A BARGAIN winter item which costs just 6p to run is returning to Aldi supermarkets in days.
The German discounter’s heated airer is set to land in middle aisles across Britain in just five days – September 19.
The device, which lets you dry your clothing without turning on the central heating or using a tumble dryer, has flown off the shelves in recent years.
Brits have praised the gadget for helping them warm up their home without breaking the bank.
It comes as several homes across the UK are bracing themselves for a winter of misery, with energy bills set to rise by £149 annually.
Heated airers can save money on energy bills as they offer a cheaper alternative to drying clothes on the radiator – which can become costly as it requires you to turn on the central heating.
Heated clothes airers are like traditional ones, but you plug them in, with the bars of the dryer heating up.
You can buy covers for some as well, which speeds up the time it takes to dry your clothes.
Aldi‘s heated airer costs could offer a solution for many families as it costs just 6p to run and will set you back £34.99 when it lands in stores.
The large 230W drying device can hold 10kg of washing, including towels and bedding.
You have to plug it in to get the heating effect from the product.
It costs less than 50p for eight hours, compared to a 2500W tumble dryer costs which costs about 85p to use for just one hour.
Aldi calculates that under the current price cap where electricity costs on average 22p per kwh, it costs around 6p to run, though the exact cost can vary depending on where you are and how you pay your bill.
If you want to get your hands on one you will have to act quickly, as this product is an Aldi Specialbuy and once it is gone it is gone.
Aldi does not have an online store so you will have to shop in person if you want to get your hands on one.
You can find your nearest Alid by looking at the company’s store locator online.
Other retailers such as Dunelm and John Lewis sell similar products but they can cost upwards of £100.
If you do not manage to get your hands on one from Aldi do not worry, as The Sun found a very similar product from Amazon for the same price.
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. Trolley.co.uk app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
The Highlands Electric Heated Clothes Dryer Folding Energy-Efficient Indoor Airer Wet Laundry Drying Horse Rack costs £34.99 and has a 4.3 star rating out of five.
However, you will have to factor in delivery costs as you can only shop for Amazon products online.
Aldi claims that this heated airer costs up to 6p to run for an hour, so if you use it three times a week and keep it on for four hours, that costs just £37.44 over the year.
However, the price of using this device can vary depending on the individual’s usage and the model you have.
You’ll need to consider the specifics of the item, such as the wattage, how much you use it and then the cost of energy at the time.
But the higher the wattage, the more expensive it will be to run.
The cost is also based on the current Ofgem price cap, which currently sits at £1,568.
But it’s set to rise to £1,717 a year, for the average dual fuel bill and based on typical usage, from October 1.
That means there may be a very small increase to the cost. The price will also be different if you’re not one of the 28million on a tariff that’s subject to the price cap.
The equation you need to work out how much a device is costing you to run is: Cost = power (kilowatt) × time (hour) × cost of 1 kWh (pence).
PROFESSIONAL landscaping can cost tens of thousands of pounds.
So many homeowners are looking for budget ways to give their outside space a glow-up.
And patios are one area that can look worse for wear just after a few months.
Ahead of the wet winter weather, one gardener shared a before and after of their patio transformation.
Frances Elizabeth posted her images in the Gardening UK – Hints, Tips & Advice Facebook group.
She wrote: “I cannot believe the difference!
“We bought our new (to us) home in September last year and have been toying with replacing the patio.
“But as we are considering an extension in the next couple of years, we decided to tidy up the one we have.
“This weekend I have pressure washed it, re-grouted using the Sika brush in grout in shade Buff and made a little pot bench to give some colour and make a bit of a display of the plants.
“We have a lovely bench set coming in April.
“I am so pleased! Total cost for patio refurb – £40 and a bit of elbow grease!
“Still lots to do in our new garden, absolutely loving it.”
Elizabeth wasn’t the only person who loved the transformation, as several other gardeners posted positive comments in response.
