The cost of living crisis is still hitting hard and drying clothes can quickly get expensive – but there are ways around this household expense.
Off-peak electricity hours are quieter periods when people use less electricity and grid demand is lower – usually overnight, on weekends and during peak holiday periods, according to British Gas.
Using electricity at night can be cheaper with time-of-use, or off-peak electricity rates and tariffs – particularly if you also shift energy-intensive tasks like doing the laundry or charging appliances to the cheaper off-peak electricity night rate times.
Homeowners may be able to check with their energy company to see if they have further information on specific or seasonal peak hours.
So when is the best time of day to do laundry in order to save money?
Experts at Mulberrys Garment Care have shared the cheapest times to do laundry to avoid paying more.
They said: “Generally speaking, it’s a good idea 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.”
By scheduling your dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, or electric heater to operate at night, for instance, you can take advantage of significantly reduced rates and really cut your energy bills.
As well as running your dryer off peak times there are a couple of other ways you can keep the price down.
Real Simple reports that adding dryer balls in with your laundry can reduce drying time and bring costs down. The dryer balls improve airflow and make drying faster.
It’s also very important to make sure your dryer is free of lint, as this can slow down the dryer and make it lose efficiency. Make sure you are checking the lint trap before and after every load to keep it as clear as possible.
Avoid overloading the dryer as this will mean it has to work harder and longer to dry your clothing.
The cheapest way to dry your laundry is to hang it outside. However if the weather doesn’t permit this – or you don’t have an outside washing line – you can hang wet laundry on a clothes horse inside.
This can make your home damp however, so combat this by running a dehumidifier in the space where you have your laundry.