Cheap-rate appliance scheduling
Light-use household: what could moving appliances off-peak save?
This profile assumes 3 dishwasher cycles, 3 washing-machine cycles and 1 tumble-dryer cycles per week, using 1.0, 0.7 and 2.0 kWh per cycle respectively.
Base illustrative tariff spread: 30p peak / 8p off-peakAbout £81 per year
369 kWh shifted off-peak · 22p/kWh difference
Tariff-spread sensitivity
| Scenario | Peak | Off-peak | Spread | Shifted energy | Annual saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrow spread | 24p | 12p | 12p | 369 kWh | £44/yr |
| Base | 30p | 8p | 22p | 369 kWh | £81/yr |
| Wide spread | 36p | 6p | 30p | 369 kWh | £111/yr |
Practical limits
Not every cycle can necessarily be moved into the cheap window. Delay timers, noise, occupancy, tariff-window length and appliance safety instructions can limit achievable shifting.
Tariff rates and per-cycle energy figures are illustrative. Check your own smart-meter data, appliance specification and tariff schedule.