Household appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines are often the biggest energy vampires in a home. However, a simple feature present in many modern appliances but overlooked by many owners could be the key to reducing your energy bills significantly this winter.
While such household appliances are essential to our daily living, that doesn’t mean they have to completely drain your finances. Both washing machines and dishwashers often come with a range of overlooked features that could save you as much as £156 a year.
Following just a few simple steps in your daily chore routine could significantly cut your laundry costs. Read below for ways in which you can save a significant amount of money on your laundry costs….
Use lower temperatures as much as you can
Most modern washing machines are extremely efficient at properly cleaning laundry. Because of this, they do not need higher temperatures to do a good job.
According to experts at Which?, dropping your washing temps to 30C could cut £22 while dropping further to 20C could save £37. However, you may not need to manually do this as your washing machine will come equipped with a feature that does this for you automatically.
Most modern washing machines come equipped with either an eco wash setting or an eco mode button. This essentially aids the machine in performing efficient washing whilst utilising less electricity than other washing modes, typically by either operating at a lower temperature or minimising the volume of water used.
Only wash during off-peak hours
If you’re worried about the cost of using your washing machine throughout the day, adjusting the times when you switch on the machine could save you as much as 40% in some instances. Energy costs are generally cheaper during hours when there’s less strain on the national grid.
Peak hours are usually between 4pm and 7pm as this is when more people are using large appliances, thus increasing the demand and cost. However, if you choose to use your washing machine late at night or early in the morning before these times, you could save as much as £75.
Advice from E.ON Next emphasises that a standard washing machine can use as much a 2kWh per load, although this varies depending on the model. If a machine uses 2,000 watts on a single one-hour cycle at 60p per load, this could equate to £150 a year if used during peak times.
However, it points out that using it exclusively during off-peak hours could halve that rate significantly. Bear in mind, though, that these figures may fluctuate throughout the year depending on the cost of energy at the time.
Look after your appliances
Regular maintenance of your washing machine is essential. This includes clearing the pump filter every two months and cleaning the water inlet filter twice a year.
Maintaining your washing machine in prime condition will ensure it operates at maximum efficiency, thereby requiring less energy for a thorough clean.
Only wash full loads
Delaying until you’ve gathered enough dirty laundry for a full load can avoid needless wash cycles and cut down on your energy expenditure.
