Peak hours may vary depending on your location, but in general, it's best to avoid washing clothes between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. If you can, you'll often save money by doing your laundry before sunrise or late at night. However, peak electricity usage hours are also influenced by the day of the week and the seasons.
Energy prices are at their lowest between 10pm and 5am, but make sure you never leave it on over night as this could be a fire risk. Other ways to keep costs low include washing clothes less (save a pile of laundry rather than running a half-empty cycle) and washing with cooler water.
Take a look at your energy account and check your tariff rate. Most people will see that they have a lower tariff overnight, usually between 11 pm and 7 am. This is the best time to do your washing as you'll save money.
“The most expensive time to run your washing machine is between 4pm and 7pm," Vivien said.
This means it is best to do laundry during off-peak hours or when other households use energy less frequently. Generally, off-peak hours are between 11:00pm and 7:00am on weekdays and all day on weekends and holidays, but check with your local energy provider for more details.
It's cheaper at night, when demand for power is at its lowest. This quieter period is called the off-peak hours, which usually falls between 10pm and 8am. Conversely, peak hours are during the daytime, when more people are using electricity and demand is higher. Not all energy suppliers follow time-of-use tariffs.
Pick times that work best for you (and anyone else helping with the laundry). For example – Ideally I like to put washing on first thing in the morning, put to dry when it finishes (mid morning), fold around dinner time and either put into ironing or put away in the evening.
Given that energy prices are at their lowest between 10pm and 5am, I would advise scheduling your washing machine to run into the early hours of the morning. Doing this can help you to significantly cut down energy costs." Deyan also suggested a couple more things that we can do to slash costs when washing our clothes.
However, depending on your energy provider's rates, you can often save on your energy bill by washing your clothes at different times of the day. Try washing before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m. – Many energy companies charge extra for electricity during their “peak hours,” which see increased energy usage.
How many times should a washing machine be used in a day? We use washing machines daily as essential appliances for our daily lives. It is okay to use a washing machine 10-12 times a day.
Depending on how you fill your washing machine, the sort of clothes you wear and how fresh you like your clothes, the average person does laundry anywhere between one to three times a week. While this may not seem like a lot, it adds up to between 50 and 150 laundry loads every year.
While 29% say it is ok to run a washing machine that can be heard from other homes whatever the hour, 19% say 9pm is the latest, and 15% would not accept washing machines running after 10pm if they can be heard from neighbouring properties.
The exact amount of electricity a washing machine uses can vary greatly depending on the machine in question. The average washing machine uses 0.793 kWh of energy per cycle, costing £0.26 per cycle at current average electricity prices of 33.2p per kwh for the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) period ending 30 June 2023.
Winter peak hours are earlier in the morning, between about 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. During these hours, individuals are turning their heat up to warm up their home after the cold night. For this reason, if you choose to wash your laundry later in the day, especially in the evening, it can help you save money.
We've all been through it: You put a load of laundry into your washer only to forget about it until the next morning. When this happens, it's common for your clothes to develop a mildewy odor due to the growth of bacteria overnight.
Run your machines later in the day
The most expensive time for you to wash or dry your clothes is between 4pm and 7pm, so try to avoid using your machines between these hours. Energy prices are at their lowest between 10pm and 5am – perfect for night owls and early risers.
When drying or washing clothes, make sure to avoid any time between 4pm and 7pm, as this is the most popular and expensive period. "If possible, I would recommend using the time delay setting on your washing machine, as this function allows you to control when a washing cycle starts.
Run your machines later in the day
The most expensive time for you to wash or dry your clothes is between 4pm and 7pm, so try to avoid using your machines between these hours. Energy prices are at their lowest between 10pm and 5am – perfect for night owls and early risers.
It is recommended to avoid doing laundry (or using other major electrical appliances) during your energy company's “peak hours,” aka the time of day when the electricity demand and price per kWh are highest. Hours considered “peak” are typically 4pm to 8pm, when people are returning home from work or school.
An individual in general, is likely to wash anywhere between one to three loads of laundry per week. Although, depending on their unique circumstances this could be more or less.
Washing machine load size chart
Medium/regular load: This works out to a load of approximately 6 pounds. Large load: A large load in a HE machine is approximately 11 pounds. Extra-large load: If you have a HE machine, then an extra-large load at full capacity is around 21 pounds.
The average household washes 7.4 loads -- about 50 pounds of laundry -- per week. Women do 88 percent of the laundry. Fifty percent of all loads are washed in warm water, 35 percent in cold and 15 percent in hot. Ninety percent of all wash loads are put in a dryer.