Escaping laundry isn’t an option. No matter if you’re living solo or sharing space with others, there always appears to be at least one load—or maybe even three—that needs handling.
But what you
can
Potentially reducing your energy bill for laundry can be achieved by avoiding peak usage times. Why not try washing clothes during off-peak hours instead?
Operating your dryer during off-peak times, when available from your utility provider, can help you reduce costs effectively.
” says
Carolyn Forté
from the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Care & Cleaning Laboratory.
“However, for safety reasons, avoid running your dryer when you’re not at home or while asleep during the night. If a fire occurs, quick action will be necessary.”
How off-peak hours work:
Based on your location, your utility provider may impose charges for energy consumption.
less
To utilize your dryer during off-peak times.
In summertime, off-peak periods typically occur from late evening until early morning (9 p.m. to 8 a.m.). During wintertime, these periods happen twice; first during midday through early afternoon (12 noon to 2:30 p.m.) and again from late evening into early morning (9 p.m. to 8 a.m.).
Even so, it may vary based on your electricity supplier and your location.
For instance,
SRP
, serving central Arizona residents, has an off-peak pricing option at 9.28 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) during May, June, September, and October (with on-peak rates at 22.95 cents), and 9.55 cents off-peak for the rest of the year (on-peak being charged at 12.15 cents). Peak usage times occur between 2 and 8 p.m. from May to October, whereas they fall between 5 and 9 a.m., as well as 5 to 9 p.m., from November to April.
ConEdison
, serving New York City and Westchester County, has off-peak hours between midnight and 7 a.m. The cost is 2.49 cents per kilowatt-hour.
However, some businesses surprise their customers with an additional monthly meter fee. For example, when I contacted them
PSEG’s
The customer service team for New Jersey informed me that to qualify for the off-peak rate, I would require a Residential Load Management meter at my residence. This comes with a year-long contract and an additional monthly fee of $15 for the meter itself; however, there’s no cost for having it installed.
We would really like to see utility companies cease charging customers for the installation of smart meters because these firms also gain advantages from the extensive data collected through the interconnected devices,
says
Dan DiClerico
, serves as the director for Home Improvement and Outdoor Labs at the Good Housekeeping Institute. According to DiClerico, utility providers with high uptake rates of time-of-use plans typically excel at educating their consumers on leveraging this technology effectively.
DiClerico points out that the pricing isn’t flawless and definitely may not suit everybody (particularly those operating outside of peak times). Nonetheless, it could be beneficial to contact your nearby power provider to explore their off-peak options, or spend some time checking their site to verify which services are accessible in your region.
Alternative methods to lower your electricity costs while washing clothes include:
Check out these useful tips provided by the cleaning specialists at the Good Housekeeping Institute and the
U.S. Department of Energy
:
-
Despite this, you ought to read
clothing care labels
Generally, you can usually clean these items using cold water. - After each laundry cycle, make sure you clean out the lint screen of your dryer. This practice ensures optimal functioning of your appliance and reduces the risk of fire caused by accumulated lint.
- Avoid making your dryer work harder than necessary by preventing over-drying of your clothes.
-
If the weather allows, hang your clothes out to dry. Don’t have a yard?
clothes drying rack
In a brightly lit indoor area should suffice. - The experts at GH recommend using the “shake technique” for drying clothing. Just give each garment a good shake prior to putting it in the dryer. This stops your wash from bunching together, ensuring quicker and more uniform drying of the items.
Remember that demand influences energy prices. Therefore, when individuals use their devices more during warmer periods, they likely face increased energy bills relative to the colder months. Nonetheless, it’s wise to attempt reducing your energy consumption so you can save some extra cash along the way.
