Energy bills are a constant worry UK households have to be aware of, especially during the colder months of winter and autumn, when there is a greater need for heating.
These prices being on the rise alongside other cost-of-living concerns means there's always a need to look for other saving methods.
There are ways households can make small savings to their overall energy bill, and there's one in particular that a few experts have suggested if you're on a flexible, off-peak or time-of-use tariff.
It involves avoiding the use of major appliances, such as your washing machine and dishwasher, during a peak two-hour slot.
People urged not to use major appliances in 2-hour slot to avoid higher bills
Energy experts have advised avoiding using your major appliances between 6pm and 8pm, as that is when energy use is at its peak in the UK.
David Walker, Energy Analyst at OHMS Renewables explained: “Between 6pm and 8pm is consistently the UK’s busiest period for electricity use.
"When millions of households cook, do laundry and run appliances at the same time, the national demand peaks and on many smart tariffs, that’s when electricity is at its most expensive.
"Large appliances with heating elements, such as washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers, consume the most electricity.
"Running them during this peak window can cost noticeably more on time-of-use tariffs. Many UK households can benefit simply by shifting these activities to later in the evening or early morning."
Liam Sharkey, home expert at home emergency and cover specialists HomeServe, concurred, as he said: “Using big household appliances like your washing machine, dishwasher or oven during the 6pm–8pm peak can quietly push your energy bills up.
"This is the busiest time of day for the UK’s electricity grid, and these appliances are some of the biggest energy users in any home.
"A typical wash cycle uses around 0.5 kWh and a dishwasher can use up to 2 kWh, so running them when demand is highest means you’re paying more than you need to for the same job."
He added that those on off-peak or time-of-use tariffs could make decent savings as "wet appliances" like dishwashers make up a large share of home energy use.
Liam concluded: "Moving them out of the peak window can add up to noticeable savings over the year.”
Kane Taylor, energy efficiency expert at Ailsa, shared that those on fixed-rate tariffs wouldn't be impacted by using major appliances between 6pm and 8pm as their price is fixed.
He added: "There are however ways to save money if you use a lot of energy from these types of appliances!
"Most energy suppliers now do a tariff called Time of Use tariff (ToU). When on the ToU tariff you can buy energy cheaper at off peak times where you buy energy at less than 20p per kWh (Around 30% cheaper than the standard rate) meaning there are large savings to be made.
"Be aware thought, if a consumer is on a ToU and uses large appliances during peak times, then the cost will be significantly higher as the peak hours on these types of contracts can be in the region of 30-40p per kWh.
"Some energy suppliers now have contracts which include “super off peak” rates which can be as low as 16p per kWh but this is usually during the night, which was developed for consumers with EV vehicles to make charging cheaper.
"In essence, to save money on your energy bills using large appliances, the best way to do this is get onto a ToU tariff and use as little amount of energy as possible during peak times, i.e. lights, TVs etc then either through the day or late evening use the larger appliances.
"Using this strategy consumers can see savings of 20% plus on their energy bills."
How to make the most of using major appliances outside of peak times
David Walker explained that certain types of tariffs can help save money on your bill if you conduct activities like washing earlier or later in the day.
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He shared: "With the rollout of smart meters, off-peak and flexible tariffs are becoming more widely available. These tariffs offer cheaper rates during low-demand hours, often overnight.
"Households with regular routines, EV chargers or appliances with built-in timers tend to benefit most.
"Setting washing machines or dishwashers to start after 9pm is an easy, set-and-forget switch that can lower bills without changing your lifestyle.”
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