One said: “What a difference. Worth all your hard work.”
“Looking very good. Its amazing what a clean up can do. Will be lovely to relax on when your new garden furniture arrives,” someone else suggested.
A third posted: “You’ve done a brilliant job, well done.”
Someone asked Frances in the comments section: “Did you blast out all the old grout first? I’m going to try this but not all of our grout is loose.”
She replied: “Yes I blasted out the loose bits and picked out the bits that were a bit firmer, some bits didn’t want to budge, so I just left them.”
Another asked Frances: “It looks great, think I’ll try the grout on mine after it’s been power washed.
“Where did you get the grout from?”
She revealed: ” I got it in Wickes but you can get it at most hardware stores.
“Screwfix has best price but it wasn’t available at my local store.”
The grout Frances recommended was the Sika Fastfix Self-Setting Paving Jointing Compound 15kg from Screwfix.
It costs £35.99 and comes in a variety of colours to match your paving slabs.
The average cost for a 30m2 patio to be installed professional will cost between £2,500 and £5,000 according to Paving Shopper.
For a 50m2 patio, it would set a homeowner back £6,000-£10,000.
It is not known how big Frances patio area was, to estimate how much it might have cost her to have it replaced entirely.
Fabulous’ Associate Editor and gardening enthusiast, Rebecca Miller, has shared a few other tasks to tackle if you’re in your garden this weekend.
Spring bulbs – If you haven’t bought your spring bulbs, do that first, then start planting them out – all but tulips.
Sweet peas – Sow sweet peas in cold frames or an unheated greenhouse to over-winter.
Roses – deadhead the last rose blooms and cut back taller stems to reduce the risk of them snapping in winter winds.
Lawn – sew a new lawn, or repair your existing one. Reduce the frequency of mowing, and consider scarifying your grass.
Clean and tidy – your greenhouse or cold frame, water butt and check your pond.
Zimbabweans Mourn the Death of Daniel Chingoma, The Man Who Created His Own Helicopter Zimbabweans are mourning the death of Daniel Chingoma, affectionately known as ‘the Helicopter Man,’ who passed away yesterday. Chingoma, a multi-talented creative engineer, entrepreneur, and musician, gained fame for his homemade helicopter, an ambitious creation that earned him admiration and attention […]
The post Fly high Visionary: Zimbabweans Mourn the Death of Daniel Chingoma, The Man Who Created His Own Helicopter appeared first on iHarare News.
A SELF-PROCLAIMED ‘hot’ mum has hit back at trolls who say she’s too old to be posing in tiny shorts.
Jane Jules, from Scotland, is not afraid to show off her figure in skimpy clothing and doesn’t let the fact that she’s a mother affect her desire to express herself.
She regularly posts pictures of herself posing in tight gym gear and lingerie on her Instagram account, where she has over 5,000 followers.
In a recent picture, Jane sported a Scotland football top, and a pair of tiny hot pants.
She had large fake eyelashes, and her hair was done up in French plaits, which she fiddled with playfully.
Jane captioned the image: “Who’s watching the England game with me?”
Unfortunately, the post was commented on by one troll who decided to make a comment about Jane’s age.
“Aren’t you a bit old to be wearing very little??”, they said cruelly.
However, Jane stood up for herself, and hit back at the troll.
She said: “Sorry didn’t think there was an age limit on what you can and can’t wear!”
Fortunately, Jane also received many positive comments on her appearance.
One person said: “Beautiful.”
Another commented: “Love it.”
A third said: “Hottie.”
And Jane isn’t the only self-proclaimed “hot mum”, who has been the victim of trolling revcently.
Jen Ferguson, 33, often proudly shows off her bikini body online, but has opened up on the backlash she has received from haters.
In a recent clip posted on Instagram, we saw the mum-of-four pose in her home, as she proudly showed off her assets in a tiny gingham string bikini.
There are a number of habits you can take up to care for your health and wellbeing as you age.
