The cost of running a washing machine is set to increase by as much as £11 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.
Currently, electricity costs an average of 24.86p per kWh, and it will go up to 27.03p per kWh from April 1, when Ofgem increases prices of gas and electricity by an average of 6.4%, or £111 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.
Ideal Home looks at running costs for a 300W machine, a 1,400W machine and a 2,100W machine.
Taking the middle option, a 1,400W running cost, on the current prices, it would cost 35p to run a 1-hour cycle on a washing machine, which is £127.03 per year if you run one cycle every day.
On the new prices, it would cost 38p per cycle, or £138.12 per year, an increase of £11.09.
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.
If you’re worried, there are ways to cut the costs. Good To.com advises: “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.
Fixed tariffs are available right now which are up to 6% cheaper than the April price cap, which means you can instantly cut the higher costs out and guarantee the lower price for the next 12 months, even if the price cap increases in the meantime.