finish in 2–3 hours. Denim and towels may need 5–6 hours with rotation.
- Will it heat a room? It gently warms a small space; think background glow rather than full-room heating.
- Best place to put it? A lived-in room with a shut door, near where you sit, away from soft furnishings.
Extra context to help you plan
Energy prices may shift again under future caps, so buying low-watt tools spreads risk: they stay cheap to run even when unit rates move. If your supplier offers off-peak windows, run the airer during those hours. Keep an eye on actual costs via a smart plug: a month of data will tell you whether to add a dehumidifier, change spin speed, or adjust timings for your fabric mix.
For families juggling sports kits and towels, try a simple rotation plan: quick-dry synthetics on first, then swap in heavy cotton; hold one towel back for a late-evening burst so you start the next day with something dry. Small routines like these turn winter laundry from a bill shock into a predictable, low-pence habit — and that’s the calm many households want right now.
