British Gas, OVO, EDF, Octopus customers warned 'don't turn on washing machine' between 4pm and 7pm

British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus customers have been warned not to do laundry at certain times of the day. UK households trying to cope with the Cost of Living crisis and rising bills have been warned over opting to do laundry at the wrong time.

Households who are signed up to British Gas, OVO, EDF, EON and Octopus tariffs can save cash by being savvy with when they use household appliances. Allie Ogletree, a money-saving expert from Save On Energy said: “Many energy companies charge extra for electricity usage during their peak hours. These price differences are called time-of-use (TOU) rates.

“Plans with a TOU structure offer different rates depending on the time of day. Your energy plan may have cheaper energy rates during low-demand or off-peak hours and more expensive rates during high-demand times.” Most people do their laundry on weekdays in the early evening between 4pm and 7pm as this is when many people have finished working, so doing laundry outside of these hours will cut down on your energy bills.

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Allie explained: “During the summer, run your washer early in the morning. This is when your home is the coolest and demand is lowest. Once the sun comes out, it’s only a matter of time before energy usage peaks on those hot afternoons. By that time, most homes will have [fans] cranking — and your energy provider is more likely to increase rates for the higher demand.”

Allie said: “Your washer uses about 90 percent of its energy to heat water. Switching your temperature settings from hot to warm can cut energy consumption in half — and shifting from warm to cold can save even more.” And she said: “If you do too much laundry in a single day, you risk running your washer or dryer during peak hours. This will cost you more in the long run than if you spread out one or two loads per day during low-demand hours.”