Age UK shared the following tips:
She styled the look with some jewellery and styled her blonde hair in loose waves.
She revealed that trolls will often say to her: “Mums shouldn’t wear bikinis.”
However, she was keen to clap back, as she wrote: “We don’t play by the rules here.”
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SEPTEMBER is a peak month for garden jobs.
But there are several rules you must keep in mind if you want to avoid up to a whopping £27,000 in fines, property experts have warned.
First up fences.
“When installing a new fence, it’s customary for homeowners to present the ‘good side’ to their neighbours,” Georgina Read explained.
“While this is more about maintaining good relations, failing to follow your local boundary regulations can lead to disputes.
“For example, if a neighbour complains about a fence exceeding the two-metre height limit, councils may intervene, which can, in some cases, lead to fines.”
It’s also important to avoid pruning protected trees, as making changes to trees protected by a Tree Protection Order without permission could lead to fines of up to £20,000.
Another thing to steer clear of is feeding wildlife in your garden, as any feeding that attracts pests could lead to fines of up to £5,000.
“Homeowners need to manage wildlife feeding responsibly to avoid attracting unwanted visitors,” Georgina, director of Paving Superstore, said.
“While feeding birds is generally encouraged, attracting pests like rats can lead to an abatement notice.”
Keep an eye on your hedges, as letting them grow to high could lead to finds of up to £1,000 if a neighbour complains under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003.
And it’s vital to obtain planning permission for certain aspects of changing up your green space.
This includes installing decking.
“Many people don’t realise that you need planning permission if your decking is more than 30cm high or covers over half your garden,” Georgina said.
“If you break these rules, the council can issue an enforcement notice under Section 172 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and failing to comply can lead to prosecution and unlimited fines, which means the penalty could be substantial depending on the case.
“My advice is to always check with your local planning office before starting any big garden project.
“It’s much easier to get permission first than to deal with problems later.”
The same applies to paving, if it’s over an area larger than five square metres.
As well as seeking planning permission, you will need to ensure there is proper drainage in place.
“Failure to do so could result in enforcement action and potential fines,” she said.
In fact, it’s a good idea to check with local planning authorities as your first point of call before making any drastic changes to your garden.
“Staying informed is key to enjoying your outdoor space without the stress of legal repercussions,” Georgina concluded.
THE temperatures have drastically dropped in recent weeks.
And as we all battle to keep our household costs down, there are some clever ways we can stay warm at home WITHOUT turning the heating on.
From the obvious to the often forgotten, property expert Joshua Houston shared five nifty ways you can keep your property warm and cosy.
“This week much of the UK is going to experience temperatures that we haven’t felt for many months,l” he said.
“It’s important that people aren’t caught off guard and are warm enough in their homes.
“These tips should help you keep the cold outside air from entering your property.”
Firstly, curtains.
“Windows are a common place for the outside cold to get into your home, this is because of small gaps that can let in air,” Joshua explained to Household Quotes.
“Close your curtains particularly at night, as this is when it will be the most cold.”
This simple method gives you an extra layer of warmth as it can provide a kind of “insulation” between your window and curtain.
“If you have the spare funds, consider investing in heavy curtains as these will do an even better job at keeping that unwanted cold away,” he added.
Another home decor addition that can make a massive difference is rugs.
“Your floor is another area of your home where heat can be lost and can make your home feel chilly,” he continued.
“You might notice on cold days, that your floor is not nice to walk on due to it freezing your feet.
“So instead add rugs to areas that don’t already have a carpet, this provides a layer of insulation between your bare floor and the room above.”
You should also ensure your home is properly insulated – not forgetting pipes, loft space, crawlspaces and underneath floorboards.
“Loose-fill insulation is very good for this, and is a more affordable type of insulation, with a big bag being able to be picked up for around £30,” Joshua explained.
“It’s easy to place in the smaller areas of a loft and does a good job of keeping the cold out of your home, as well as the heat in.”
