Energy bills are on the rise and with winter on the way, we will all be using our heating and appliances more often, especially the tumble dryer.
There are ways of using different electricity tariffs to keep bills down or taking advantage of lower prices by washing and drying your clothes at night during off-peak grid hours.
That can be very impractical for those with easily woken kids or for people needing a good night’s sleep.
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Instead, it’s recommended that people try to avoid using their household appliances for two specific hours during the day.
This includes your washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, electric oven and electric shower.
Electric Ireland confirmed that time-of-use rates are divided between three different time bands.
They stated that the peak hours when electricity usage is most expensive is between 5PM and 7PM.
The second time-band is between 8AM-5PM and 7PM-11PM. The price for electricity during these hours is similar to the flat tariff.
The final time-band is at night time between 11PM and 8AM and it is the cheapest time of the day to use electricity.
This may differ depending on your energy provider, so make sure to check their website for more information.
Electric Ireland explained that the new time-of-use tariffs are a great way to save money on your household bills.
These are applied instead of using the traditional “flat” tariffs. This means that the same rate is applied to your energy usage throughout the day.
These new tariffs are meant to reflect the amount of electricity used during different periods for homes with smart meters.
Therefore, if you use your energy-consuming household appliances at night or during the day when the lower tariffs are in place, you will be saving money compared to using them between 5PM-7PM.
For people who are busy during these times, you can schedule certain appliances depending on their model.
You can also implement smart plugs which allow you to control your plug sockets. Instead of a continuous flow of electricity when your appliances are plugged in, these smart plugs function as a remote controlled power switch.
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