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Best time to run the dishwasher to save money on your energy bills this winter
With winter coming up, everyone wants to save money on their energy bills, and one great way to do that is to run your appliances at specific times.
Dishwashers, washing machines, dryers and other large appliances use up a lot of electricity, which can get quite expensive, but only switching them on at off-peak times will lead to substantial savings over the year.
Best time to run your dishwasher to save money
Energy expert Llewellyn Kinch from MakeMyHouseGreen explains that energy companies have peak times when electricity costs more and off-peak times when it’s cheaper. This is because people use less energy at certain times of the day.
“People often underestimate how much energy is consumed by household appliances during peak hours,” he said “By adjusting the timing of your dishwasher cycles, you can reduce costs without changing your overall energy usage.”
The best times to run your dishwasher are:
- Late evening – after 10 pm
- Early morning – before 7 am
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Electricity demand has significantly decreased in these hours, making it the perfect time to run large appliances and cut down your energy bills.
Avoid running your dishwasher at this time
Avoid running your dishwasher between 4 pm and 9 pm as this is the peak time when most people are using their appliances.
People tend to put the dishwasher on when they get home from work, after cooking dinner or while they are watching TV in the evening.
Avoiding these peak hours and running your dishwasher late in the evening or early in the morning will soon rack up huge savings.
Always use the eco setting on your dishwasher to save more money and don’t don’t run half loads – only turn it on when all the racks are full.
There is also a misconception that you need to rinse really dirty dishes first, but this isn’t necessary with most modern dishwashers and wastes water.
More ways to save money on your energy bills
The Department of Energy says the first step to saving money on your electricity bill should always be upgrading to energy-efficient appliances, electronics, heating systems and lighting.
Also, switch off any “always-on” appliances that consume energy even when they’re not in use, such as TVs on standby, smart hubs and fans.
To save on your gas bills, make sure your home is effectively insulated and windows are properly sealed to keep the heat inside your home.
Lowering your water heater temperature and bleeding your radiators when needed can also help keep costs down.
Here are some more tips to save hundreds on your water bills.