SWITCHING energy providers can sound like a hassle - but fortunately it's pretty straight forward to change supplier - and save lots of cash.
Shop around – If you’re on an SVT deal you are likely throwing away up to £250 a year. Use a comparion site such as MoneySuperMarket.com, uSwitch or EnergyHelpline.com to see what deals are available to you.
The cheapest deals are usually found online and are fixed deals – meaning you’ll pay a fixed amount usually for 12 months.
Switch – When you’ve found one, all you have to do is contact the new supplier.
It helps to have the following information – which you can find on your bill – to hand to give the new supplier.
It will then notify your current supplier and begin the switch.
It should take no longer than three weeks to complete the switch and your supply won’t be interrupted in that time.
Another trick you might think obvious is to keep your internal doors closed as much as possible.
“Household members often gather in one room in the evening, and this is usually either the kitchen or living room,” he said.
“This means you only have to heat a small area of your home, and closing the doors keeps the heat in and the cold out.”
And lastly, stop unnecessary drafts as and where possible.
Don’t forget to check cat flaps, chimneys and letterboxes, as they can let in cold air if they aren’t secure.
“Sometimes this won’t always be possible like with your letterbox, but it can at least be secured at night when there’s no post being delivered,” Joshua concluded.
LOCKING up as she left the local supermarket where she worked, grandmother Toni Abad was excited to get home, and looking forward to spending time off with her family.
Tragically, the 58-year-old would never make it home because lurking in the shadows of the car park was one of her soon-to-be killers, petite teen De’Asia Page.
Her only ‘mistake’ that harrowing winter night was to kindly offer a lift home to the shivering, vulnerable looking 18-year-old.
As a parent, her caring nature kicked in – but she could never have predicted this would lead to her being bludgeoned to death by De’Asia’s deranged boyfriend Jared Kemp, 18…
It remains a mystery as to why anyone would want to hurt a woman who was a pillar of her local community, and incredibly popular.
A divorced mother of four with five grandchildren, Toni always valued her family above above all else and they were top priority.
Speaking on Hayu documentary Snapped: Killer Couples, Toni’s son Mike Chamblee says: “People were just drawn to her – her personality. You could just tell they all really cared a lot about her and the feeling was mutual.
“She was just an amazing mother. We would always get together on Christmas eve, and have a huge dinner – mum looked forward to that so much.”
Michaela Chamblee, Toni’s granddaughter, adds: “She was the perfect grandmother, just amazing.”
She was also greatly admired by her co-workers, and she enjoyed her job as deli manager at the supermarket in the small town of Fairburn, Georgia.
Sadly, it was after finishing her shift there at around 11.30pm on the cold winter’s night of December 21, 2017, she was tragically lured into the path of her killers.
That night, as one of Toni’s co-workers would later tell police, Toni was approached by stranger De’Asia Page, who’d been pacing around outside the store.
Cara Convery, Fulton County District Attorney, says: “This female approached them wearing a black jacket that had a fur hood on it. She asked Toni to give her a ride home.
“Looking at this young woman who was very thin, really small build – [Toni] wasn’t willing to leave her there alone.
“[Toni’s co-worker] remembers being distinctly concerned that Ms Abad would say yes, because of the kind of person she was.”
Atlanta Police Detective Kevin Leonpacher says: “It’s four days before Christmas, it’s cold outside – this is the South Atlanta winter, and you have a young lady asking for help getting a ride.
“I’m sure when Toni walked out of her job that night she really just saw the face of one of her children when they were 18 and they needed help.”
Toni and her co-worker then went their separate ways – and that was the last time Toni was seen alive.
On the drive, unsuspecting Toni followed De’Asia’s directions ‘home’ to a quiet road – which is where De’Asia’s boyfriend, 18-year-old Jared Kemp was lying in wait.
