LAUNDRETTES are closing at an alarming rate due to rising energy costs, figures show.
Britain had around 14,000 in their heyday and they have been a lifeline for millions for nearly 75 years.
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But that number has steadily fallen as domestic washing machines become more affordable — from 12,500 in the 1980s to about 2,000 now, according to the National Association of the Laundrette Industry.
Laundrettes were one of the few high street businesses to stay open in lockdown, but it meant they were unable to claim grants that kept other firms afloat.
The association’s director Bruce Herring said soaring energy bills “have been the real killer”.
He added: “Many laundrettes had long-term contracts with utility companies.
“These contracts have come to an end and prices are going up enormously. Most premises now pay about 12p per kWh for their gas-heated tumble dryers, compared to 3p previously.”
They are also taking a hit from the cost of repairing equipment.
Mr Herring added: “Some laundrettes are using 20-year-old machines that are more expensive and harder to fix than the more modern ones.”
The oldest laundrette in Britain, Central Wash, opened in 1949 in Queensway, West London.
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It is still open today.
Model Nick Kamen famously stripped to his pants in a laundrette for a 1985 Levi’s ad — while Dot Cotton was a regular fixture in EastEnders’ one.
