The average cost of running a washing machine is set to increase from April.
Ofgem (the energy regulator) announce energy prices will be rising from 1st April by a bit less than 7%.
This means that the cost of running a washing machine is set to increase by around £11 following the new Ofgem energy price cap; but if you’re worried about the additional cost, then you can take a few measures to reduce your energy bills now.
Currently, electricity costs on average 24.86p per kWh, and it is set to go up to 27.03p per kWh from 1st April, when Ofgem increases the price of gas and electricity by an average of 6.4%, equal to £111 a year. Washing machines vary widely in running costs and range from 300W for a small drum capacity, up to 2100W for a larger machine. Older models can cost even more!
According to Ideal Home, who looked at running costs for a 300W machine, a 1,400W machine and a 2,100W machine; taking the middle option of 1,400W the running cost, on the current prices, would be 35p to run a 1-hour cycle, which is £127.03 per year if you run one cycle every day. On the new prices, it would cost 38p per cycle, or £138.12 per year, being an increase of £11.09.
If you wish to work out the cost of running your washing machine; take the kWh rating for the model, which tells you how many units of electricity it consumes in one hour and multiply the kWh by 0.2703 and then multiply that by how many hours you use it!
Here are a few ways to help reduce your running costs:
1) Washing small loads multiple times a week is an expensive way to use your washing machine. Unless your washing machine has a half-load setting, it uses the same amount of energy and water and therefore costs the same to wash a half load as it does to wash a full load. So make sure to wait until you have a full load before you put the washing on! You might even find that you reduce the number of washes you need to do per week, not only reducing your energy consumption and keeping your bills as low as they can be, but also reducing the wear and tear on your washing machine; meaning it’s likely to last longer before it needs to be replaced.
2) Washing your clothes at a lower temperature will also help cut back on energy costs, as lower temperatures use less energy. Older models are likely to have an option to wash at 30°C but a 20°C option has been a compulsory feature on newer models since 2013. According to Which? making that switch from 40°C to 30°C will cut your energy usage by 38% a year, while going from 30°C to 20°C will cut your energy usage by 62%.
3) Finally, if you’re not currently on a fixed tariff maybe take a look at switching to one. Fixed tariffs are available and can be up to 6% cheaper than the April price cap, which means you can instantly cut the higher costs out and guarantee a lower price for the next 12 months, even if the price cap increases during this time!