However, before they came to a stop, Toni caught a glimpse of a gun on De’Asia’s lap – and quickly realised her life was in danger.
Explaining what happened next, Attorney Cara Convery explains: “Ms Abad makes a move for her life essentially, and reaches out and there is a very brief struggle for the gun.”
Detective Leadpacher says: “While this is going on, Jared has emerged…and has smashed the driver’s glass window.
“So while he beats the glass, the victim crawls out of the passenger seat and ends up outside the car.
“She was begging and pleading for her life. She talked about Christmas being just a few days away and the fact she had a young granddaughter and the fact she just wanted to make it to Christmas to see her.”
However, Toni’s killers showed her no mercy.
South Fulton County Police Detective Nikkita Moss says: “Jared Kemp came up to the victim and started striking her several times with the baseball bat until she fell to the ground.”
The pair threw Toni’s body in the boot of her car before Kemp fled on foot, while De’Asia wiped down the car and dumped it.
The next day local police received a call about a suspicious vehicle with a shattered window parked behind a waffle restaurant five miles from the murder scene.
Upon inspecting the car, the officer at the scene found Toni’s body – still wearing her work uniform with her name badge on the front – in the boot.
“There was so much evidence of suffering, so much evidence of fear.”
Attorney Cara Convery
Detective Leonpacher says: “She had significant injuries to her head and her face so she was severely beaten to death.”
Detective Moss says: “The medical examiner was able to determine she was killed by blunt force trauma to the head.”
However police were baffled as they tried to work out the motive, as while Toni’s mobile phone was missing, her keys and wallet had been left in the car, and her credit cards and ID were still in her wallet.
Whatever the reason, the scene was harrowing.
Attorney Convery says: “There was so much evidence of suffering, so much evidence of fear.”
Police spoke to Toni’s colleague who had seen her last, and were quickly able to locate Toni’s missing phone where the murder took place.
With the investigation gathering pace, Police took a still from the supermarket CCTV footage and began asking people in the area if they recognised De’Asia.
They made a breakthrough in a nearby restaurant.
Cara says: “One of the detectives just casually asks ‘hey, have you seen anybody meeting this description?’ did you see anything last night? Young girl, puffy jacket?’ and they said ‘oh yeah she’s here all the time.’”
Police identified her, and learned she was a recent high school dropout, who had recently been left homeless after a fight with her mother.
Detective Kevin Leonpacher says: “De’Asia, like a lot of 18 year old girls, wanted to be independent, and that led to a lot of altercations at home… Things got tumultuous with her mother and she eventually left the house.”
Teenage rebellion hadn’t always been a problem – until months before when she’d grown close to Jared Kemp, causing her, according to friends to “withdraw from everybody.”
Former reporter Jaquitta WIlliams says: “Jared came from a good family. He was charming, he was handsome, popular by all accounts.
“[But] at some point in high school Jared began hanging out with a rougher crew, getting into a lot of trouble.”
With her image and name circulating within the media, De’Asia quickly turned herself in to police.
She admitted she had accepted a ride from Toni Abad, but initially claimed they were blindsided by two men who attacked them.
However police quickly dismissed her version of events, before receiving a call from nearby Chattahoochee Hills police who revealed Jared was there too, to also proactively speak to detectives.
Former reporter Jaquitta WIlliams says: “Jared claimed he wasn’t dating De’Asia anymore, in fact it was a very brief fling, he really didn’t know her that well, but he wanted to come forward to investigators because he didn’t want his name tied to a murder.”
Upon learning of Jared’s denial, De’Asia suddenly changed her story.
Former reporter Jaquitta WIlliams says: “De’Asia was clearly heartbroken that Jared was denying their relationship and she got angry.
“She immediately changed her story to police and told them Jared was responsible for the whole thing and Jared was the one who killed Toni Abad.”
With nowhere to sleep, De’Asia revealed they had come up with a plan to steal someone’s car for the night so she could have somewhere to rest – and says it was never supposed to end in murder.
