From washing machines that offer much more than the standard wash cycle to tumble dryers that use steam to dry your clothes and ironing boards that will change the way you iron forever, the new utility room range by John Lewis is sure to save you time and effort.

Bosch Exxcel WTS84500GB Steam Sensor Condenser Tumble Dryer, White – £508

This dryer has ActiveSteam technology to dry your clothes without creasing, saving the average household an incredible 10 days per year of ironing. It also enables you to quickly refresh dry clean only items, saving both time and money. It is fully automatic and has a large 8kg capacity, which benefits from a sensor drying option that automatically detects how damp your clothes are and adjusts the amount of steam generated for perfect results every time. Intelligent sensors continually monitor its progress, adjusting where necessary.

LG F1480FD Direct Drive Washing Machine, White – £599

This A++ rated washing machine has a clever Bio Cycle programme for the toughest stains and a unique Medic Cycle that removes all traces of detergent, which is ideal for people with sensitive skin. It washes a large 9kg load, which is great for families. The Direct Drive system means all the parts in the motor are integrated within the drum providing quieter, more energy efficient results with less vibration.

Other benefits include nine wash programmes including handwash and handwash wool, and five wash options featuring extra rinse and crease care.

Laurastar Magic S4 Evolution Steam Generator Ironing Board – £795

This high-quality ironing system is designed to deliver professional results, making quick work of your laundry while still caring for your clothes. The iron heats up in just three minutes and has a powerful constant steam pressure of 3.5 bars, producing 200 litres of extra fine steam a minute, leaving no damp traces on your clothes.

The foldable ironing board has a choice of six heights and plays an active role in your ironing, incorporating a two-speed silent blower/vacuum system to dry your clothes immediately, to prevent creases and mark seams easily.

Siemens WM14S890GB iDos Washing Machine, White – £999

This A++ rated machine ensures that you will use the correct amount of detergent, thanks to its integrated measuring system – i-Dos, which measures and dispenses exactly the right amount of detergent to wash your clothes more thoroughly. The machine automatically works out the laundry amount, degree of soiling and textile type, then adjusts the wash program and detergent amount for the best results.

It is particularly good for washing woollens, with a gentle drum cradle action and a special ‘ultimate woolcare’ system.

For more information on these products visit  www.johnlewis.com

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The Chancellor aims to introduce the Boiler Scrappage Scheme in early 2010, which enables homeowners to trade in their existing boilers for a newer, more energy efficient condensing model. Most importantly, the Boiler Scrappage Scheme provides a cash incentive of up to £400 towards the replacement.

The Chancellor’s plan is certainly not a bad idea in the short term but, so far as long term environmental targets are concerned, it does little to address the fact that imported non-renewable fuels will still be required to heat most homes throughout the country, thereby making it a little less of a bad thing.

Another criticism of the Boiler Scrappage Scheme is the 125,000 home cap is probably not enough to drive significant environmental change in the country. Moreover, it is thought many of the most inefficient boilers can be found in privately rented homes, so it is somewhat unrealistic to expect landlords to purchase a new boiler installation for the sake of their tenants’ energy bills and a £400 cash incentive.

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The recently published pre-budget report has largely been derided as too soft on repaying the national deficit and too hard on the everyday Joe. Of course, all budgets are subject to criticism of some form or another and they rarely involve black or white issues – especially with regard to pre-election budgets – so not everybody’s needs will always be satisfied. However, the recent pre-budget report released by Alistair Darling features surprisingly good news for homeowners and property developers.

In fact, there are two notable provisions of the pre-budget report that are likely to be of great value and interest to homeowners. First, the boiler scrappage scheme, which will most likely be launched in early 2010, enables homeowners to trade in their old boilers for up to £400. In respect to meeting the UK Government’s environmental targets, which ultimately aim to cut the emission of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the boiler scrappage scheme is useful in so much as it allows homeowners to replace their old boilers with new and efficient condensing boilers, whilst receiving a cash incentive in the process.

However, the boiler scrappage scheme does present a potentially awkward problem in respect to existing boilers that are fitted on internal walls, which is fairly common for old boilers. Indeed, the new condensing boilers must be installed to an external wall in order to condense efficiently, so this could pose a few problems for homeowners. Nevertheless, the scheme is likely to be of benefit to homeowners on the whole. Finally, the Chancellor has also announced that environmentally conscious homeowners will be entitled to feed-in tariffs, which guarantee a price for electricity fed back to the national grid (via solar panels, wind turbines, etc.) as of April 2010, which could provide more than £900 tax free each year on average per household.

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