The cost of running a washing machine is set to drop by from April following the new Ofgem energy price cap - but households worried about the outlay can take a few measures to reduce their bills now, especially as cheap fixed deals are rapidly disappearing.

Currently, electricity costs an average of 27.69p per kWh, and it will go down to 24.67p per kWh from April 1, when Ofgem drops prices of gas and electricity by an average of 6.6%, or £117 a year. Washing machines can vary widely in running costs, ranging from 300W for a small model up to 2100W for a larger machine, and older models can cost even more.

To work out the cost for your machine, take the kWh rating for the model, which tells you how many units of electricity it consumes in one hour. Simply multiply the kWh by 0.2703 and then multiply that by how many hours you use it.

Taking a mid-range washing machine with a 1400W power draw, run for two hours per day (a typical washing cycle), would cost 69p per day or £252.13 for the year from April under the new price cap.

Of course, with the conflict in the Middle East right now, forecasts are already being revised upwards for the next cap, from July, with suggestions it could rise by 10%.

If you're worried, there are ways to cut the costs. Good To.com reports in its advice: "Washing small loads multiple times a week is an expensive way to use your washing machine. It uses the same amount of energy (and water), and therefore costs the same, to run a half-full washing machine than it does to run the appliance with a full load.

"If you can, wait until you have a full load before you put the washing on to keep costs as low as possible (unless your washing machine has a half-load setting). You might even find you can reduce the number of washes you need to do per week. This not only reduces your energy consumption and keeps your bills as low as they can be, but also reduces wear and tear on your washing machine, which means it's likely to last longer before it needs to be replaced.

"Washing your clothes at a lower temperature can help you cut back on energy costs. Lower temperatures use less energy and while older models are likely to have an option to wash at 30°C, a 20°C option has been a compulsory design feature on newer models since 2013 thanks to the European Union's Ecodesign initiative."

According to Which? making that switch from 40°C to 30°C will cut your energy usage by 38% a year, while going from 30°C to 20°C will cut your energy usage by 62%.

Finally, those not currently on a fixed tariff should be switching to one as soon as possible. Martin Lewis last week urged energy users not currentlty on a fixed deal to grab a switch before the cheapest deals leave the market.