Shift Your Wash to the Cheapest Three Hours and Save £120 a Year

The average household spends £120 a year running the washing machine, and a third of that goes on electricity during peak-rate hours. Shift your wash to the cheapest three hours of the day, and that £120 becomes £40. The money stays in your pocket.

As reported by Chronicle Live, households on time-of-use tariffs can cut bills by running appliances during off-peak hours. But the trick is knowing exactly when those hours fall, and having the right meter to measure them.

Which tariff works, and which doesn’t

Economy 7 gives you seven hours of cheap electricity, typically between midnight and 7am. But the cheap rate is often only 2–3 hours of genuine low demand. Octopus Agile, on the other hand, publishes half-hourly prices a day ahead. On windy nights, the rate can drop to 5p per kWh, compared to the current price cap of 27p per kWh. That’s a saving of 80% per wash.

British Gas, E.ON, and EDF all offer time-of-use tariffs, but they vary by region. Ofgem’s data shows that only 12% of UK households are on such tariffs as of March 2025. The rest are on standard variable tariffs where the rate is the same all day. For them, shifting the wash won’t save a penny, unless they switch.

What it costs a typical 3-bed semi

A 40°C wash uses about 0.8 kWh. At the standard rate of 27p, that’s 22p per load. Four loads a week costs £45 a year. At a cheap rate of 7p, the same wash costs 5.6p, or £11.60 a year. The difference is £33.40. Add in the tumble dryer (1.5 kWh per cycle) and dishwasher (1.2 kWh per cycle), and the total saving hits £120 a year.

That £120 assumes you shift all three appliances to the cheapest three hours. In practice, most households can only move the washing machine and dishwasher, the tumble dryer runs after the wash. But even that saves £70 a year.

The catch, and how to fix it

The cheap-rate hours aren’t the same for everyone. Economy 7’s cheap period is fixed by your supplier, but it can start at 10pm in some regions and 2am in others. Octopus Agile’s cheap hours shift daily. Without a smart meter, you can’t see the real-time rate, and you risk running the machine at peak prices.

Energy Saving Trust recommends checking your supplier’s app or website for exact timings. If you’re on a standard variable tariff, switch to a time-of-use plan first. The switch takes 2–3 weeks. Once you’re on it, set the washing machine’s delay timer for 1am. Most modern machines have a delay-start button.

Who qualifies, and who doesn’t

Households with smart meters can access time-of-use tariffs from most major suppliers. Those with traditional meters cannot, they need a smart meter upgrade, which suppliers must offer free under the government’s smart meter rollout. The rollout is due to complete by 2027, but as of April 2025, 32% of UK homes still lack one.

Renters face a bigger hurdle. Landlords are not required to install smart meters, though tenants can request one. If the landlord refuses, the tenant can ask the supplier to install one anyway, the meter belongs to the supplier, not the landlord.

3 Key Takeaways

• Shift your washing machine, dishwasher, and tumble dryer to the cheapest three hours, typically 1am–4am, and save up to £120 a year.
• You need a smart meter and a time-of-use tariff like Economy 7 or Octopus Agile. Check your supplier’s app for exact cheap-rate hours.
• If you’re on a standard variable tariff, switch now. The switch takes 2–3 weeks, and the savings start from day one.

FAQ

How do I find my cheapest three hours?

Check your energy supplier’s app or website. For Economy 7, the cheap period is listed in your welcome pack. For Octopus Agile, the prices are published at 4pm the day before. If you can’t find the information, call your supplier, they must tell you.

Will shifting my wash damage the machine?

No. Modern washing machines are designed to run overnight. The delay-start timer is standard on most machines made after 2015. Running the machine during cheap hours does not affect its lifespan or performance.