While she distanced herself from the actual physical attack, Detective Leadpacher says: “We do believe that De’Asia actively participated in the violence that night, and certainly helped load Toni Abad’s body into the trunk of her own car.
“Even if they intended to just carjack Ms Abad, the fact they so egregiously and so aggressively bludgeoned her – that speaks to a level of violence that leaves only one conclusion – the moment they arrived on that road they intended to kill her.”
De’Asia was then officially charged with murder, and the following day an arrest warrant was issued for Jared, before he was taken into custody on Christmas eve.
They seized his phone and discovered a flurry of calls to De’Asia on the day of the murder lasting hours – meaning they were a lot closer than he tried to let on.
Page was offered a plea deal in exchange for giving evidence against her former lover, and sentenced to 30 years.
In October 2019, Kemp was convicted of murder, felony murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault and sentenced to life in prison.
Detective Leadbacher adds: “I believe De’Asia was an immature, impressionable young lady that was homeless and desperate and she was doing partly what she wanted to do and partly what others had convinced her to do.
“I believe Jared… was driven by a motivation to kill.”
All episodes of Snapped: Killer Couples are available to stream on Hayu.
A WOMAN who ordered a starfish curtain tie from Temu was left disgusted when she figured out why it smelled so bad.
Kelly explained that she’d seen the cute homeware addition on the budget site, so decided to order one.
But when it arrived, she couldn’t work out why it “stank of shellfish”.
In a video on her TikTok page, Kelly explained the situation, and revealed that she’d broken one of the legs to see what was inside.
Holding the broken leg apart to reveal the contents, it was clear to see there was some kind of skeleton beneath the surface – leading Kelly to believe it had, at one point, been a real starfish.
“Aww Temu!! Ick Ick,” she captioned the video.
Kelly’s video comes after someone else shared a clip of a croissant lamp that had attracted hundreds of creepy crawlies.
When they broke it open, they discovered that it appeared to be a real croissant that had been covered in resin to make the lamp.
“Have y’all heard about a girl that ordered a croissant lamp and it was real?” one person captioned the video.
As another said: “The croissant lamp now starfish…. do not order any stuffed animals!”
“Open it and make sure it doesn’t have organs,” a third commented.
But others insisted Kelly’s discovery inside the starfish is entirely normal.
“Do people not realise most starfish that are hard are just dead starfish?” one wrote.
“Temu literally states it on the item that it’s a natural starfish and smells slightly, read the description!” another insisted.
To which Kelly replied: “‘Starfish inspired cotton curtain ties’ is what I purchased.
“It should be obvious that I wish I read the description rather than run off ‘inspired’!”
“It’s very common to use actual sea creatures for decor,” a third wrote.
“In my seaside county they sell dried out starfish all the time.”
TEMU exploded onto the scene in late 2022, with people all over social media raving about the low prices.
The company is a Chinese-owned digital marketplace – essentially an online shopping app where people are connected to the retailer directly while the app takes care of the shipping element.
The frenzy over the app is not completely unfounded either as it offers a wide variety of products, including fashion, make-up, electronics and furniture.
According to a report from the US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Temu takes advantage of a trade loophole that allows the company to ship duty-free goods directly to the US.
The loophole is called the de minimis exception and it means they can ship goods valued up to $800 (£643) to the US without it being inspected or taxed by US customs.
Temu connects customers directly to manufacturers and only manages how the items are sent to customers.
It means Chinese vendors can essentially sell their products directly to customers and ship it without building a network of warehouses across the globe.
By doing this, they cut down on huge costs and ensure the product itself isn’t marked up extra.
While many of the products seen on the Temu app are from brands with extensive, original collections, many more are dupes of designer brands.
“When you buy a starfish and get what you ordered,” someone else said sarcastically.
“Wouldn’t have ordered had I known it was real,” Kelly hit back.
“That’s the point!”